ver ." ▁The ▁former ▁played ▁as ▁the ▁teams ▁begin ▁wheel ing ▁their ▁cars ▁to ▁the ▁starting ▁grid . ▁The ▁band ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁first ▁appeared ▁at ▁the ▁race ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁early ▁arriv ing ▁spect ators ▁would ▁be ▁ent ert ained ▁by ▁Big ▁band ▁music . ▁Songs ▁by ▁well - known ▁Ho os ier ▁band ▁leader ▁George ▁Fre ije ▁and ▁the ▁Fre ije ▁All ▁Star ▁Band ▁were ▁played ▁over ▁the ▁public ▁address ▁system ▁from ▁roughly ▁ 6 ▁a . m . ▁to ▁ 8 ▁a . m . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁and ▁in ▁most ▁years ▁since ▁about ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁a ▁special ▁military ▁appreci ation ▁lap ▁has ▁been ▁held . ▁Military ▁personnel ▁who ▁have ▁recently ▁returned ▁from ▁active ▁service ▁over se as ▁are ▁hon ored ▁in ▁a ▁para de ▁around ▁the ▁track . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁hundred ▁of ▁troops ▁who ▁had ▁returned ▁from ▁Operation ▁Des ert ▁Storm ▁march ed ▁around ▁the ▁course ▁on ▁race ▁morning . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s , ▁troops ▁( nam ely ▁from ▁Ira q ▁and ▁Afghan istan ) ▁have ▁been ▁par aded ▁around ▁in ▁tr uck s ▁and ▁sal uted ▁by ▁fans . ▁ ▁About ▁an ▁hour ▁or ▁two ▁before ▁the ▁race , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁para de ▁around ▁the ▁track ▁( typ ically ▁in ▁convert ible ▁festival ▁cars ) ▁of ▁the