Indianapolis, IN
Roger Penske Finally Gets The Indianapolis 500 He’s Dreamed Of Since Buying Indianapolis Motor Speedway In 2019
Roger Penske offers the command to begin engines on the a hundred and fifth Indianapolis 500 in 2021.
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With a report 18 wins within the Indianapolis 500 as a workforce proprietor, it’s been stated that Roger Penske owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
On November 4, 2019, he took the following step and bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500, and the IndyCar Collection from the Hulman-George Household.
Penske went from being the proprietor on the observe to the proprietor of the observe.
IndyCar and its followers celebrated the longer term. With Penske, one of many world’s most profitable businessmen and rivals on the helm, the way forward for the world’s biggest race and the world’s largest sports activities stadium appeared brighter than ever.
After which got here COVID.
When a Nationwide Emergency was issued on March 13, 2020, the world started to close down. Main sporting occasions have been both cancelled, such because the NCAA March Insanity, or postponed and moved to a different date.
Previous to that, Penske had already invested a reported $300 million to buy the fabled Speedway together with IndyCar and IMS Productions. He additionally invested a further $20 million into facility enhancements and introduced one other $2 million can be added to the purse for the 104th Indianapolis 500 in 2020.
As COVID lockdowns tightened its grip on america, Penske and IMS officers determined to maneuver the race from its conventional Memorial Day Weekend date to August 23, hoping the COVID 19 virus would have died out from the summer time warmth.
As a substitute, the pandemic roared on and regardless of numerous well being and security protocols, and had an ongoing dialogue with the Marion County, Indiana Division of Well being to permit spectators again to the sporting occasion, even in restricted capability.
When IU Well being, a significant companion of the Indianapolis 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, went public and stated it was not within the public’s greatest curiosity to permit spectators to attend, Penske took all the pieces into account and made one of many hardest selections of his enterprise profession.
He determined to maneuver ahead with the August 23 Indianapolis 500 with out spectators.
Roger Penske on the NASCAR Xfinity Collection Pennzoil 150 on the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor … [+]
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With a view to make that work, prices needed to be reduce. The purse, which was $15 million in 2019, was reduce in half. He met with the workforce house owners to clarify why the Indy 500 Purse and the “Leaders Circle” program that provides funds to 22 full-time IndyCar members, was additionally lowered.
By holding the race in an empty Speedway, it could make sure the NBC tv contract was met and the much-needed tv cash can be issued.
Followers that had already bought tickets to the 2020 Indy 500 have been issued credit for 2021 or 2022.
Penske was in a position to efficiently information IndyCar and IMS by way of its darkest yr and seemed ahead to a full home in 2021.
However the Marion County Board of Well being noticed a resurgence of COVID and regardless of an enormous vaccination drive, the 105th Indianapolis 500 must be held with “restricted capability.”
As a substitute of 300,000 spectators, 137,000 have been allowed to attend final yr’s Indy 500 and witness historical past as Helio Castroneves turned the fourth, four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.
By means of weakening strains of COVID and extra vaccinations, many well being protocols have been lifted or eased. Sporting occasions have been allowed to return to full capability final summer time and that meant the workers of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway might lastly put together for a full home for the 106th Indianapolis 500 on Could 29, 2022.
After three lengthy years, Roger Penske will lastly get to host the Indianapolis 500 in all of its red-white-and-blue, star-spangled banner, celebrity-watching, Navy-honoring Memorial Day Weekend, Again House Once more in Indiana, full-capacity glory.
There’s a time period that describes Roger Penske’s penchant for element – “Penske Excellent.”
He realized that as a cadet on the prestigious Culver Navy Academy in Marshall County, Indiana when he was a youth from Shaker Heights, Ohio.
UNKNOWN: After racing from 1958 by way of 1965, Roger Penske hung up his helmet and have become a extremely … [+]
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“The one factor I realized was to shine my footwear,” Penske stated. “General, that have at Culver was terrific. I realized how one can be a frontrunner. You labored with folks from completely different components of the world at Culver. I might say it was an incredible basis for me to have self-discipline, to grasp you needed to work to get to the entrance and that vital to me in life.”
After the final three years, there may be one other time period that greatest exemplifies the 85-year-old businessman:
“Penske Perseverance.”
I had an unique interview with Penske inside his cellular workplace motorhome generally known as “RP-1.” He offers nice deal concerning the efforts that it took to maintain IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Indianapolis 500 on observe.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 04: Mark Miles, President and CEO of Hulman & Compnay, Roger Penske, … [+]
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“Clearly, once we signed the paper and gave them our verify again in January of 2020, we had a marketing strategy that had properly in extra of 250,000 folks and that didn’t occur,” Penske defined. “It meant we have been going to have to offer credit to sure clients that weren’t going to have the ability to make it after which hunker down and have a look at bills from the standpoint of the place they have been and the place we might optimize the folks, we had in our total holding firm to run the observe.
“We by no means stopped. We invested one other $20 million in visitor expertise within the observe and that confirmed our private and firm dedication transferring ahead. It was a matter of continuous to take a position. I feel it has paid off.
“With COVID transferring on, we’re actually anxiously awaiting to see what the result is in 2022.”
Penske used the delay of the Indianapolis 500 in 2020 from Could to August as an opportunity to truly get extra work accomplished on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He continued the capital enchancment undertaking, which might have been paused in Could of that yr if the Indy 500 had been run on schedule.
“We knew there have been issues we needed to do,” Penske stated. “We actually took benefit of the shutdown with a view to full issues we would not have had on our listing. The first motive we moved on – with out the collection, we don’t have the Speedway, with out the Speedway, we don’t have a collection. The funding we made to the Speedway was clearly crucial for the collection.
“To me, to have the race even with out followers and be capable of help the opposite promoters for 2 years was vital. We needed to give some a reimbursement from the standpoint of sanction charges, a few of the payout for the groups was much less, however everyone labored as a workforce for the result.”
All through the early days of the pandemic, Penske went to work. He trusted Penske Leisure CEO Mark Miles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles, and IndyCar President Jay Frye to assist create alternative and implement key selections.
That’s a key part of Penske’s enterprise profession. The Penske Company has been in a position to take over foundering companies and switch them round. He bought the truck leasing arm of Hertz and rebranded it as Hertz-Penske earlier than it turned the extremely profitable Penske Truck Rental.
He created the United Auto Group and Penske Automotive, that are among the many largest automotive dealerships on this planet.
He was profitable in taking Detroit Diesel from an organization that was struggling again to prominence as one of many largest Diesel producers on Earth.
Roger Penske, Hap Sharp, Nassau Pace Week, Nassau, 04 December 1964. Roger Penske celebrating his … [+]
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Auto racing, nevertheless, has all the time been Penske’s “golf sport” as he describes it. He was an excellent race driver himself within the 1950 and Nineteen Sixties and was provided a journey from the famed Dean Van Traces workforce for the 1965 Indianapolis 500. Penske, who had only recently been awarded a Chevrolet dealership in Philadelphia, turned it down as a result of Common Motors stated he couldn’t be an energetic race driver and a Chevrolet vendor on the similar time.
That journey went to a younger Italian immigrant from Nazareth, Pennsylvania named Mario Andretti.
As a substitute of driving race vehicles, Penske owned a race workforce. With Mark Donohue as an engineer/driver, the workforce achieved unimaginable success. They arrived on the Indianapolis 500 for the primary time in 1969 and Donohue gave Penske his first Indy 500 win as a workforce proprietor 50 years in the past in 1972.
Portrait of American racing driver Mark Donohue (1937 – 1975) as he poses along with his automobile after profitable … [+]
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Fifty years and 18 Indianapolis 500 wins later, Penske is able to welcome the world again to the “World’s Biggest Race Course.”
By means of his steerage and enterprise acumen, Penske has led the Indianapolis 500 by way of some darkish occasions and right into a brighter future.
“We all the time search for under-valued and under-performing,” Penske stated. “I don’t suppose the acquisition worth was undervalued. It was the place it wanted to be. Actually, the efficiency on the Speedway the final many a long time has been superb, or we wouldn’t have the long-lasting Speedway, the largest sporting occasion on this planet. The explanation we continued to guide in was the historical past. We wanted to finish our dedication, and that was by way of good or unhealthy.
“We’ve had more durable conditions. Detroit Diesel was one. We like that. It’s like scratching as a workforce in racing. If you’re a second or two behind in racing, what do you do? You’re employed laborious and have to alter issues.
“That’s what we did. We had a course correction in some instances and continued to take a position, continued to put money into human capital with folks. We now have much more sponsorships now. We’ve been utilizing it for the OEMs for a lot of completely different capabilities within the business.
“I might say it’s a house run proper now.”
From a enterprise standpoint, Penske and IMS had a big stock of credit issued from followers who had already purchased tickets. Final yr, 137,000 of these credit have been utilized by followers to attend the race.
Which means a part of this yr’s crowds might be utilizing credit that have been paid for 3 years in the past.
“Completely, however we’re right down to about $1.2 million credit accessible,” Penske stated. “I might say that inning has closed. Divide $1.2 million by $125 and also you do the maths.
“However there may be a number of contemporary income coming as a result of we have now the suites, we have now the infield, and clearly we can have a minimum of 100,000 extra folks than we had in 2021. We be ok with it. Ticket gross sales are actually sturdy at this level going into the race. I really feel good.
“We now have tried to cope with credit, which is what we have now to do for our followers. We personal the enterprise. We now have a buyer base which is historically the followers that come to the Indianapolis 500. There was no query about it and hopefully, it has created a number of good will.”
The NTT IndyCar Collection seems to be on an upswing in 2021. Crowds have been bigger at each occasion besides the March 20 XPEL 376 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Attendance seemed to be up for final week’s {qualifications} on Saturday and Sunday. IMS officers imagine the primary wide-open Indy 500 since 2019 has created a starvation for the occasion.
They anticipate the most important crowd because the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016 was introduced as a sellout.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MAY 29: James Hinchcliffe of Canada, driver of the #5 ARROW Schmidt Peterson … [+]
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“We do anticipate the most important crowd since 2016 and when you have a look at our ticket gross sales, we’re about 10 p.c forward of 2019, which is superb,” Penske stated. “I feel folks wish to get out. We now have a number of race followers that needed to watch it on tv and didn’t have the prospect to return the place they wished to go.
“I feel there may be momentum on the market for lots of sports activities, not simply the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There isn’t any query that our fan base and this legacy fan that we have now are all coming, they’re bringing their household and their youngsters, and the sponsorship help is healthier than it has ever been.”
Expenditures have been adjusted and after reducing the purse in half in 2020 and 2021, it should return to the 2019 stage, however the further $2 million that Penske was going so as to add in 2020 should wait one other yr.
“We’re not going to announce the purse proper now, however it will likely be considerably bigger than it was final yr,” Penske stated. “It’s too new to make that remark. We wish to see a stage taking part in discipline right here. Have a look at the income, have a look at the seats, what are the prices? One in every of our most vital property are the groups and we wish to make sure that we offer them with all of the funding that we are able to.”
After buying the Speedway in November 2019, and taking official management on January 6, 2020, Penske stepped as much as the plate and anticipated a fastball.
As a substitute, COVID by way of him a curveball.
Like an incredible hitter, Penske was in a position to adapt.
“That’s my day daily,” Penske stated. “I get curveballs in my enterprise. It wasn’t something new; it’s simply managing. With the workforce that Mark Miles and Doug Boles and the workforce we have now in place, they’ve carried out a terrific job. We now have made some modifications. We now have a distinct qualifying for the race weekend, which might be actual thrilling. While you consider six drivers to go for the pole simply earlier than 6 p.m. on nationwide community tv will actually be one thing.
“One of many issues we’ve carried out, we stretch our folks, however we take the individuals who have the experience and add them into the nucleus of our firm. I don’t suppose there may be anyone that’s concerned in our race workforce or concerned in Indianapolis doesn’t love this sport. It’s not only a job for them, it’s particular after they can say they work at Indianapolis or are on a race workforce that’s profitable and offering nationwide, worldwide protection.
“That’s what we would like. It helps construct our model and it helps construct the person’s model. Lots of people have labored for us, moved on and carried out fairly properly on this planet of enterprise.”
In line with his spouse, Kathy, Penske places as a lot time in every enterprise as he does his different companies. The issue is the extra companies Penske owns, the much less time there may be in a day.
He’s infamous for sleeping simply three or 4 hours a day. A lot of his sleep occurs as soon as his personal aircraft takes off on one other enterprise journey.
By some means, he finds the time and devotes his full consideration.
“I’m the chairman of the corporate and I’ve presidents which have the working duty throughout all of our companies,” Penske defined. “We now have Doug Boles and Mark Miles at Penske Leisure. We now have Tim Cindric at Workforce Penske. Brian Laborious at Penske Truck Leasing. We now have these succesful folks throughout the group.
Roger Penske
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“What I do is have weekly evaluations and month-to-month evaluations with all of our key companies. I wish to journey to a location, so I spend a number of my time on the highway visiting our amenities and getting an opportunity to speak on to all of my workers.”
Penske is “old fashioned” with regards to enterprise. He expects his workers to decorate professionally. He prefers shaking fingers and searching folks within the eye. He hates litter on worker’s desks, and he needs folks to be within the workplace, as an alternative of on ZOOM.
“I feel you must have a look at the circumstances we had over the past 24 months with COVID,” Penske stated. “Individuals weren’t allowed to exit from a authorized perspective. We wish to work with our folks. Eighty to ninety p.c of our folks labored throughout COVID as a result of we’re a necessary enterprise. We had folks engaged on vehicles and dealing on vehicles and folks working on the Speedway. It’s a part of our MO.
“We now have flexibility for sure issues significant to an worker, however I feel you’re seeing folks desirous to get again to going to work now fairly than keep house. Some folks acquired into the groove of desirous to work from home, however when you rent those who solely wish to work on a display and don’t have an opportunity to have that high-tech, excessive contact with them might be a mistake.
“That might be a steadiness we are going to have a look at over the following 5 to 10 years. The place will we find yourself? Will we have now 4, 10-hour days? We can have a rotation so far as days you’re employed. We now have girls which have youngsters. We have to deal with single moms. General, it’s too new to price on what’s the greatest method for it. We would like our folks, particularly the important thing folks, to have the ability to see them.
“Throughout COVID, we had ZOOM conferences each single day. I went into the official daily and linked by ZOOM. As quickly because it was protected to journey, we traveled and met with folks in a protected setting based mostly on what have been the legal guidelines in that exact state or setting.”
One different factor about Penske and his enterprise philosophy:
Don’t ever inform him “No.”
“I feel the phrase ‘no’ shouldn’t be in our vocabulary,” Penske stated. “We must always all the time say, ‘Let’s check out it. Is there a piece round right here? Is there one other strategy to handle it? Is there one other means to do that?’
“From a piece ethic, we have now nice folks. From my perspective, they work laborious. I feel they’re proud to work right here. We now have little or no turnover of our senior administration workforce. For those who look the metrics of different firms, we’re means forward of the typical.”
There may be one other key part to Penske’s potential as a enterprise man.
It’s the power to pivot. That’s what he needed to do on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and at his different companies on the Penske Company.
“As I have a look at our enterprise over the past 24 months, we needed to pivot in some ways, folks working from house, coping with household and pals in dire want well being sensible,” Penske defined. “Our provide chain has been interrupted right here over the past a number of months. We now have the conflict within the Ukraine that has compounded that.
“However total, we’re a necessary enterprise. We’re offering vehicles and automobiles throughout 4 continents and 9 international locations. We now have 63,000 folks and our revenues in 2021 have been over $35 billion. Happily, we had the most effective return we had for our shareholders in historical past. The primary quarter numbers can be found for everyone to take a look at.
“We noticed that very same outcome going ahead. We now have to watch out. Rates of interest are going up. On-line, from what I perceive, has slowed down. We’re seeing a few of that in our on-line auto enterprise, it’s softening, however from the enterprise we’re getting in retailer is rising. From a retail auto facet, there isn’t a query that persons are driving miles as a result of our components and repair enterprise has gone up. A byproduct of individuals getting out is now extra components and repair. That’s the fastened protection we get from that margin in our enterprise.”
With a lot duty and so many various companies within the transportation, automotive and motorsports industries, Penske continues to search for new ventures and alternatives.
At 85, the phrase “retirement” shouldn’t be in his vocabulary.
“We’re all the time methods so as to add further upkeep places for our truck leasing,” he stated. “We now have made 4 or 5 acquisitions this yr on our automotive facet, each domestically and internationally, and we are going to proceed that journey over the following yr for certain.
“There’s a pipeline of alternatives we’re all the time coping with. I wouldn’t say that it’s any better at this time than it was previously. There are some those who after COVID as a result of multiples are excessive on companies and rates of interest have been low, it was a great time to promote and a great time to purchase.
“We now have a really measured strategy as we go ahead. Our greatest focus is on the standard of our steadiness sheet and our leverage is .7 debt to cap and our automotive is 26 p.c. These are world class numbers in our enterprise. We even have much less debt on the finish of the quarter in our truck leasing enterprise the place we have now $16 billion of property than we did a yr in the past, but we grew the enterprise 20 p.c.
“I feel we’re heading in the right direction.
On Sunday, when Penske steps as much as the microphone to offer the command, “Gents, Begin Your Engines” to begin the 106th Indianapolis 500, he will definitely be at “the proper observe” as he welcomes 300,000 followers “Again House Once more in Indiana.”
INDIANAPOLIS – MAY 27: Rick Mears talks with Roger Penske after racing the Indy 500 on the … [+]
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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Hoosiers across the state are waking up without electricity Thursday morning.
As of 6 a.m., there were just over 117,000 people statewide without power, according to poweroutages.us.
In addition to homes and businesses, power outages are also affecting traffic lights. If the lights at an intersection are out or flashing red, treat it as a four-way stop.
Area Power Outages
Below are the number of people without electricity, sorted by provider. These numbers were last updated at 5:25 a.m.
- AES Indiana: 27,000+
- Anderson Light and Power: 13,379
- CenterPoint Energy: 11,438
- Duke Energy (statewide): 41,108
- Carmel area: 3,000+
- Westfield area: 2,000+
- Danville: 1,000+
- Fortville: 1,000+
- Lapel: 1,000+
- Indiana Michigan Power: 9,000+
- Jackson County REMC: 2,800+
- NIPSCO: 3,000+
There is no estimated time for when all repairs will be complete.
Click here to report an outage to AES Indiana.
Click here to report an outage to Duke Energy.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The operators of an all-in-one medical facility have made it their mission to serve patients of all backgrounds with care tailored to their needs.
Alivio Medical Center, which has two Indianapolis locations and others in Columbus and Lafayette, serves as a primary and urgent care facility, but also offers mental health services, a dental clinic, immigration exams, physical therapy, diabetes management and more.
Dr. Alfredo Lopez, neurologist and founder of Alivio, said, “We want to be empathic. We want to make sure our patients can connect with our providers, and they feel that’s their doctor not only for themselves but for their families for many years.”
Keeping the clinic low-cost is crucial, Lopez says, but also providing extra services that may be outside of the box is important, too.
Lopez said, “Our patients told us, ‘Well, doctor, if I’m diabetic and I have problems with my feet, can I have the best possible shoes?’ So, we offer that. We offer other specialties like women’s care, neurology, migraines and seizures, and things like that. We also have a board-certified plastic surgeon and hand surgeon since a lot our patients do a lot of labor.”
Language barriers don’t stand in the way of getting quality care either as the medical center serves many patients who are new to the United States. “We have a lot of Latino patients, and all of our staff is bilingual at least in English and Spanish, but we have a few that also speak Creole and French.”
Lopez says the private company wants everyone to feel welcome regardless of their immigration or insurance status because a lack of follow-ups due to costs can have a negative effect on overall health.
“We charge for our services but we work with our patients. We want to make sure it’s affordable. We do follow-up consultations that are very reasonable to make sure they can follow up,” the doctor said.
With the population of Indianapolis becoming more diverse, the operators of the medical center hope their model of care can serve as an example for other health care providers across Indiana.
The famed Marmon Wasp that Ray Harroun drove to victory in the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 is one … More
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The celebrated history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 is on display in an impressive, reimagined and renovated Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
On Monday, March 31, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum announced the completion of its $60.5 million, 17-month renovations – it’s first significant renovation in 40 years. After a few private viewings for benefactors and other VIPs, the famed Museum reopens to the public on Wednesday, April 2.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is schedule for 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on April 2 and will feature special speakers IMS Museum President Joe Hale and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske.
Other speakers include Indiana Governor Mike Braun, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, Mayor, Chuck Jones, IMS Museum Board Chair and Robert Dyson, IMS Museum Chair Emeritus.
The Museum had been closed to the public since November 2023 while undergoing a comprehensive transformation of its space and experiences.
About the only thing that resembles the Museum that opened in the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1976 is the outer shell of the building. Everything else has been completely rebuilt and reimagined, connecting the incredible history of the world’s most famous and historic race to a boundless future.
The outside of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
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When the Museum reopens to the public on April 2, visitors will experience 40,000 square feet of additional space housing new immersive and dynamic experiences, including:
• Seven permanent and three rotating galleries.
• The lower level, an area previously restricted to only select tours.
• A new mezzanine dedicated to displaying non-vehicle artifacts, including:
ο A race suit from current IndyCar driver, and reigning champion, Alex Palou
ο The NASCAR Brickyard 400 trophy
ο A piece of the SAFER barrier to highlight safety innovations at the Speedway
• The “Starting Line Experience”, placing guests in an immersive video space showcasing the pageantry leading up to the start of the “500”.
• State-of-the art racing simulators allowing guests to try to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.
• A “pit stop challenge” for guests to learn the tools and equipment of the racing trade.
The new exhibits and experiences will bring to life the Museum’s vision to create a global destination that provides interactive, immersive and diverse Indianapolis 500 storytelling and educational experiences that can be enjoyed by guests of all ages.
“I’m thrilled to welcome guests back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum after a massive renovation that finished on time and under budget. With the support of our campaign from Lilly Endowment Inc., the John H Holliday Family, Penske Foundation, Dyson Foundation, The Heritage Group and countless others, we have made the IMS Museum a cultural destination celebrating the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500,” said Joe Hale, IMS Museum President.
In the past, an impressive collection of race cars, mainly the winning cars from previous Indianapolis 500s, were on display in a static environment. When it opened in 1975, it was state of the art, but over the past 40 years, Museums have been redesigned and reimagined to help give the visitors a more interactive experience.
To achieve that, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum includes various galleries, each with a different theme.
The Heritage Group Gasoline Alley Gallery
Jim Clark’s famed Lotus Powered-by-Ford that he drove to the pole in the 1964 Indianapolis 500 … More
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This exhibit allows visitors to literally stroll through history in The Heritage Group Gasoline Alley Gallery. The gallery features seven garages, representing different eras of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, that highlight the stories of each time-period through cars, decor, and immersive audio and visual elements.
Corresponding cases are on the opposite side featuring several artifacts on view for the first time, including the original 1909 Articles of Incorporation for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Company and the bucket hat Janet Guthrie wore in 1978 when she finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500, generously donated by Guthrie.
Starting Line Experience
The Starting Line Experience helps guests in what it feels like to be at the starting line of the Indianapolis 500 by experiencing Race Day traditions with a seamless blend of cutting-edge technology, imagery, and show cars of the front-row drivers of the most recent “500”.
A seven-minute video will play on an 80-foot by 20-foot LED-screen that begins with the cannon firing and concludes with the green flag at the start of the race.
When the “Drivers, start your engines” command is given in the video, the show cars will roar to life.
The Front Row for the 108th Indianapolis 500 in 2024 featured in the “Starting Line Experience.”
©Rick McIntyre – McIntyre Imaging
The John H Holliday Family Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery
This gallery is featured on both levels of the Museum. The John H Holliday Family Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery celebrates the winning cars that have shaped Indianapolis Motor Speedway history. From the 1911 Marmon Wasp to Dan Wheldon’s 2011 William Rast Dallara, the cars are now displayed on platforms with improved lighting and signage, including hydraulic platforms along the wall at a 45-degree angle to allow people to look inside the driver seats.
The Borg-Warner Trophy is the focal point in the center of the space, with an updated display worthy of holding one of the most unique trophies in sports.
“Having had the cherished opportunity to create the images of Indianapolis 500 winning drivers for the Borg-Warner Trophy since 1990, I am deeply honored and grateful to see my work displayed in the beautifully renovated IMS Museum,” said sculptor William Behrends, who has crafted the face of each Indianapolis 500 winner since 1990.
The process of creating Josef Newgarden’s face on the Borg-Warner Trophy.
©Rick McIntyre – McIntyre Imaging
Also recognized in a special display case is the work of Julie Harman Vance, a florist from Yorktown, Indiana that makes the winner’s wreath for BorgWarner.
“I am honored to be part of the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum BorgWarner display,” Harman Vance said. “The fact that my years of making the winners wreath has become an amazing Hoosier tradition has brought me an enormous sense of pride and accomplishment.”
The gallery is located on two levels, with 17 winning “500” cars showcased on the main level and 12 on the lower level.
Indianapolis 500 winning cars featured in the Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery
©Rick McIntyre – McIntyre Imaging
The Mezzanine
The Mezzanine, located above the Winners Gallery, focuses on the extensive artifacts in the Museum’s collection. This oval-shaped area, in honor of the Speedway’s iconic oval, allows more opportunities to tell the stories of IMS—from “500” traditions and fan experiences, to safety improvements and innovations in technology.
There will be multiple interactive kiosks, including ones dedicated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame and a timeline of IMS’s history. This gallery also showcases the other motorsports the Speedway has hosted including stock cars, sports cars, motorcycles, and air racing.
Qualifying Zone
Through immersive hands-on activities like a pit stop challenge, driving simulators, a strategy challenge and more, guests can learn what it’s like to be a driver, strategist or pit crew member in the new Qualifying Zone.
This area of learning has something for guests of all ages—from a soft play area for the youngest fans to the dissected car display which goes into detail on the parts that make up an Indy Car.
Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation Innovation Workshop
Adjacent to the Qualifying Zone is the Allen Whitehill Clowes Foundation Innovation Workshop, a classroom space for the new education department to offer STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) hands-on experiences for K-12 students.
The classroom will be the home for field trips, summer camps, and presentations. Students will examine the concepts, challenges, and innovations that drive a successful racing team and participate in career exploration programs designed to promote job opportunities in the racing industry.
The Penske Gallery
The Penske Gallery is an interactive experience that chronicles the history of Team Penske, its team members, and the driving force behind the team, Roger Penske. The gallery features historic race cars, legendary trophies, unique artifacts, and displays honoring some of the most iconic and accomplished drivers in racing history.
The McLaren M16B that Mark Donohue drove to victory in the 1972 Indianapolis 500 — the first of … More
©Rick McIntyre – McIntyre Imaging
The Bobby Rahal Family Gallery (Featured Car Gallery)
The Bobby Rahal Family Gallery will host rotating featured exhibitions, with the theme changing every three to nine months. The lower-level gallery will open with a feature on “NASCAR at the Speedway”. Eight winning
Brickyard 400 cars will be showcased, including Jeff Gordon’s 1994 winner, Dale Earnhardt’s 1995 winner, and Jimmie Johnson’s 2006 winner.
Best of the Best: The Four-Time Winners (The Chip Ganassi Gallery)
Only four drivers have achieved the prestige of being a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. This rotating gallery highlights those legends: A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Rick Mears, and Helio Castroneves.
Each driver has one of their winning cars on display as well as a racing suit, helmet, and other relevant artifacts. This gallery will change every three to nine months and can be divided into two smaller modular exhibits to give the curatorial team flexibility and provide guests with a reason to visit time and time again.
The car that AJ Foyt drove to victory to become the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 … More
©Rick McIntyre – McIntyre Imaging
Track Lounge
The Track Lounge serves as the conclusion to the Museum, offering guests the opportunity to book a tour of the track.
While tours will depart from the lounge, it’s not just a place to board a bus—this space includes an interactive 3-D track map where guests can visually see the evolution of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1909 to present day, a photo car for souvenir pictures, and the “In the Race” video experience, where guests can see footage from the “500” projected on the walls as they walk down the hallway. A grab-and-go food and beverage stand for guests to fuel up completes the lounge.
New IMS Museum Features Accessibility Enhancements
One of the cornerstones of the renovation was ensuring accessibility so all guests felt included. New features include a wheelchair-friendly racing simulator controlled fully by the steering wheel instead of the pedals and a wellness room designed for anybody that needs a quiet, private space, from nursing mothers to those with sensory sensitivities.
The Museum is also working with Kulture City to become Sensory Inclusive™. Sensory bags can be checked out at the Welcome Center and include soundproof headphones, fidget toys, and glasses to reduce light.
Signage around the building will indicate “headphone areas” for those with sensitivities to noise.
The Stories Behind The Spectacle Capital Campaign Funds Reimagining of Museum
In 2023, the IMS Museum launched an $89 million capital campaign, The Stories Behind the Spectacle, to fund the Museum’s transformation.
Of that $89 million, $64 was earmarked for the complete transformation of the interior of the Museum building. The Museum has surpassed its phase one goal, having raised $69 million to date. With the Museum renovation completed at less than initially estimated, the remaining funds are now a part of the second phase of the campaign, which includes a new off-site restoration facility.
Community Programs And Benefits Now Offered By The IMS Museum
As a public, non-profit organization separate from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the IMS Museum admission revenue helps cover operating costs, provide students nationwide with free or reduced educational programming, and allows the IMS Museum to offer a variety of community programs and benefits, including Access Pass, free Community Days, Blue Star Program for active military and others.
Special Events Mark The Grand Reopening Of The IMS Museum
On April 1, IMS Museum members and donors received an exclusive preview of the new space at an invitation-only event. Then on Wednesday, April 2, the IMS Museum will celebrate with community leaders, donors and members with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by the official reopening of the Museum.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum represents more than a century of motorsports history and is driven by its mission to celebrate and preserve the history behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500.
Since 1956 when the IMS Museum first opened in the old ticket office building outside Turn 1, it has brought to life the innovation, thrill, and cultural significance of motor racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
What began with only 12 cars on display has become one of the world’s premier collections of racing automobiles and artifacts – with more than 55,000 artifacts and over 150 vehicles.
More Facts On The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
• Established in 1956
• Current building opened in 1976
• 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, separate from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• 40,000 square feet of exhibit space added with the renovation
• 55,000+ artifacts in the Museum collection
• 150+ vehicles in the Museum collection
• 140,000+ visitors annually
• 1,500 square foot STEAM classroom
• Final cost of the renovation came in at $60.5 million—under budget, and on time.
o $64 million was earmarked from the capital campaign for the renovation
Fun Facts
• There are 33 lights in the entryway rotunda, representing the 33 drivers in the Indianapolis 500.
• The green paint in the Gasoline Alley Gallery was matched to the original green used in the actual Gasoline Alley.
• The banking in the Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery on the lower level matches the banking of the four turns on the IMS oval: 9 degrees, 12 minutes (9.2°)
• The cutout in the Mezzanine that overlooks the Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery is designed to resemble the IMS oval.
• The simulator steering wheels were modeled after Scott Dixon’s steering wheel.
• The dissected car in the Qualifying Zone was completely assembled by the Museum’s restoration team over a three-month period with real parts donated from teams and manufacturers. It weighs roughly 1,000 pounds.
• Real IMS “Yellow Shirt” staff were used in the video telling guests to “wait” before the Starting Line Experience.
• Shiel Sexton installed more than 14,200 linear feet of new piping—a little more than the track length.
• Excluding Museum staff, more than 180 team members from architects to fabricators to construction staff brought this project together over 164,000 work hours.
Renovation Timeline
February 2023: Project kickoff. Shiel Sexton, Schmidt Associates, and JRA are chosen as construction, architecture, and design firms.
July 2023: The IMS Museum’s $89 million capital campaign, The Stories Behind the Spectacle, launches with 51 percent of funds raised, including a $20 million grant from The Lilly Endowment.
September 2023: The Museum’s historic collection of 150+ vintage automobiles are moved from the basement into storage.
November 2023: The IMS Museum closes to the public for a 17-month reimagining and comprehensive renovation.
February 2024: Demolition of the interior is completed.
April 2024: Exterior refresh of the IMS Museum building is completed.
April 2024: The new Mezzanine level is installed, and the skylight is removed from the old Atrium area.
November 2024: The Gasoline Alley Gallery theming and buildout begins.
December 2024: Installation of the Starting Line Screen begins.
January 2025: The dissected car, located in the Qualifying Zone, is the first vehicle to be moved into the Museum.
February 2025: The Museum’s extensive collection of artifacts and vehicles are moved out of storage.
March 2025: Museum cars and artifacts are placed into their relevant exhibit spaces.
April 2025: The IMS Museum reopens to the public with 40,000 square feet of additional exhibit space.
Key Donors of The Stories Behind the Spectacle Capital Campaign
$5 Million And Above
John H Holliday Family, The Dyson Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc., G. Marlyne Sexton, The Heritage Group, Penske Foundation.
$1 Million – $4,999,999
Linda and Mike Curb, Robert R. Dyson, The Bobby Rahal Family, Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Scott and Sandi Borchetta.
$500,000 – $999,999
Susan & David Roberts, A. Dano Davis, Hulman & Company Foundation, The Gordon Family, Thomas and Sharon Malloy.
$100,000 – $499,999
Bill Simpson Foundation, Dorsey Foundation, Jenny and Bob Hillis, Mr. and Mrs. James H. Voyles Jr., Melissa A. Caito, The William Loadvine Family, Lynn and Preston Root, Shiel Sexton Company, Inc., Hubbard Family Foundation, French-Pheffer Family, The McGuire Family, Carol and Stephen Hatfield, Duncan and Renea Dayton, The MacAllister Family, R.B. Annis Educational Foundation, Anne and David Shane, Linda and Jeff Congdon, Shelly and Jim Shook, Team Penske, Schmidt Family Foundation, Schmidt Associates and the Wayne Schmidt Family, Miller-Eads
$50,000 – $99,999
Timothy J. Cindric Family, Josie George, Laura and Tony George, Thomas and Barbara Beeler, Cheryl and Thomas VanParis, Cheri and Mitch Daniels, Karen and Mike Long, Shiel Sexton Foundation, Inc., Judy and Jim Singleton, Sue and Mike Smith, Cindy and Doug Kizer, The Wurster Family, Michael Fux and Gloria Rubin, Lila and Steve Huse, RJE Interiors, Susan and Bill Tolbert, Xtrac, Ilmor Engineering, Inc., INDYCAR, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Bruce R. McCaw Family Foundation, Dallara, Indy Racing Experience.
The Indianapolis-based Shiel Sexton Construction oversaw the construction phase of the revamped Museum.
“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum started with a vision to transform an already iconic venue into an immersive experience that tells the stories of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing from the very beginning to present day,” said Mike Dilts, Chairman, Shiel Sexton Construction. “It was an honor for Shiel Sexton, along with our incredible design and trade partners, to bring these concepts to reality and maintain the rich history of the Indianapolis 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway for generations to come.”
Indianapolis architecture firm Schmidt Associates handled the architectural process.
“The IMS Museum renovation is all about creating a more immersive, accessible, and engaging experience for Visitors,” said COO Kevin D. Shelley, AIA, LEED, AP of Schmidt Associates. “Through thoughtful updates, the space now better connects guests to the history of racing while incorporating modern design and sustainability for the future.”
JRA, part of RWS Global, handled the Design and Creative Development.
“It has been an immense privilege to conceptualize, design and develop the reimagined Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum,” says Tony Schmidt, Director, Creative Design, RWS Global. “The new galleries, exhibitions and interactive displays are engaging, immersive and filled with artifacts and digital experiences that will exceed visitor expectations.”
Winning cars throughout the history of the Indianapolis 500 flanking the famed Borg-Warner Trophy.
©Rick McIntyre – McIntyre Imaging
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