Tag: Indianapolis 500

DRR Sets 500 Lineup of Hunter-Reay and Harvey

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Dreyer & Reinbold Racing with Cusick Motorsports announced this morning that Ryan Hunter-Reay, winner of the 2014 Indianapolis 500 and 2012 series champion, will return in one of their two entries for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. Jack Harvey will drive the second car.

Harvey is a veteran of seven Indianapolis 500s, with a best finish of ninth in 2020. His last 500, in 2023, is known for Harvey’s bumping teammate Graham Rahal out of the field on the day’s final run.

Harvey ran a partial season for Dale Coyne Racing in 2024. In 2023 he began the year with Rahal Letterman racing, but was let go midseason.

Hunter-Reay will drive for DRR for the third consecutive year. He started the race 12th last year and dropped out after 107 laps due to contact, finishing 26th.

TAG Heuer Extends Partnership with INDYCAR, IMS

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From IMS yesterday:

  INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, Dec. 2, 2024) – TAG Heuer – the renowned Swiss Luxury watchmaker and motorsports sponsorship pioneer – has renewed its longstanding, multiyear partnerships with INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A whirlwind of speed and thrills, INDYCAR and the mythical Indianapolis 500-Mile Race have brought together fierce legends and adrenaline-seeking fans since 1911.Continuing as the Official Watch and Timekeeper of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, TAG Heuer also will remain a presenting sponsor of the Hulman Terrace Club hospitality suites at the Racing Capital of the World.
TAG Heuer started its partnership with INDYCAR in 2014 and with the Indianapolis 500 and IMS in 2004.
“With more than 20 years of history at IMS, TAG Heuer is a brand deeply rooted in motorsports and the traditions and values of INDYCAR and the Indy 500,” said Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles. “TAG Heuer is an ideal match for the precision and high performance on display at every INDYCAR event, most especially ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’”
During 20 years of partnership, TAG Heuer has released 17 special edition watches in homage to the Indy 500. Adorned with evocative details, such as the Speedway’s iconic Wing and Wheel logo and the Brickyard motif, these unique watches tell the story of drivers’ relentless thirst for victory on the racetrack. Bold new Indy 500 timepieces regularly breathe fresh creativity into this thriving partnership.
TAG Heuer will continue to provide a special edition watch to the winning driver and chief mechanic of the Indianapolis 500 and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion driver. Fans also can own a piece of racing heritage, as special edition Indy 500 watches are available for purchase.
“TAG Heuer is a brand synonymous with racing, and there is no better proving ground to demonstrate our passion and strong heritage in motorsport than at IMS during the Indy 500 with INDYCAR,” TAG Heuer CEO Antoine Pin said. 
TAG Heuer branding also will continue to have a strong presence at IMS, including on the highly visible IMS Pagoda and on the retaining wall near the iconic Yard of Bricks start-finish line during the Month of May.
The 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season begins Sunday, March 2 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on the Streets of St. Petersburg. The 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 25. Coverage of all 17 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races will be available on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Network. 
 

A. J. Foyt: Survivor, Champion, Legend- Book Review

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It’s not easy being A. J. Foyt, nor is keeping up with him. Art Graner presents a comprehensive portrait of arguably the greatest racing driver ever in a biography released earlier this fall. A. J. Foyt: Survivor, Champion, Legend, Volume1 covers the mercurial Texan from his birth in 1935 through the 1977 season. The second volume, due out in 2026, will continue his story.

The book is arranged chronologically by years, which makes it easy to follow and to return to a chapter for reference. Many of his races are mentioned, some in detail, but many just a brief synopsis of Foyt’s performance and the race winner.

The length of the book I think is reasonable, considering the amount of time it covers. Below are some highlights, followed by some of my thoughts.

Foyt has a desire to race virtually since he was born. At age five he challenges the best midget driver at Houston’s Buff Stadium, Don Cossey, to a match race. Details of the race are sketchy, but it sounds like it was a fun couple of laps. Foyt has wanted to do nothing but race his entire life. He drops out of high school to work at his father’s garage.

Several times Foyt says that he loves racing and plans to race until he decides to quit. It is a decision that never comes in this volume, even after his triumphant fourth win in the Indianapolis 500.

Foyt spends several seasons racing as often as he can in any type of car in any part of the country. He and wife Lucy, whom he married while she was still in high school, eventually decide that A. J. will race, and Lucy will stay home with their infant son.

Foyt enters Indycar racing in 1957 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. He asks Rodger Ward for advice on which team to drive for. Ward suggested Chapman Root. Foyt thinks Ward is trying to steer him to an inferior car and goes to another choice. Foyt gloats when he makes the race and the Root car doesn’t. but the rest of the season Foyt struggles and th Root team does well. A rivalry between Ward and Foyt begins and last several years as the battle for championships.

Foyt’s first Indianapolis 500 in 1958 comes when Jimmy Bryan leaves the Dean Van Lines team and Foyt gets the ride. The relationship lasted a couple years. Foyt becomes frustrated and goes to another team midseason so he can win races but eventually returns to the Dean team when the other ride does not pan out. A pattern of ride hopping to find the car that can win begins.

His first seven years in Indycar are extremely successful, with Indianapolis 500 wins and four national championships. He is fortunate not be involved in any of the horrific crashes in those years. That situation changes in 1965 during a stock car race at Riverside, when he loses his brakes going into one of the fastest curves on the circuit. The rolls down an embankment. The first people to reach his car believe he is dead. His recovery takes several months,

Foyt also races stock cars, both USAC stocks and NASCAR. I was surprised by how much stock car racing he does. Foyt wins the Daytona 500 in 1972 after nearly winning the year before.

In addition, to his racing, Foyt takes on business ventures, including a hOuston Chevrolet dealership. He develops relationships with Goodyear and Ford, and eventually becomes the sole builder and supplier of Ford engines.

Thoughts

There is a lot of detail in this biography, but if you are as huge an A. J. Foyt fan as I am, it is not a bothersome amount.

My favorite chapter is 1967, when Foyt follows his third Indianapolis 500 win with a dramatic victory in the 24 hours of Le Mans with Dan Gurney. May be because I had been to le Mans this summer, but reading details of the 1967 race, which I did not know a lot about, and learning how different then track was sixty years ago I found fascinating.

Several things surprised me about the story-

His heavy involvement in stock car racing . He was virtually running two full time series in one season.

I was not aware that USAC held Indycar/stock car doubleheaders on a regular basis through the 70s.

I found the biography refreshing in that it presented Foyt warts and all. Many biographies tend to focus on the positive, but Garner presents all sides of Foyt.

A. J. Foyt: Survivor, Champion, Legend, Volume1 is available through Octane Press for $29.99.

Pro Football Hall of Famer, FOX NFL Analyst Michael Strahan To Drive Pace Carat 109th Indianapolis 500

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From IMS:

  INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024) – Michael Strahan, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, two-time Daytime Emmy Award winner, longtime “FOX NFL Sunday” analyst and “Good Morning America” co-host, has been named honorary Pace Car driver for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, live on FOX. The announcement was made during today’s “FOX NFL Sunday.”
Strahan, who was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame alongside the entire “FOX NFL Sunday” cast, will drive the 1,064-horsepower 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 coupe – capable of 233 mph, the highest top speed of any car ever made in America by an auto manufacturer – and lead the field of 33 drivers to the start of the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Exact Pace Car details, including the livery, will be announced at a later date.
“Michael is an impressive addition to the lineup of all-star athletes and celebrities to serve as honorary Pace Car driver for the Indianapolis 500,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said.
“From the gridiron to the broadcast studio, Michael is no stranger to leading a fast-paced field. As we kick off a new era of INDYCAR and the Indy 500 on FOX, Michael will have one of the best seats in the house for the start of the world’s greatest race.”
Previous recent Pace Car drivers include Morgan Freeman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Robin Roberts, Patrick Dempsey, Ken Griffey Jr., Tyrese Haliburton and many others.
FOX Sports is the new exclusive home of all INDYCAR action, with all 17 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races set to broadcast on network television via FOX in 2025. This includes the world-famous Indianapolis 500, annually the largest single-day spectator sporting event on the globe.
Coverage of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will be extensive for fans across the country, with a five-hour Race Day window on FOX.
The Pace Car driver announcement continues FOX’s promotional kickoff for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and the Indianapolis 500.
The announcement of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Grand Prix of Arlington, coming in March 2026, was featured during FOX’s “America’s Game of the Week.”
In addition, FOX College Football analyst and Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram arrived for FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff” in Bloomington, Indiana, in an INDYCAR SERIES car, continuing to deliver the message that INDYCAR’s home in 2025 will be FOX.
Visit ims.com to submit a ticket application for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25 and for more information on the complete Month of May schedule at IMS. 
 

IMS Museum Begins to Take Shape

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In a Behind the Bricks episode released today, IMS President Doug Boles takes us inside the renovations of the museum reconstruction. I was excited to see the display areas start to have a tangible form. It looks like fans will have a bit of an immersive experience in parts of the new museum.

I’m still not sure I am going to like the area with the winning cars. Many of them appear to be in display windows where fans cannot walk all the way around them, while just a few will in full view on platforms. I hope they plan to rotate these cars in and out the wall windows.

I am glad to have a better idea of what the place will look like. To watch the video, right click and open it in a new tab or window.

More on Bobby Allison from IMS

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This story is from IMS. My story from earlier today-

Bobby Allison, 1937-2024

Stock Car Legend, Indy 500 Veteran
Bobby Allison Dies at 86 
 INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024) – Stock car racing legend Bobby Allison, who also made two Indianapolis 500 starts in the 1970s with Team Penske, died Saturday, Nov. 9 in Mooresville, North Carolina. He was 86.
Allison was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, with his 85 victories fourth on the all-time win list at stock car racing’s highest level. His 336 top-five finishes are second only to Richard Petty.
Allison also won the 1983 championship and finished runner-up five times during a Cup Series career that lasted from 1961 through 1988.He delivered on NASCAR’s biggest stages, winning the Daytona 500 in 1972, 1982 and 1988, and was triumphant in the Southern 500 four times and the World 600 three times.
During the early 1970s, less-restrictive team contracts and sponsor commitments allowed drivers to cross over to other series, and Allison was drawn to the Indianapolis 500 after team owner Roger Penske noticed his speed in a Can-Am car during a test in late 1972 on the road course at Riverside, California.
Penske suggested that Allison test an INDYCAR SERIES car, and he was impressively quick during a trial run at Ontario (California) Motor Speedway, which had identical dimensions to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
That opened Allison’s eyes to the possibility of attempting to compete at Indy, and the family genes of speed already were confirmed in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 1970 when brother Donnie finished fourth and was named Rookie of the Year.
Penske named Bobby Allison to his Indy 500 team in 1973 as teammates with defending winner Mark Donohue and oval specialist Gary Bettenhausen.
Allison qualified 12th with a four-lap average speed of 192.308 mph, then the fastest speed ever by a rookie, aided by this being the second year the cars featured huge, bolt-on rear wings to substantially increase downforce.That promising qualifying run went up in smoke – literally – on the ill-fated Race Day in 1973 when a connecting rod broke on his Team Penske McLaren/Offenhauser on the first lap, relegating him to 32nd place.
Allison did not return to Indy in 1974, shaken by the death of friend Swede Savage in July 1973 from injuries suffered in a crash in the 1973 Indianapolis 500. But Allison was back in Team Penske’s lineup in 1975, as teammate to Tom Sneva.
Allison qualified 13th and spent nearly the entire first half of the race running in the top 10, including leading Lap 24 during pit stop cycles. He was running eighth when a gearbox failure ended his race after completing 112 laps. He was credited with a deceptive 25th-place finish in his second and final Indianapolis 500 start.
He also made four other USAC Championship Trail starts in 1975 for Team Penske, with a best finish of sixth at Ontario.
Florida native Allison then focused on NASCAR as the leader of a group of drivers who moved to Hueytown, Alabama, in the late 1950s to compete for higher purses on short tracks in that state, earning the moniker “The Alabama Gang.” Other early drivers in that “gang” included his brother Donnie and Red Farmer, with Jimmy Means, Neil Bonnett, Bobby Allison’s son Davey Allison and Hut Stricklin later affiliated with that group.
Bobby Allison, then age 50, memorably held off his son Davey for victory in the 1988 Daytona 500. He also earned national attention nine years earlier when he jumped into a fight in the infield between his brother Donnie and Cale Yarborough on the last lap of the 1979 Daytona 500.
Bobby Allison’s driving career ended in 1988 after he suffered serious injuries in a crash at Pocono Raceway. He then fielded a Cup Series team from 1990-96, with marginal success.
Allison’s accomplishments earned him induction into many racing Halls of Fame, including the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993.
He was named as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers during the organization’s 50th anniversary in 1998 and again was acclaimed as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers during the 75th anniversary celebration in 2023. Allison also was named NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver six times. 

Bobby Allison, 1937-2024

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Bobby Allison, a two time starter in the Indianapolis 500- and three-time Daytona 500 winner, died yesterday. Allison started the 500 in 1973 and 1975, driving for Roger Penske. He qualified well, 12thn in 1973 and 13th in 1975, but mechanical issues relegated him to finishes of 32d and 25th.

Bobby and his older brother Donnie were stars in the second decade of NASCAR, and Bobby’s son Davey was a rising star who died in a helicopter crash in 1993, just 11 months after Bobby’s other son, Clifford, died in a practice crash at Michigan International Speedway.

Donnie and Bobby helped put NASCAR on the map in 1979 when hey were involved in the fight with Cale Yarborough in the Daytona 500. Yarborough and Donnie collided, and Bobby pulled over to see if everyone was okay. The ensuing scuffle made national headlines and contributed to NASCAR’s growth in popularity.

Bobby also drove in four other IndyCar races in 1975, with a best finish of sixth in the first of two races at Ontario Motor Speedway. He also drove at Pocono and Michigan.

Bobby held off his son Davey for his last win in the 1988 Daytona 500, when he was 50 years old.

In my younger days when I followed all sorts of racing it was hard not to root for bobby Allison. He was true racer. If drivers like him were still in NASCAR, I might still be following it. I don’t think I can name five of their drivers today. Rest in Peace, Racer. Thanks for the great memories.

Big Machine Extends Partnership with IMS

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  INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024) – Big Machine Distillery – home of Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers and Ascot Award-Winning Borchetta Bourbon – has extended its multiyear partnership with Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
As an official partner of IMS, Big Machine, a valued IMS partner for more than a decade with its music & entertainment and spirits brands, continues its dedication and passion for motorsports.
“Big Machine’s continued enthusiasm for IMS and motorsports is incredible,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “Scott Borchetta and his team have been engaged and dynamic partners in a variety of ways for more than 10 years. Their continued commitment to the Speedway helps provide our fans with the best experience possible.”
Music mogul Scott Borchetta acquired and created Big Machine Distillery in 2015 with the desire to venture into the business of producing and marketing high-quality craft spirits. With his brother Mark Borchetta, they have disrupted the spirits industry with the development of a proprietary Platinum Filtration system for the Double Gold Award-winning Big Machine Platinum Filtered vodka brand, the only system of its kind in the world.
Big Machine has produced many multi-award-winning products, including their popular Spiked Coolers and their highly acclaimed Borchetta Bourbon, which is beautifully packaged and honors a different legendary INDYCAR race car each year. The Distillery’s family of spirits also consists of a true craft Tennessee Whiskey – Clayton James, New American style gins, moonshines and single batch rums.
“We are so proud to continue our relationship with Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Big Machine Founder and Chairman Scott Borchetta said. “IMS is unlike any other sporting venue in the world, and the Indy 500 is always a memory-maker, which aligns with all Big Machine brands: making memories.”
Tickets for marquee events in 2025 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – including the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG and the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks – are on sale online at IMS.com and at the IMS Ticket Office. 
 

Five Years Ago

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November 4, 2019- I had just left the coffeehouse after breakfast with a group of my friends. My plan was to go to the gym, then run some errands. A text as I got to my car changed my schedule, and it changed much more.

“What do you think of Penske buying the Speedway?” my friend asked.

I had no idea what she was talking about. I read the article attached to the text.

I drove home, checked my email, and saw that a press conference was set at IMS for 10 am. I changed clothes- after all, you want to look nice for an ownership change like this- and drove to the track.

After five years of Penske ownership of IMS and the IndyCar series, what has improved? What still needs to change? I have a few thoughts.

IMS

The improvements Penske has made to Indianapolis Motor Speedway are sweeping and were sorely needed. The track and facilities have never looked better in my lifetime. Everyting is pristine, and the added touches such as the tables outside the main grandstands and the new grab n go market in the plaza have brought the track into the 21st century.

I love the additional high quality video boards and the new PA system.

Bringing an IMSA event to IMS is a high quality enhancement to the racing programs at IMS.

I am still not completely sold on the qualifying format for the Indianapolis 500, although I have warmed up to it a bit. I still think the pole should be decided on Saturday so that the winner can use Sunday for publicity while the rest of field is set. If there has to be a shootout, go back to nine cars. Twelve is overkill and cheapens that segment of qualifying.

The IndyCar Series

If it were not for Roger Penske, there might not be a series today. He purchased it at the right time, and he kept it going through COVID. I am not sure if COVID caused some of the delays in the hybrid debut, but it did not help the situation.

The competition has been at a high level, although I felt it dropped of a bit this past season.

The series itself seems to be mired in a time warp. A new chassis is badly needed. The hybrid boost needs to be turned up. The schedule has also gone stale, although the addition of Milwaukee and Nashville mad for a great ending to the year.

I do have hope for the future, however. The 2026 schedule looks like it may be a radical departure from what we have seen with the addition of a proposed race in Mexico and possibly Brazil. My only hope is that the schedule expands to 18 races and that no oval race is sacrificed.

IMS and the 500 are in good shape. The series has an opportunity in the next couple of years to get stronger, but there cannot be huge delays as there with the hybrid. A new car no later than 2027 would be helpful, but 2026 would probably be ideal for the new machine.