Tag: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

IMSA rolled into IMS for the third TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks with a Friday of nonstop action. Two races and lots of practice and qualifying sessions filled the very warm day. Cooler and more comfortable temperatures are on the way for the rest of the weekend.

One addition to the Pagoda Plaza is a pickleball court. I’m not sure how many new fans this will attract, but for those who play, I guess it is something to do dsuring breaks in the action.

Yesterday was my first time parking in Lot 2 in quite a while, and I noticed an improvement that was long overdue. The Speedway has sacrificed some parking to create a wide roped in pedestrian walkway. It is a great safety feature in a lot where the post race scene was dodge ball with cars.

It was hard to gauge the crowd size, but it seemed a bit lower than the Friday of 2024. I hope the energy picks up several notches today. It was fun seeing these cars on track again. I had not seen an IMSA event in person since Long Beach.

There seems to be a pattern developing with the GTP cars at IMS. In 2023, the Penske Porsches dominated the weekend. Last year the BMWs of RLL ruled all three days. Today the Meyer Shank Acuras were 1-2 on the speed chart. Could this be their weekend?

Here are a few pictures I took during practice. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

From IMS:

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Sept. 19, 2025) – Information about TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks track activity Saturday, Sept. 20 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: SCHEDULE (All times local): 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public Gates Open 8-8:15 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge Qualifying-TCR 8:20-8:35 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge Qualifying-GS 8:55-10:25 a.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice #2 10:45 a.m.-11:25 a.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race #2 12:40-2:40 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120 Race (Two hours) 3:15-3:30 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying-GTD 3:40-3:55 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying-GTD PRO 4:05-4:20 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying-LMP2 4:30-4:45 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying-GTP 5:10-6 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race #2 TICKETS: $50 for General Admission seating for the grandstands and infield viewing mounds. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Reserved seats in the Hulman Terrace Club, which include private club access and gate admission, are $175. PUBLIC GATES OPEN (7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.): 1, 2, 4, 6S, 7S PARKING: Free auto parking (including ADA) is available in Lot 6A and the Hulman Lot off Georgetown Road. Availability is limited. Paid parking is available in Lot 2 and Main Gate for $20 and Gate 1 (Parcel B) for $50. Paid ADA parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3P for $20 and Gate 1 for $50. Motorcycle parking is free in Gate 1 (Parcel B). CASHLESS OPERATIONS: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete your ticket, credentials, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease during your event via debit or credit card.Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions .MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $25, seniors (55 and over) are $23, and military (former and active) are $18. Tickets can be purchased online at https://imsmuseum.org/tickets/. Gate admission must be purchased as well as Museum admission.

From IMS. Information about the first day of TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks Weekend

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025) – Information about TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks track activity Friday, Sept. 19 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: SCHEDULE (All times local): 8 a.m.: Public Gates Open 8:20-9:20 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice #1 9:35-10:05 a.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup North America Qualifying 10:20-10:35 a.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying #1 10:40-10:55 a.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Qualifying #2 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice #11:45-2:45 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice #2 3-3:40 p.m.: Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race #1 4-4:50 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Race #1 5 p.m.: Public Gates Close TICKETS: $20 for General Admission seating for the grandstands and infield viewing mounds. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Reserved seats in the Hulman Terrace Club, which include private club access, are $100. PUBLIC GATES OPEN (8 a.m.-5 p.m.): 1, 2, 4, 6S, 7S PARKING: Free parking (including ADA) is available in the Hulman Lot off Georgetown Road. Availability is limited. Paid parking is available in Lot 2 and Main Gate for $10 and Gate 1 (Parcel B) for $25. Paid ADA parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3P for $10 and Gate 1 for $25. Motorcycle parking is free in Gate 1 (Parcel B).CASHLESS OPERATIONS: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete your ticket, credentials, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease during your event via debit or credit card. Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions. MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $25, seniors (55 and over) are $23, and military (former and active) are $18. Tickets can be purchased online at https://imsmuseum.org/tickets/. Gate admission must be purchased as well as Museum admission.

Sports cars return to IMS fo0r the third consecutive year as the IMSA Weather Tech Championship presents a six hour race on the road course. The3 first event in 2023 was a sprint race- 2 hours, 40 ,imutes in length. In 20924 and this year the race will be a six hour endurance affair. In 2026, the shorter version returns as the six hour race moves to Road America.

I am not upset about the change for next season. I think the 160 minute version works better on this track. I felt the six hour race was a bit too long for the IMS configuration. Endurance races just work better on natural road courses.

The race is the seventh of eight on the IMSA schedule for the series, and the fourth of five endurance events. In addition to the overall champion, an endurance champion is also crowned.

The weekend begins with a single IMSA Weather Tech practice tomorrow at 11:15 am Eastern time. Friday also features the first races for Porsche Carrera Cup and Lamborghini Super Trofeo Cup.

Team Penske Porsches have won four of the previous races. Car 7, driven by Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy, has won at Daytona, Sebring, and Long Beach. Car 6, with Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell sharing the3 cockpit, has a victory at Weather Tech raceway Laguna Seca.

The Acuras of Meyer Shank Racing each have won a race, the 93 winning at Detroit, and the 60 at Watkins Glen.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s BMW number 24 won the last race at Road America. The BMWs finished 1-2 in 2024 at IMS.

Campbell and Jaminet lead the standings with 2214 points, 75 points ahead of Nasr and Tandy.

In LMP2, Dane Cameron and P. J. Hyett in car 99 lead with 1,682 points.

GTD Pro leaders are Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims have 2,254 points in the number 3 Corvette. They have a 30 point lead over the number 81 Ferrari driven by Albert Costa.

Phillip Ellis and Russell Ward in the number 57 Mercedes lead the GTD category with 2,147 points, a 112 point advantage over Jack Hawksworth and Parker Thompson in the number 12 Lexus.

I look for the BMWs to do well again this weekend, but I would keep an eye on the Penske Porsches and the Acuras. All three teams have IndyCar ties.

From IMS:

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025) – Fans attending the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which features the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Michelin Pilot Challenge, are encouraged to “Plan Ahead” through IMS.com/PlanAhead, an interactive web page that serves as a home base for fans heading to the track this weekend. The “Plan Ahead” page features detailed information about the entire fan experience at IMS, including directions, parking, schedule, gate regulations, digital ticket and parking guides, ADA accessibility and much more.All Speedway patrons should be aware of the following to ensure a successful day at the track: Tickets: Tickets for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks are available for purchase at IMS.com .Friday, Sept. 19: $20 for General Admission seating for the grandstands and infield viewing mounds. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Reserved seats in the Hulman Terrace Club, which include private club access, are $100. Saturday, Sept. 20: $50 for General Admission seating for the grandstands and infield viewing mounds. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Reserved seats in the Hulman Terrace Club, which include private club access and gate admission, are $175. Sunday, Sept. 21: $60 for General Admission seating for the grandstands and infield viewing mounds. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Reserved seats in the Hulman Terrace Club, which include private club access and gate admission, are $300. Multiday tickets also are available for this event:Friday-Sunday General Admission: $120. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult.Saturday-Sunday General Admission: $105. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Friday-Sunday Hulman Terrace Club Reserved: $515. Includes private club access and gate admission. Camping:A variety of overnight camping options are available for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks, including infield camping. Visit IMS.com for options. Public Parking:Parking for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks is available in a variety of locations around the track. Parking can be purchased on site or in advance. Race fans can visit IMS.com to purchase available parking passes.Friday ParkingFree auto parking (including ADA) is available in the Hulman Lot off Georgetown Road. Availability is limited. Paid parking is available in Lot 2 and Main Gate for $10 and Gate 1 (Parcel B) for $25. Paid ADA parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3P for $10 and Gate 1 for $25. Motorcycle parking is free in Gate 1 (Parcel B).Saturday ParkingFree auto parking (including ADA) is available in Lot 6A and the Hulman Lot off Georgetown Road. Availability is limited.Paid parking is available in Lot 2 and Main Gate for $20 and Gate 1 (Parcel B) for $50. Paid ADA parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3P for $20 and Gate 1 for $50. Motorcycle parking is free in Gate 1 (Parcel B).Sunday ParkingFree auto parking (including ADA) is available in Lot 6A and the Hulman Lot off Georgetown Road. Availability is limited.Paid parking is available in Lot 2 and Main Gate for $20 and Gate 1 (Parcel B) for $75. Paid ADA parking is available in Lot 2 and Lot 3P for $20 and Gate 1 for $75. Paid motorcycle parking is $20 in Gate 1 (Parcel B). Cashless Operations: IMS is a cashless facility for all ticketing, parking, concessions and retail purchases. Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions. Pedestrian Gate Entry: Gate hours: Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Public pedestrian gates open (all three days): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7SFans attending IMS for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks will pass through magnetometers as part of the gate entry process. Weekend Street Parking: Three-hour parking on Main Street in Speedway, between 10th Street and 16th Street, will be monitored and enforced from Sept. 19-21 during the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. Additional Resources and Information: No coolers larger than 18 inches by 15 inches by 15 inches can be brought into the facility, which will be strictly enforced. Fans will be allowed to bring one cooler and one standard backpack or book bag per person. Drivers can learn the locations of work zones and highway restrictions by calling INDOT’s TrafficWise at 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or viewing an online map at 511.in.org or visiting @TrafficWise on X. For more information regarding access to IMS, visit IMS.com. For additional information, follow on X the Indiana State Police @IndStatePolice, the Speedway Police Department @SpeedwayPD or listen to radio stations WFNI-FM 107.5/WFNI-AM 1070 or WIBC-FM 93.1. The Speedway Police Department can be reached for non-emergency services by dialing 311 on a cell phone. The goal of 311 is to provide an easy-to-remember number for non-emergency services while freeing up 911 lines for timely emergency response.

Sports cars take over the IMS road course this weekend for a six hour race on Sunday. While no current IndyCar drivers will participate, several former drivers from IndyCar and Indy Lights will take part.

Romain Grosjean will drive the number 63 Lamborghini in the GTP class, and Sebastien Bourdais is part of the team in the number 8 LMP2 entry.

Benjamin Pedersen drives the number 52 LMP2 car. Former American F1 driver Logan Sargent is one of his teammates.

Toby Sowery, who had a couple of IndyCar starts, is in the 04 LMP2 car, and Hunter McElrea drives the number 11 LMP2 entry.

Find the full entry list on the IMSA website Battle on the Bricks page. You will need to scroll down to race events.

https://www.imsa.com/events/2025-tirerack-com-battle-on-the-bricks/

The TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks is the penultimate event of the Weather Tech Sports Car Championship season. The final race is petit Lemans at Michelin Raceway near Atlanta on October 11.

Activity begins Thursday night with a Street Festival on Main Street in Speedway.

A new at track feature this year are pickleball courts. Four courts will be in the midway, and a fifth court will be in Pagoda Plaza. Corts are open from 9 am to 4 pm Friday and Saturday.

Team Penske Porsches have dominated the season to date, and there is no reason to doubt that they will have a good weekend at IMS.

This will be the final ye3ar for the race at its six hour length. In 2026, the race will return to the 2 hour, 40 minute sprint format. which I think better suits the facility.

I’ll be taking a look at each class this week, and i hear there may be some IndyCar news coming. I may have a thought or two about that.

From IMS:

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025) – Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMSA will kick off the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks event weekend with the return of the IMSA Street Festival Thursday, Sept. 18 on Speedway’s Main Street.The family-friendly Street Festival will take place with free admission from 6-8 p.m. ET on Main Street in Speedway, just across the street from the Racing Capital of the World. IMSA returns to IMS Sept. 19-21 with a six-hour endurance race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course. “The IMSA Street Festival celebrates the IMSA Tirerack.com Battle on the Bricks and allows fans an opportunity to get an up-close look at the cars, drivers and teams who will be competing during the six-hour endurance race to capture a win and kiss the bricks at IMS,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “Speedway’s Main Street is the perfect place to kick off a full weekend of on-track sports car action at IMS.” Activities at the event include more than 20 IMSA race cars on display for photos from a variety of classes and three pit stop demonstrations featuring one of the Penske Porsche Motorsport GTP cars that will race at IMS. More than 70 IMSA drivers, including drivers from the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, are expected to attend and participate in two autograph sessions. IMSA stars Matt Campbell, Tom Gamble, Mathieu Jaminet, Casper Stevenson, Dries Vanthoor and Philipp Eng also will interact with fans during a Q&A session, hosted by Chris Wilner, on the IMS Stage on Main Street. The family-friendly fan zone also will be available for attendees of all ages with various activities, including music, caricatures, face painting, partner activations and more. All four classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will race Sept. 19-21 in the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at IMS, with prototype and GT machinery competing at the same time. Other series competing include the Michelin Pilot Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo and Porsche Carrera Cup North America. Visit IMS.com for more information or to buy tickets.