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WATCH: Purdue All-American Marching Band Shines Again at 2024 Indianapolis 500

For over a century, the Purdue All-American Marching Band has been part of the Indianapolis 500's pre-race festivities. Here are some of the highlights from this year's trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the 108th running of the Indy 500.
Dustin Schutte|
Purdue All-American Marching Band members take a photo the Borg-Warner Trophy
Purdue All-American Marching Band members take a photo the Borg-Warner Trophy | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY

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Purdue Boilermakers

The green flag waved much later than expected, but the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 didn't disappoint. But prior to the excitement of Josef Newgarden winning his second consecutive race at the world's most famous track, the Purdue All-American March Band helped kickstart the event.

Purdue's marching band has been a staple of Indy 500 pre-race festivities for decades. Sunday, the group waited through a four-hour weather delay to give 350,000 fans and spectators a show before the start of the race.

Below are some of the highlights from Purdue's day at the racetrack.

According to Purdue's website, "The Purdue 'All-American' Marching Band has been the official band for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing since 1919. Only having missed 3 races in the last century, the AAMB remains a staple sound and sight for Indy 500 pre-race festivities."

The Purdue All-American Marching Band was actually on the track early in the morning for pre-race festivities. Then, as lighting, wind and rain swept through the Indianapolis area, they were forced to wait for one of the biggest moments of the day.

Before the start of each Indianapolis 500, singer Jim Cornelison takes the microphone and performs Back Home Again in Indiana. The Purdue All-American Marching Band accompanies the singer for this iconic pre-race moment.

Yes, obviously Cornelison steals the show with his voice, but the Boilermakers also do an excellent job on the instrumental portion of the song. Here's the clip from Sunday's race:

"The Band famously accompanied the iconic Jim Nabors on 'Back Home Again in Indiana' starting in the 1970s," the website reads. "They now perform the historic song with Jim Cornelison just moments before the start of the race."

The Purdue All-American Marching Band was on hand for another thrilling Indy 500 finish. Newgarden and Pato O'Ward continued passing each other in the final laps of this year's event. At the end, though, it was Newgarden who prevailed to claim a second consecutive checkered flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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Dustin Schutte
DUSTIN SCHUTTE

Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.

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