The infield section of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course will be repaved this summer in anticipation of the Red
Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP race Aug. 26-28.
The project, which will repave 1.5 miles of the circuit from Turn 5 through Turn 16, will start June 9. Turn 5 is where
the course leaves the short chute between Turns 1 and 2 of the oval. Turn 16 is where the circuit leaves the infield near
the start of the front straightaway at the exit of Turn 4 of the oval.
It's the first time this section of the course has been resurfaced since it was built in 2000. Turns 1 through 4 of the
2.621-mile circuit - located inside Turn 1 of the oval - were created in 2008 for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP and
will not be repaved during this project.
The new asphalt will be consistent with the other sections of the course.
"This project is an example of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway providing competitors the finest racing facilities in
the world," said Mel Harder, IMS senior vice president, operations. "We had a very long, hard winter this year,
which exacerbated the bumps and cracks in this aging section of the track.
"We also decided to undertake this project this year due to feedback from riders during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP
last year. The new surface will produce even closer, more exciting racing for the world's best riders and our loyal fans
this August."
The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.
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Welcome to The Score, your place for hard-hitting sports business news, fast-breaking updates and fuel-injected debate. Buckle up. I'm your host, Anthony Schoettle, IBJ sports reporter.
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It's also across the street from Fogo de Chao and Morton's....
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Yep, the haters are trying to make good news bad. I guess it is hard to get people to believe the series is dying when they are gaining new sponsors.
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David Copperfield! I remember watching his specials on TV when I was little.
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Don't forget this is next to an MMA gym, a pawn shop, and some abandoned spaces.
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Good project for Zionsville - A group who has owned the property for many years has waited and worked patiently to bring highest and best use development to a major corridor, and mix that in with the great downtown you have. Win Win. All the Best to Pittman Partners and Zionsville.
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I can agree with you on some points. Tony screwed the pooch big time. He should have never listened to France. His actions with the Brickyard legitimized nascar into a national sport. His dance with their tracks made him a fool. He got played by Bernie. And while his intentions with open wheel may have been well intentioned, he ripped a giant hole in the fabric of open wheel racing. The sad part about it was, he never saw it coming, the train wreck he created.
Burl keeps pounding on the idea of IZOD IndyCar being a niche sport. Well, nothing like stating the obvious. It was never any more than that. I can recall seeing drivers on TV shows like I Got a Secret and most people didn't even know who they were. The 70's, 80's and early 90's at least saw Andretti, Foyt, Mears, and Unser become very well known. Once they retired, the only household name people know now in IndyCar is Patrick and she's leaving for the cars that need to be pushed around the track to have a chance. Gee, I wonder who will push her? That lends a new definition to the term push rod, doesn't it?
Where I differ with you two is that no one can undo the harm that was done. And rehashihg the mistakes over and over accomplishes nothing. At least, someone with a brain, connections and a great deal of drive is attempting to put humpty humpty back together. Randy B has a logical plan and many appreciate his efforts. Perhaps it won't work, but perhaps it will. It's the only hope we have and the best opportunity in years. I would like to see the train load of bashers cool it. The points have been made. We all know how and why. Can we not just hold out hope for success and see what 2012 delivers? (Maybe even a year without TGBB at the racing helm would be the icing on the cake).
So, whaddya say, Chief, can we give the drum a rest and wish Mr. Bernard success in what he is trying to do?
Frankly, they've had dozens of opportunities to accept culpability and each time they've stopped short...instead taking the highly arrogant high road of glossing over what everybody wants to hear.
Hey, I want to forgive...just give me an opportunity that is honest and I will work toward the future too. But, as an advocate for the sport I will not let the people who brought the sport to it's knees get away with murder. And, in my conscience, that's what you are asking me to do...coverup the crime with my silence.
That, I can NOT do.
Watch DP bring a race here...
It is our hope that this admission of culpability will once and for all seal an era many of us regret. We hope from this point forward we all (fans, sponsors, and owners) can work together to bring this sport back to it's former glory. To that, we are dedicated."
That's called 'burying the hatchet". That simple statement takes control of the sport by the horns. It's mature and adult. Done....but see, Indy arrogance gets in the way. That's why it wasn't done in 2008, 2009, 2010, or 2011. And I doubt it will ever get done....and that's the failure of the owners and management of the IMS.
And lastly, you didn't have to live in the trailer park to see the nuttyness of the George family. All you had to be was a resident of Indy. What did you live in, a bubble, dude? C'mon, open your eyes man.....
Oh, and by the way, are you a union guy? You sound like it. I'm just sayin'......
innovation was great until corporations ran the small teams out. it was the 70's and 80's that super teams like Penske started pouring millions into testing and development. There is no way a small team can afford the innovations that the big teams can. Those days are long gone. The last best chance for "innovation" and small teams is the aero packages. It allows them a chance to make small changes that can make significant differences.
SO, Indyman, it's not about me....it's about HEALING the sport, ALL of it. The SPeedway would KILL and entire sport to get a piece of that HUNEDREDS of MILLIONS of fans back then. Oh, in fact they did kill the sport getting it.
YOU Indyman are an accessory to the killing of the sport. And you just keep on covering it up like it never happened, too.
Chief, the funny thing is you are the only one I have heard say they want an apology. I know people who were strong cart fans, and they do not care about an apology. some have defected over to IRL and some do not plan on coming back. I have also not seen anyone else mention an apology but you, so I am thinking it is just you.
Great to see the deal Indycar signed with facebook for cartown. If it gets half the popularity of Farmville, it will be in the tens of millions of players.
Good to see they are looking at social media for growth and advertising.
Also saw the Honda/Indy commercial on 60 Minutes again. They also did a nice beauty shot of the Pagoda and pan out to the track during the Pacers Bulls game on TNT.
Not death defying? I don't care if they tested it 300 times. Anytime you do a stunt like this, it is death defying. So this test, was it done with a driver and full set up? Do you have a link, I have not heard about it.
All racing revolves around stunts and media attention. Gimmicks are what brings people to the tracks. You don't think the ever present "big one" in NASCAR is a gimmick to attract fans? That is why they discuss it 200 times before and during the race. Grid girls in F1 is not a gimmick? Why else would you haul 21 hot, scantily clad girls around the world to hold an unmbrella with a position number on it?
From grass roots to the highest levels, racing is surrounded by gimmicks to attract fans interest.
I haven't heard the "Most Important Race in History" anywhere, but was claimed by the IMS.
Look it up yourself...google Johnny Greaves (the supposed masked suspense driver) 301 feet. Another foot ain't gonna make a difference. STUNT.
http://bcove.me/l3dfwpji
This is a scam perpetuated for publicity...the stunt is staged and already accomplished. truely a PR stunt.
I do love your quote "This is a scam perpetuated for publicity...the stunt is staged and already accomplished. truely a PR stunt. " Wow, how long has this been going on? You mean when I watched the high wire act at the circus, it had been done before? I want my money back. Chief, guess what. It is still dangerous, and it is still dramatic and it still will be watched by millions and replayed on highlight reels and the internet around the world.
Second, if a car jumps in the desert and there is no one to see it, did it really happen? This is going to be very cool. Hundreds of thousands at the track and millions on tv. Great stunt for Mattel and for Indycar.
If a commercial does not air on Chiefs tv, did it really air?
Those were national commercials on high ranked shows. So why should Indycar spend their own money to advertise when their sponsors do it for them? Isn't that why you have sponsors? Maybe this kind of thinking is why cart went under?
There's been NOTHING promoting the 500 anywhere, and my local fishwrap doesn't even do stories or agate of IRL races.
A good funny this AM: Jimmy Kimmel last nite had an obscure IRL reference....he said about the Royal Wedding, the last timed someone who got married that he didn't care about was Ashley Judd and Dario Franceschetti! Who Dario Fransceschetti?
Bwahahaha! I got a good laugh out of that....Indy's only created two people in the past 16 years....Danika for her 'racy' modeling and Go Daddy runway strutting...and Helio for his 'Dancing with the Stars' and and his tax evasion aquittal.
THe IRl: holding steady when nothing is going on
what is a Fransceschetti? Is that the same as Bruschetta? And a larger number of people probably would ask whats a Kimmel.
I am also guessing the average citizen would be hard pressed to pick any given NASCAR driver out on the street. So what does that prove?
We know you are bitter about cart running itself out of business. But you know what, they killed themselves, get over it. I am not sure there is anyone left on here who would disagree that your personal pity party is getting old.
The Kimmel joke is funny because it illustrates the FAILURE of IMS/IRL/INDY to mean anything anywhere EXCEPT failure continously for the past 16 years. Two and Three time winners of Indy get slagged in the media because of what transpired to the sport since the IRL was created. That is a shame, and despite the effort of IZOD's 350% ROI and all the PR stunts, it's meaningless to the hapless IRL and Mr. Judd.
I advocate for the AOW sport, this is no pity party, bud. They fix the problems, I get happy and life goes on. Until then, it's my duty to comment.
I have to smile every time you post, because not only are you normally wrong, normally posting without any factual back up, but you post things that are just down right funny.
To say the IRL has not competition is comical. The IRL has stronger competition than Cart ever had. With NASCAR as strong as it is and increased interest in F1, ALMS, IMSA etc... those are things cart never had to deal with. You would occasionally see F1 or the others on a segment of Wide World of Sports, but rarely ever shown on a regular basis.
And for you to say IRL does not succeed in the open market is also entertaining. Considering the 500 has always been profitable, and from most accounts, the IRL is close to being profitable, that is not a bad situation, especially in an economic time that racing has not seen since the 30's. Now you want to talk about not economically viable, that would be cart. Could not find a network to pay to carry it, so it became an infomercial. failed in bankruptcy twice, and finally was sold for pennies on the dollar. I mean as you stated, it killed itself. That is the epitome of not economically viable.
F1 is gaining popularity because the Indiana policy of scorched earth has made AOWR a joke. Do you think fans like waking up @ 2:30 AM to watch??? Nope, it's the only way to watch REAL TOP TIER OWR. The Indiana Razing League is just that bad...
ESPN covered f1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaRTnmUdGXs
Nobody really bothered because CART was just as good, if not better and "local".
NASCAR was there, as were other series, it's not like CART had no competition. It was just that GOOD.
While the 500 has always been making $$$, last I heard reported here, the .1rl lost $15,000,000.00 last year IIRC? That's with no competition for the AOWR $$$. That may be down from the the $50,000,000.00 a year they were losing when CART was around, but it's still not making $$$...
In short, the .1rl has never made a penny. It has cost the H/G family over half a BILLION dollars to keep it afloat. The market says the product stinks, and they aren't buying the spin. Only in the Bizarro world of the Indiana Razing League is that considered successful.
The .1rl may play in Indiana, but even there they must be getting tired of the nonsense. What with tens of thousands hiding under the bleachers and all, rather than watch the race last year, and tens of thousands of unsold seats this year... LOL
Ratings are down again this year, even with the "Huge Activation and huge sponsor spends".
But, Iman and defender would be happy as long as they are running Golf carts roundy round the 500 in May, and the H/G clan own the show. There's only so many place fans, even in Indiana...
Iman, if you need to constantly reference CART veing dead, then you must admit CART was better on track, in the stands and on the TV (ala TV ratings).
You see, the IRL can't measure up at all. NEVER. And now it's Trump-less and phoney stunt filled hot action for no one to see. Oh, and the owners DON'T want the new car. Bwahahhahaha! Momentum...
They should have apologized. Hope the fans get their wish...