Indianapolis, IN
After years of disuse, St. Peter Claver Center to reopen with food bank, after-school care
Nearly 50 years after it was dedicated as the St. Peter Claver Center, the once-thriving Near Northside building is getting a new lease on life.
Community members, including Trinity Church pastor Kim McCrackin and Marion County Recorder Faith Kimbrough, gathered outside the storied event space at 3110 Sutherland Ave. on a gray afternoon Sept. 13 to publicly commemorate the church’s plans to remodel and reopen the community center as the Trinity Youth and Family Services Center.
From beneath the drumbeat of heavy rain on umbrellas, McCrackin reminisced about the place where she would come to sing, dance and be among friends as a teenager.
“When you came here, baby, you dressed up,” she said.
The St. Peter Claver Center began in 1978 as a meeting space for the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver, the nation’s oldest predominantly Black fraternal organization. For nearly 20 years, the space hosted meetings, dances, fashion shows, banquets, even speaking engagements from the likes Maya Angelou. But after the roughly 25,000-square-foot venue changed hands a few times in the 1990s, including its most recent stint as the Omega Events Center from 1998 to the early 2000s, the building fell into disrepair.
McCrackin, an Indy native who has been a pastor for about 25 years, said she spent nearly three months in 2014 tracking down the Omega Center’s owners in the hopes of purchasing it.
She then established the Indianapolis branch of the predominantly Black, Florida-based Trinity Youth and Family Services, holding church services out of a small auxiliary building on the center’s property while steadily making repairs to the main structure.
There remains much work to be done. McCrackin said Trinity had to essentially gut the building after buying it. Graffiti pocks the exterior brick walls and there is substantial damage to the roof. A sign out front reading “St. Peter Claver Center” has been nearly bent in half. The pastor estimates that in order to completely renovate the building, Trinity will need to raise around $1.5 million.
The ambitious project already has buy-in from Trinity congregant and lifelong Indy resident Brigitte Winters, who remembers coming to the St. Peter Claver Center in her 20s with her friends for dances where beloved local DJ Thomas “Sparkle Soxx” Griffin would spin records deep into the night.
“It was so fly back in the day,” Winters said.
Longtime Indy resident Bessie Manning would frequent the center with other kids from her church, often waiting in a line of cars to get dropped off. She and her husband, George, mourned the loss of a community staple when the backgammon nights and fashion shows stopped, leading to years of neglect.
“I hate that it went downhill,” Bessie said. “If they can get it fixed up, it’ll be real nice.”
With the money Trinity hopes to receive from community donations and grants, McCrackin plans to revive the center with various functions including a food pantry, after-school programs, a playground, a fellowship area and an event space to be rented for different community celebrations, weddings and funerals. If possible, she intends to rent buses to transport food to lower-income residents who can’t come to the Trinity Center.
“We’re gonna go to them,” McCrackin said. “Somebody’s got to treat somebody right at some point.”
After the afternoon ceremony, during which Kimbrough presented McCrackin with the physical deed to the Sutherland Avenue property, the driving rain dried to a slow drip and the 20-some people present began forming a line to fill plates and clamshell boxes with chicken, ribs, goat, macaroni and cheese, salad and green beans.
Among the group was McCrackin’s mother, Doris, an Indy resident of 70 years who used to attend the Claver Center for dances, fashion shows and bingo nights. Doris hopes that under her daughter’s guidance, the community staple that once served them both can do the same for a new generation.
“There’s just so much going on, we just need to get people on the right track,” she said. “If you show them love, maybe you can bring them in.”
Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.
After mechanical setbacks in prior races, Ericsson seeks clean run into Indy 500
Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson discusses avoiding mechanical issues heading into next week’s Indianapolis 500.
All eyes will be on Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for two days of qualifying that will determine the pole winner and set the full lineup for the 110th running of the Indy 500.
This year provides even more intrigue with changes to the qualifying format and because multiple drivers will take the first step toward potential history-making endeavors.
The events begin May 15 with Fast Friday practice sessions as drivers will run full speeds at the Brickyard to gear up for qualifying sessions the next two days. Then the pressure really kicks in Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 as drivers lock in their spots on the starting grid for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 24.
Among the drivers who will be behind the wheels of Indy cars this weekend are two who are seeking to make history.
Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves is back, trying to become the first driver to win the iconic race five times. The Brazilian driver, who celebrated his 51st birthday on May 10, won the Indy 500 back-to-back in 2001 and 2002, again in 2009 and then in 2021 to tie A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears for most wins all time.
Meanwhile, Katherine Legge has a different, but equally epic, historic opportunity. The 45-year-old British driver announced earlier this week that she will attempt “The Double” this year: racing in the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Only five drivers have ever attempted “The Double” – John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Kyle Larson – and Legge would be the first woman.
Here is everything you need to know about qualifying for the 2026 Indianapolis 500, the weekend schedule and the full entry list:
Indy 500 2026 event schedule by day
Practice, qualifying and the 2026 Indianapolis 500 can be streamed on the Fox Sports website (by signing in with your TV or satellite provider), Fox One (free seven day trial) and the Fox Sports app. Viewers can also stream events on Fubo.
All times Eastern
Friday, May 15
- Noon — Fast Friday, FS2
- 3 p.m. — Fast Friday, FS1
- 5 p.m. — Fast Friday, FS2
Saturday, May 16
Determines starting positions 16-33
- 8:30 a.m. — Practice 5, FS2
- 11 a.m. — Qualifying Day 1, FS2
- 2 p.m. — Qualifying Day 1, FS1
- 4 p.m. — Qualifying Day 1, Fox
Sunday, May 17
Determines starting positions 1-15
- 1 p.m. — Practice 6, FS2
- 4 p.m. — Qualifying Pole Day, Fox
Monday, May 18
- 1 p.m. — Practice 6, FS1
Friday, May 22
- 11 a.m. — Carb Day Final Practice, FS1
- 2 p.m. — Oscar Mayer Wienie 500, Fox
- 2:30 p.m. — Pit Stop Competition, Fox
Sunday, May 24
- 10 a.m. — Pre-race show, Fox
- 12:30 p.m. — 110th Indianapolis 500, Fox
Stream Indy 500 race, qualifying and practice on Fubo
Indy 500 2026 qualfying format
- Qualifying for the 110th Indy 500 begins Saturday when all drivers will take four consecutive laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At the conclusion of the day, positions 16 through 33 will be set on the starting grid.
- The top nine fastest drivers on the first day will be locked into the Top 12 qualifying session on Day Two Sunday.
- Cars ranked 10-15 in Saturday’s qualifying session will advance to the Final 15 round Sunday and will have the opportunity to compete for the three spots remaining to fill the Top 12 round. Starting in reverse order of Saturday’s qualifying speeds, each of the six cars will have one attempt to post a four-lap qualifying time starting at 4 p.m. ET, with the fastest three advancing to the Top 12 round. The three that don’t advance will slot in positions 13-15 on the grid.
- At approximately 5 p.m. ET Sunday, the Top 12 qualifying round will begin in order of slowest to fastest cars from previous sessions, with the best six advancing to the Firestone Fast Six, which will determine the pole winner and the first two rows on the Indy 500 starting grid. The six that don’t advance will start on rows three and four.
Indy 500 2026 entry list
With car number, driver, team and engine
- No. 06 Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
- No. 2 Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, Chevrolet
- No. 3 Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, Chevrolet
- No. 4 Caio Collet, A.J. Foyt Racing, Chevrolet
- No. 5 Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
- No. 6 Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
- No. 7 Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
- No. 8 Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
- No. 9 Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
- No. 10 Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
- No. 11 Katherine Legge, HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing, Chevrolet
- No. 12 David Malukas, Team Penske, Chevrolet
- No. 14 Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
- No. 15 Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
- No. 18 Romain Grosjean, Dale Coyne Racing, Honda
- No. 19 Dennis Hauger (R), Dale Coyne Racing, Honda
- No. 20 Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
- No. 21 Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
- No. 23 Conor Daly, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Chevrolet
- No. 24 Jack Harvey, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Chevrolet
- No. 26 Will Power, Andretti Global, Honda
- No. 27 Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, Honda
- No. 28 Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, Honda
- No. 31 Ryan Hunter-Reay, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
- No. 33 Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
- No. 45 Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
- No. 47 Mick Schumacher (R), Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
- No. 51 Jacob Abel (R), Abel Motorsports, Chevrolet
- No. 60 Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
- No. 66 Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
- No. 75 Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
- No. 76 Rinus VeeKay, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Chevrolet
- No. 77 Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Chevrolet
INDIANAPOLIS — Almost nothing went according to prediction for the Colts in 2025.
Widely believed to be an also-ran without a quarterback, Indianapolis instead raced out to an 8-2 start behind the surprising emergence of Daniel Jones, prompting the Colts to take a big swing at the trade deadline for Sauce Gardner and sparking predictions of a home playoff game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Then Jones got hurt, the pass rush wilted without a healthy DeForest Buckner and the Colts lost seven consecutive games, the freefall interrupted only by the inspirational return of a 44-year-old Philip Rivers, something nobody could have seen coming at the halfway point of the season, much less in May.
The NFL can be awfully difficult to predict.
But IndyStar is going to try again, making a way-too-early prediction on how the Colts’ 2026 season will play out on a game-by-game basis.
Buy 2026 Indianapolis Colts tickets!
The Ravens have Lamar Jackson at quarterback, and they added Trey Hendrickson to revamp the pass rush, but Baltimore also has a new head coach, Jesse Minter, and a roster in transition. Daniel Jones returns for the season opener, takes advantage of the Ravens secondary and the Colts get off to a good start for the second year in a row. Pick: Colts 27, Ravens 23
If Patrick Mahomes isn’t recovered from the torn ACL that ended his 2025 season, then all bets are off, but if Jones is back from an Achilles, expect Mahomes back as well. Even with a limited Mahomes, the lack of Indianapolis pass rush becomes a problem, and the Colts lose a shootout in prime time. Pick: Chiefs 34, Colts 27
Houston’s defense has only gotten better, and no matter how the offensive line shakes out, the Colts will have a young right tackle. Frustrated all day by the pass rush, Indianapolis drops a tough game to an AFC South rival. Pick: Texans 19, Colts 13
Washington’s run to the NFC title game in 2024 was followed up with a disastrous 2025, and the Colts have handled international games well under head coach Shane Steichen. Indianapolis defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo makes life difficult on Jayden Daniels, and Steichen’s offense takes advantage of Dan Quinn’s scheme. Pick: Colts 31, Commanders 20
Indianapolis broke one streak by winning the opener in 2025. Pittsburgh was a house of horrors for Jones a year ago, but with the Steelers still facing quarterback uncertainty in May and a changing of the guard at head coach, Pittsburgh feels more in flux than ever. Pick: Colts 21, Steelers 14
Expect Tennessee to make some strides in Cam Ward’s second season as the starting quarterback, but it’s still a young team in the early stages of a rebuild. With momentum on their side and Jonathan Taylor rolling, the Colts make it three straight. Pick: Colts 34, Titans 20
Minnesota is another team facing uncertainty at quarterback, but a coaching staff led by Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores is top-notch. Indianapolis struggles against all of Flores’ wrinkles, and Kyler Murray does just enough. Pick: Vikings 20, Colts 16
If there were any questions left about the curse the city of Jacksonville has placed on the Colts, they should have been erased when Jones suffered a season-ending injury there last season. Until the curse is broken – maybe by a stadium renovation – it’s hard to see a win here. Pick: Jaguars 28, Colts 24
Dallas has tried to revamp its defense since trading Micah Parsons, but the Cowboys still don’t have a difference-making edge rusher who can hound Jones all day. With time in the pocket, Jones attacks Dallas with Alec Pierce and Josh Downs for a big win. Pick: Colts 38, Cowboys 31
Miami’s a mess, a team in the process of laying a foundation after tearing everything down to the studs. The Colts know how to handle a team in that spot. Pick: Colts 35, Dolphins 17
A short week on the way to Houston is a difficult test, especially considering how good the Texans’ defense has become. The schedule-makers did the Colts no favors with this Thursday night game. Pick: Texans 23, Colts 21
New York already has injury concerns with wide receiver Malik Nabers, and young quarterback Jaxson Dart is the kind of target that Anarumo can exploit. New York’s pass rush gives Jones some problems against his old team, but Taylor takes advantage of the lack of Dexter Lawrence for big yardage. Pick: Colts 31, Giants 21
Philadelphia’s roster remains stacked, and even with the bye week, the Colts find themselves struggling at Lincoln Financial Field against a team that has been one of the NFC’s best since Nick Sirianni took over. Pick: Eagles 21, Colts 17
Tennessee’s receivers simply don’t have the experience to beat Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward’s man coverage consistently, and the Colts get back in the win column by riding Tyler Warren to a big day. Pick: Colts 33, Titans 22
If Joe Burrow is healthy, the Cincinnati offense is the kind of unit that could give the Indianapolis defense fits, and even though the Bengals’ defense is in its own rebuild, Burrow wins this one with a vintage performance. Pick: Bengals 41, Colts 38
With a snowstorm whipping in off the lake, the conditions are difficult, but Cleveland’s fatal flaw is a quarterback position that is somehow still begging for a savior. Indianapolis keeps itself in the playoff race with a hard-fought win. Pick: Colts 24, Browns 14.
With a playoff berth on the line, the Colts get moved into prime time for a game against the Jaguars, and Jones returns the favor for what happened in Jacksonville in 2025. A last-second field goal sends Indianapolis into the playoffs as a wild card. Pick: Colts 27, Jaguars 24
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
Indianapolis, IN
Conor Daly, Alex Palou become 1st drivers to top 228 mph on 2nd day of Indianapolis 500 practice
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis 500 drivers turned Wednesday’s practice into a possible race day preview.
They ran in packs, created long, snaking lines through the two long straightaways and mostly avoided trouble over the frantic final 75 minutes on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval.
Conor Daly and Alex Palou took advantage of the cool, overcast conditions to post the fastest laps on the second practice day. Daly posted the best lap of the day at 228.080 mph with Palou just a fraction slower at 228.026. They were the only drivers to top 228, while Palou had the fastest trap speed of the day at 237.220.
“We have, we think, found some speed in other areas,” said Jack Harvey, Daly’s teammate with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. “So, generally, they’re just all excited to try and I think, I mean I think we were good the last month of May, but I think we can be a lot better this year.”
Harvey has been fast all month, though he finished 14th on Wednesday at 225.100.
The weather created ideal conditions for speed and the drivers didn’t disappoint.
Daly, the stepson of speedway president Doug Boles, seems to be making the most of his first and possibly only IndyCar start of the season. He was one of five drivers to top 225 on Tuesday, then backed that up with an even better performance Wednesday.
David Malukas was the strongest of Team Penske’s drivers, finishing third at 227.139, just behind Palou, the Spaniard who has won four series crowns and is the defending 500 champ. Graham Rahal and France’s Romain Grosjean rounded out the top five.
Though most of the 33 drivers stayed on the track as long as they could over the final 75 minutes, crew members for three previous race winners — Ryan Hunter-Reay, Helio Castroneves and Alexander Rossi — were also busy trying to fix problems.
Hunter-Reay, of Arrow McLaren, had a radio issue. Castroneves, of Meyer Shank Racing, had an issue with the car’s balance, while Rossi’s Ed Carpenter Racing crew worked on the engine.
Drivers return to the track Thursday then will receive a turbocharge boost Friday before making four-lap qualification runs on Saturday and Sunday. The race is scheduled for May 24.
It hasn’t just been busy on the track.
One day after series officials announced their second rule change of the month, race organizers announced all reserved seats have been sold for the second straight year and the third time since 2016. That also means fans in central Indiana will be able to watch the telecast live.
And NASCAR team BRANDed Management announced it would give 45-year-old British driver Katherine Legge a chance to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600. If Legge qualifies for both races, she’ll become the first woman to attempt racing’s “double” — 1,100 miles of racing in one day — a half century after Janet Guthrie arrived at the Brickyard with the hope of qualifying for the 33-car starting grid. When that didn’t happen, Guthrie wound up starting NASCAR’s World 600, which is now known as the Coca-Cola 600.
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