INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — During a recent excavation for the Turn two repave project, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway uncovered its original crushed stone and tar racing surface, a significant discovery that had not been seen since 1909. According to Zach Horrall, manager of Digital Marketing at IMS, this moment reveals a piece of racing history to fans in a way that has never been done before.

The Turn two repave project took place last September, primarily to address bumps caused by shifting bricks below the surface—issues exacerbated by Indiana’s fluctuating weather. While excavating to repair these bricks, the team decided to uncover any historical layers beneath, ultimately revealing the original racing surface of crushed stone and tar.

Zach Horrall explained the significance of this discovery, stating, “It’s amazing. It’s the original, original track surface of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.” This surface, laid down during the summer of 1909, had been hidden for over a century and showcased the early construction efforts of the track.

The excavation revealed a beautiful limestone composite mixed with tar, which was noted to still be fresh and had a strong smell, signifying its preservation. Horrall remarked, “It was an overwhelming and powerful moment at Indianapolis Motor Speedway!” such that no one present, including long-time IMS historian Donald Davidson, had ever seen it before.

Photos taken during the excavation illustrated the historic bricklaying process, providing visual documentation of the construction history of the track. The now-excavated surface is currently on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, allowing visitors to witness a tangible piece of racing history.

The original racing surface is now showcased at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, providing an educational opportunity for fans and guests alike. Further installments documenting this series of discoveries are available on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s website.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Comedian Tommy Davidson, known for his work on “In Living Color” and “The Proud Family,” is set to perform at Helium Comedy Club in Indianapolis on Dec. 19, 20 and 21, 2025.

General admission tickets are priced at $36.97, while reserved tickets are available for $49.39. During a recent interview, Davidson expressed his thoughts on the lack of new Christmas music, emphasizing the need for fresh original songs during the holiday season.

Davidson has been touring with fellow comedian Cat Williams, showcasing their unique styles together. He revealed that their collaborative performances have allowed audiences from various backgrounds to come together and enjoy comedy, stating, “I look at my audience and it’s Latinos looking at whites and whites looking at Asians and Asians looking at Indians. We’re all the same still. And everybody laughing together, which I think is something that is vastly needed right now.”

In addition to his touring, Davidson is producing a new sitcom titled “Varnell,” based on a character from his earlier work. He shared insights into his upbringing, recalling, “Of course, of course. My mom taught me, you know, you live with an open hand, you know and you can receive and you can give, you know.” He reflected on his journey from humble beginnings to Hollywood stardom, highlighting the importance of hard work in achieving success.

Davidson discussed the significance of his experiences and how they shape his comedy. “That’s what comedy comes into play and has for so long for me personally, like stand up. That’s what it does. It takes all of your worries away, anything that you think is going on in the world.” He also touched upon the importance of storytelling and connecting with an audience, emphasizing, .”..that work part, that word work, you know, that’s what my mom taught me.”

INDIANAPOLIS — A busy holiday shipping season has left some Indianapolis residents frustrated with postal service delays, while others report smooth deliveries during what the United States Postal Service calls its busiest week of the year.

“This is actually the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week of the entire year. So we are incredibly busy,” said Susan Wright, USPS spokesperson.

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Indianapolis residents face mixed experiences with USPS during holiday season

For Indianapolis resident Steve Burnstein, the holiday rush has meant nearly two weeks of waiting for gifts that should have arrived days ago.

“I’m just frustrated to the top, you know, there’s no reason for it,” Burnstein said.

After dropping off his gifts, Steve was told delivery would take just a matter of days. Nearly two weeks later, the packages remain stuck at a distribution center just miles from his home.

“They’re sitting at a distribution center at English at or Brookville Road near 465,” Burnstein added.

WRTV followed Steve to the post office to track down his missing packages, and employees spent more than 15 minutes searching for answers.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing — it’s moving through the distribution center— but not to California,” Steve said after the lengthy wait.

Wright offered advice for avoiding shipping delays during the busy season.

“One thing that I want to encourage customers to do is to be sure you have an accurate address, and the one thing you do not want to guess about is the zip code, because the zip code is our first line of sortation. And so if that is incorrect, it will misdirect your package,” Wright said.

Other Indianapolis residents have had better experiences with the postal service during the holiday rush.

“They’re very good about getting your mail out and getting it on time,” Delores Parker from Indianapolis said.

Delores recommends additional precautions.

“I usually make sure it’s where I get a return receipt if it’s something that’s very important,” she added.

Steve suggests considering alternatives for critical shipments.

“Ship them FedEx, ship them UPS. Check and make sure that they’re gonna go,” Steve said.

According to the USPS Website, the deadline for a package to arrive by Christmas through Priority Mail Express is Saturday, December 20.

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Griffin Gonzalez is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in January of 2024. Griffin loves to tell stories about people overcoming their biggest obstacles and share the good news that his community has to offer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Griffin by emailing him at griffin.gonzalez@wrtv.com.