Tales from the Track: Mandy Walsh INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — One week before the green flag drops on the 110th Indianapolis 500, Mandy Walsh is doing what she has done for a quarter century — making sure the race looks as good as it feels. Walsh, the senior art director for the Indianapolis Mo tor Speedway, leads a nine-person design team responsible for the visual identity of IMS and IndyCar. That work spans 17 races on the NTT IndyCar Series schedule, the INDY NXT by Firestone development series, and the crown jewel of them all — the Indy 500 ticket and official program. It was not always her world. Walsh arrived 25 years ago with no background in racing — she drove to the Speedway the day before her first interview just to make sure she could find it. Her then-boss, Dawn DeBellis, told her that was exactly the point. “I need a fresh set of eyes that doesn’t know anything,” Walsh recalled DeBellis telling her. “You’ll learn.” Twenty-five years later, Walsh says, the passion has only grown. “The love is just there.” This year’s official program cover — printed on foil in patriotic red, white, and blue to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary — was designed by team member Chloe Fisher, though Walsh says the program has long been her personal project, one she works on year-round. The program for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. (Provided Photo/IMS) Walsh has also made the case — successfully — for keeping physical tickets at the Indy 500. “We will never do that,” she said of going digital. “Not for the Indy 500.” The commitment runs deep: after last year’s race, she hand-made a small custom ticket for Lucia, the daughter of winner Alex Palou, in honor of the family’s unforgettable moment on the bricks. “He was a dad, not just any 500 winner,” Walsh said. “Those are the moments we live for.” Mandy Walsh (left) and Stacy Schooler. (WISH Photo) ...read more read less