▁was ▁tradition ally ▁only ▁one ▁race ▁held ▁ann ually ▁at ▁the ▁Speed way . ▁Activity ▁outside ▁the ▁month ▁of ▁May ▁was ▁limited ▁to ▁semi oc cas ional ▁t ire ▁testing . ▁Thus ▁for ▁eleven ▁months ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁year , ▁the ▁grounds ▁were ▁notice ably ▁quiet , ▁green ▁and ▁l ush , ▁particularly ▁after ▁nine ▁holes ▁of ▁a ▁golf ▁course ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁sp a cious ▁in field ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 . ▁The ▁well - man ic ured ▁grounds ▁naturally ▁became ▁a ▁home ▁for ▁fa una , ▁particularly ▁rabb its ▁and ▁other ▁small ▁verm in . ▁As ▁the ▁race ▁participants ▁would ▁arrive ▁in ▁the ▁spring , ▁they ▁would ▁often ▁be ▁gre et ed ▁by ▁numerous ▁rabb its ▁ro aming ▁the ▁grounds , ▁oft ent imes ▁running ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁track . ▁The ▁rabb its ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁welcome ▁and ▁some ▁considered ▁them ▁symbols ▁of ▁good ▁luck . ▁However , ▁they ▁were ▁sometimes ▁a ▁n uis ance , ▁causing ▁y ell ows ▁for ▁running ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁track ▁and ▁ev ading ▁capture . ▁Al ▁Un ser , ▁Sr . ▁fam ously ▁ran ▁over ▁a ▁rabb it ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁race . ▁The ▁well - known ▁presence ▁of ▁rabb its ▁at ▁the ▁Speed way ▁even ▁began ▁a ▁tradition ▁that ▁a ▁rabb it ▁would ▁appear ▁somewhere ▁in ▁the ▁race ▁program ▁each ▁year . ▁ ▁Pre - race ▁cer emon ies ▁▁ ▁At ▁ 6 ▁a . m ., ▁and ▁in ▁some ▁years ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 5