With the Sonsio Grand Prix weekend concluded, it’s time for the big show to begin. Practice starts tomorrow for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. But first, here are a few items I didn’t get to Friday or Saturday.

Attendance was decent, but I don’t think it was one of the top three crowds in this event’s history. Still, the race draws more fans than an opening day of practice would have, and some people need to choose between this race and the 500 to attend. If I needed to choose for budgetary reasons, this event would come in a distant second every time.

The new midway merchandise shop is a great addition to the various merchandise locations at the track. It does not supplant the other shops of stands but enhances them. There is no team or driver merchandise here, only IMS related gear.

Upscale brands Lululemon and Under Armour are featured. The store ios laid out like a department store with women’s, men’s and kid’s sections clearly marked.

My favorite part of the place, however, was the artwork above the shelves and the lighted panels on the end caps.

Team and driver merhandise can be found in the tent just north of the store.

Museum Chat

I had an opportunity Friday to talk with Jason Vansickle, Museum Vice President of Curation and Education, about the origin of the revamped Museum. Jason has been with the Museum since 2011 while he was in college, and he began working full time in 2015.

The revamped exhibition space has 30, 000 additional square feet with the renovation of the basement and the expanded third floor.

What the public sees is the result of visits to other museums both automotive and non-automotive, and the ideas were distilled by the JRA interpretive group out of Cincinnati to develop the display areas.

The goal was to tell the story of the Speedway in an orderly, chronological fashion, honoring its past and looking to its future.

The Qualifying Zone has a driector of education. The area, geared toward kids and kids at heart, is a multi-sensory, hands-on area with STEM components designed to engage new, young fans.

The three rotating exhibits in the basement will change in September and November.

Jason told me that the museum will keep the timed ticket policy, which has allowed for a nice flow of visitors, although walk-ins are welcomed. The busiest days have seen 1,500 visitors.

Time slots for Carb Day are close to being all filled.

I also learned that as many as 14 historic cars may take a lap on Race Day. The Museum has 150 cars in its collection. Some are on loan, and the ones not on display are in an offsite facility.

I want to thank Jason for being so generous with his time. and thanks to Kelsey Burr, the Museum Communications Manager, for arranging our meeting.