Open-Wheels Staff
November 13, 2019 | 11:00 AM
One of the great traditions connected to victory in the month of May’s 500-mile race is a celebratory wreath given to the event winner. Through the generous contributions of The Watering Can, that tradition will come to life for the 2019 Open-Wheels.com 500 Mile Race.
The Watering Can, owned and operated by Nathan Gentz in Albion, Illinois, has donated a hand-crafted wreath made of silk flowers for this year’s race, to be awarded to the winner of Sunday’s 500-mile event.
The wreath was hand-crafted by Gentz and features many of the recognizable elements of the wreath presented at the Indianapolis 500 each Memorial Day weekend.
“To finally unveil the winner’s wreath for this year’s Open-Wheels.com 500 Mile Race is a truly exciting moment for me and everyone else connected to this inaugural event,” said Tanner Watkins, the owner/editor of Open-Wheels.com and the president of the Open-Wheels.com 500 Mile Race.
“I initially reached out to Nathan at The Watering Can to see if he simply wanted to sponsor the materials for a wreath, and he was so gracious to not only create one by scratch but to also donate it to the event! The attention to detail and resemblance between this wreath and the one used in Indianapolis each May is stunning, and we are lucky to have this as a prize for our race winner.”
The Watering Can is Edwards County’s premier flower and gift shop. Nestled into historic Albion, Illinois, The Watering Can has beautiful home decor, great gift items, and beautiful fresh and silk flower arrangements for a variety of purposes. The shop is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays, and is open from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Saturday.
For more information on The Watering Can, you can contact the shop by calling (618) 445-3924, or by visiting their Facebook page here.
The 2019 Open-Wheels.com 500 Mile Race presented by Mitchell Transmissions will be held on Sunday, November 17, featuring a worldwide broadcast live on RaceSpot TV. Coverage begins at 11:15 AM Eastern on iRacing.com/live.
Take a look at the fine work on this year’s wreath below, and give thanks to Nathan and the folks at The Watering Can for enhancing the Open-Wheels.com 500 Mile Race experience for all participants!
The 2019 Open-Wheels.com 500 Mile Race is presented by Mitchell Transmissions. Mitchell Transmissions is an established business in the Evansville, Indiana area who boasts three decades of mechanical experience to help service the needs of many makes and models. You can visit Mitchell Transmissions in Newburgh, Indiana at 10672 West State Road, or give them a call at 812-853-3286.
Images by Tanner Watkins/Open-Wheels.com
