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IMS ANNOUNCES EXTENSIVE PLANS FOR CENTENNIAL ERA
INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, May 22, 2008 – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will
celebrate 100 years of worldwide leadership in motorsports entertainment through
its Centennial Era from 2009-2011, which will feature many special events,
a new, retro corporate logo and redevelopment of the area surrounding the Racing
Capital of the World.
Plans for the Centennial Era celebration were revealed by IMS Chief Executive
Officer Tony George and IMS President and Chief Operating Officer Joie Chitwood
during an event May 22 at Allison Mansion of Marian College in Indianapolis.
IMS is honoring the 100th anniversaries of the opening of the venerable racetrack,
in 1909, and of the inaugural Indianapolis 500, in 1911, through the Centennial
Era celebration.
Indiana businessmen Carl G. Fisher, James A. Allison, Arthur C. Newby and
Frank H. Wheeler pooled their resources to build the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
in 1909 as an automobile testing ground to support Indiana’s growing automotive
industry. The focus of the facility soon turned to racing, with Ray Harroun
winning the inaugural Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1911.
“No other motorsports facility in the world has the rich history and tradition
of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said IMS Chairman of the Board Mari Hulman
George. “The Centennial Era celebration will pay homage to the heroes and events
of our storied past while anticipating an even more glorious future.”
There are many intertwined components to the Centennial Era celebration:
•Centennial Era Logo. A new Centennial Era logo will be used at IMS from 2009-2011.
The logo, designed by IMS Creative Services, draws elements from 1909, 1934
and 1961 in a historic motif.
•Centennial Gala. A Centennial Gala will take place in late February 2009
in downtown Indianapolis, with dinner and live entertainment. Proceeds of the
formal Gala will benefit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation, which
operates the Hall of Fame Museum.
•Balloon Festival. A balloon festival will take place on the first weekend
of May 2009 at IMS. The two-day event will commemorate the first competitive
event ever at the Speedway, a gas-filled balloon race June 5, 1909.
•Concours d’Elegance. A Concours d’Elegance, which is a competition between
vehicle owners to be judged on the appearance of their machinery, will take
place in summer 2010 at IMS. The event will celebrate the significance of vehicular
transportation and competition to Indianapolis and feature a vehicle auction,
vintage racing competition and a black-tie gala.
•New Interstate Interchange. A completely redesigned highway interchange at
Interstate 465, Interstate 74 and Crawfordsville Road will create a new front
door to the Town of Speedway, in which the entire IMS facility is located,
and enhance traffic flow to and from IMS.
•Town of Speedway Redevelopment. A large redevelopment project in the Town
of Speedway will transform 400 acres south and west of IMS into a vibrant,
thriving and attractive downtown that fosters growth within the existing business
community and encourages the development of new businesses, particularly in
the motorsports industry. Redevelopment will make the area surrounding IMS
a year-round destination for race fans. Highlights include a retail/commercial
corridor along Main Street, improved traffic flow by extending Crawfordsville
Road to meet 16th Street south of IMS, and improving pedestrian safety and
accessibility around IMS, including creating a linear park just west of IMS
on what is now Georgetown Road.
“The Centennial Era celebration is the most multi-faceted evidence ever of
our commitment to worldwide leadership in motorsports entertainment,” IMS CEO
Tony George said. “It creates a clear, focused vision for our future while
honoring the competitors and fans who have made the Speedway the landmark destination
for speed over the past 100 years.”
More details about the components of the Centennial Era will be released in
the future.
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IMS tickets: To purchase tickets, camping or parking for the Indianapolis
500, Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and Red Bull Indianapolis GP, contact the
IMS ticket office at (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, (317) 492-6700
locally or log on to www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.
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