Naptown Buzz

Your source for all things Indy™

GRAND-AM

Brickyard Friday Autograph Session plus Q&A Session Schedule

by

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series drivers will sign autographs during sessions Friday, July 27 and Saturday, July 28 during the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Four separate autograph sessions will take place between 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, July 27 at Chalet No. 4 in the Pagoda Plaza during Chevy Day, with Nationwide Series drivers taking part in an autograph session from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, July 28 in the East Chalet No. 2 in the Pagoda Plaza.

Among the drivers scheduled to participate Friday are Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick. Check www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com for a list of Nationwide Series drivers participating Saturday.

Ticket holders are eligible to participate in the autograph sessions by picking up wristbands, while supplies last, for the autograph session of their choice. Only one wristband will be distributed to each ticket holder, first come, first served.

Wristband distribution will begin at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday in the East Chalet adjacent to the Pagoda Plaza, with wristbands distributed only for that respective day’s sessions. All adults and children must have wristbands to be admitted to one of the autograph sessions. There is a limit of one autographed item from each driver per person. All autograph sessions on Friday, July 27 will take place in Chalet No. 4 on Pagoda Plaza.

Friday Autograph Session Schedule

  • Session 1 (11-11:55 a.m.): Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Danica Patrick
  • Session 2 (12:50-1:45 p.m.): Austin Dillon, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman
  • Session 3 (1:10-2:10 p.m.): Jeff Gordon
  • Session 4 (3-4 p.m.): Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart

A number of GRAND-AM Road Racing drivers and selected NASCAR drivers will sign autographs from 6:45-7:15 p.m. Thursday, July 26 during the Hauler Parade on Main Street in nearby Speedway, Ind.

Fans also can hear from many of their favorite drivers during Q&A and interview sessions on the Chevy Stage during the Kroger Super Weekend located in the parking lot just east of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

Q&A Session Schedule

Friday, July 27

  • 11:45-11:55 a.m.: Austin Dillon, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman
  • 12:45-1 p.m.: Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Danica Patrick
  • 4:05- 4:20 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart

Saturday, July 28

  • 11:45 a.m.: Justin Allgaier
  • 2:30 p.m.: James Buescher

Sunday, July 29

  • 9:15 a.m.: Jamie McMurray
  • 9:30 a.m.: Paul Menard, Regan Smith
  • 9:45 a.m.: Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya
  • 10 a.m.: Kevin Harvick
  • 10:30 a.m.: Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson

Fan Walk Friday for the Brickyard Grand Prix and Brickyard Sports Car Challenge

by

Fans attending the full day of GRAND-AM Road Racing action Friday, July 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be permitted to walk the pit lane from noon-12:35 p.m., getting an up-close look at the high-performance machinery that will race later that day in the Brickyard Grand Prix and Brickyard Sports Car Challenge.

Among the features during the Fan Walk will be a pit stop demonstration by the reigning Daytona Prototype championship team, TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, and a driver autograph session.

Burn Ban In Effect at IMS During the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard

by

Open burning, such as comfort fires and campfires of any kind, will be banned on Indianapolis Motor Speedway property from July 25-30 during the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard due to a significant fire hazard created by persistently dry environmental conditions and the absence of significant rainfall.

Fireworks and grilling devices that use a source of ignition other than gas also are not permitted. Specific ignition sources prohibited during this period:

  • Comfort fires or camp fires on the ground or in elevated devices
  • Charcoal or any non-gas grills of any kind
  • Fireworks of any kind

Gas grills are permitted in camping and tailgating areas during the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard but are required to be operated at a minimum of 18 inches off the ground, with 36 inches off the ground as the preferred height for the safest usage.

The Town of Speedway also started a burn ban June 28. The Speedway Fire Department will assist in patrols and education of customers during the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard event concerning the Town of Speedway burn ban as well as the burn ban initiated by IMS to ensure a safe environment for all customers attending the event.

IMS asks all customers camping on or around Speedway property to be careful concerning the potential threat of ignition to dry areas of grass that could be caused by common sources of heat and fire that are permitted, such as cigarettes, recreational vehicle generator exhaust, vehicle engine heat, fluids from hot vehicle engines and gas grills.

If a fire occurs, please call 911 immediately to contact local authorities.

2012 NASCAR Hauler Parade Brings Heads To Speedway July 26th

by

Fans can enjoy the color and excitement of NASCAR and get geared up for the inaugural Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard through the fourth annual Hauler Parade on Thursday, July 26 on Main Street in Speedway, Ind.

The event will take place from 5-9 p.m. Admission is free.

A parade of more than 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series haulers – the large, colorful trucks carrying stock cars to and from the track during the season – will arrive on Main Street starting at 6 p.m. Haulers will park in two lines on Main Street between 10th and 15th Streets, giving fans an up-close look.

Legendary NASCAR team owner Leonard Wood is the grand marshal of the Hauler Parade. Defending “400” winner Paul Menard will join Wood as a special guest in the parade. Menard also will receive his 2011 Brickyard 400 winner’s ring on the Hauler Parade Stage on Main Street in Speedway.

Another featured guest is Troy, Ala., paramedic and fire fighter Curtiss Shaver, the hero who received naming rights to the Crown Royal Presents the Curtiss Shaver 400 at the Brickyard powered by BigMachineRecords.com NASCAR Sprint Cup race Sunday, July 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Shaver will be incorporated into a series of VIP activities throughout the race weekend that also will honor America’s unsung heroes.

Other fun activities include live music, a question-and-answer session with Wood, an appearance by Miss Sprint Cup, a media pit stop challenge and an autograph session with selected NASCAR and GRAND-AM Road Racing drivers.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series and two GRAND-AM series will race at IMS for the first time during the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard, with the Hauler Parade taking place Thursday evening after a full afternoon of Nationwide Series practice at IMS.

NASCAR and GRAND-AM race cars will be on display. Kids can have fun at the IMS Kids Club area, featuring a bounce house, face painters, creative projects and appearances by IMS Kids Club mascots Axel and Alley.

Dawson’s On Main restaurant and other local eateries will have food and beverages available for purchase throughout the event. Parking will be available on Speedway town streets west of Main and also at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s gravel Main Gate Parking Lot, located on the south side of 16th Street, east of the Speedway gas station.

A variety of vendors will participate in the Hauler Parade, including BlueMile, Miles Ahead Performance, the 500 Festival, Scorpion and Turf, Coke Recycling, GRAND-AM, NASCAR Nationwide and more. IMS race tickets also can be purchased at the Hauler Parade.

Fans also can watch the haulers parade north on Main Street and east on 16th Street at 8 p.m., as they depart the Hauler Parade single-file and enter the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Also taking place during the Hauler Parade is the inaugural Hauler Hustle 4K at the Brickyard run/walk, which requires a registration fee for participation. Visit http://iwant2run.com/Hauler_Hustle_4K.html for more information about the Hauler Hustle 4K at the Brickyard.

The complete Hauler Parade schedule:

  • 5-6 p.m. Live Music by Corey Cox (Hauler Parade Stage, Main Street, Speedway)
  • 6 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Haulers Arrive on Main Street
  • 6:15 p.m. Question-and-answer session with Leonard Wood (Hauler Parade Stage)
  • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Hauler Hustle 4K at the Brickyard footrace (registration fee required)
  • 6:45-7:15 p.m. NASCAR, GRAND-AM Autograph Session
  • 6:45-7:45 p.m. Media Pit Stop Challenge
  • 8-9 p.m. Live Music by Toy Factory (Hauler Parade Stage)

2012 Kroger Super Weekend At The Brickyard Schedule

by

 

THURSDAY, July 26th

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
  • 10 a.m. Public Gates Open
  • Noon-3 p.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice
  • 3:30-5 p.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice
  • 5 p.m. Public Gates Close

Hauler Parade, Main Street, Speedway

  • 5-6 p.m. Live Music by Corey Cox (Hauler Parade Stage, Main Street, Speedway)
  • 6 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Haulers Arrive on Main Street
  • 6:15 p.m. Question-and-answer session with Leonard Wood (Hauler Parade Stage)
  • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Hauler Hustle 4K at the Brickyard Footrace, IMS (registration fee required)
  • 6:45-7:15 p.m. NASCAR, GRAND-AM Autograph Session
  • 6:45-7:45 p.m. Media Pit Stop Challenge
  • 8-9 p.m. Live Music by Toy Factory (Hauler Parade Stage)

FRIDAY, July 27th

  • 6:30 a.m. Public Gates Open
  • 8 a.m. Wristband Distribution for Autograph Sessions, East Chalet, Pagoda Plaza
  • 8-9 a.m. GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Combined Practice
  • 9:15-9:30 a.m. GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS Class Qualifying
  • 9:35-9:50 a.m. GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge ST Class Qualifying
  • 10-11 a.m. GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Combined Practice
  • 11-11:55 a.m. Driver Autograph Session #1 (J. Burton, Earnhardt, Harvick, Kahne, Patrick), Chalet No. 4, Pagoda Plaza (must have wristband)
  • 11:15-11:30 a.m. GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series DP Class Qualifying
  • 11:35-11:50 a.m. GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT Class Qualifying
  • 11:45-11:55 a.m. Driver Q&A (Dillon, Menard, Newman), Chevy Stage, near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • Noon-12:35 p.m. Fan Pit Walk and Fan Fest, Pit Lane
  • 12:20 p.m. GRAND-AM Driver Introductions
  • 12:40 p.m. Invocation
  • 12:41 p.m. National Anthem
  • 12:45 p.m. GRAND-AM Parade Lap
  • 12:45-1 p.m. Driver Q&A (J. Burton, Earnhardt, Gordon, Harvick, Kahne, Patrick), Chevy Stage, near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 12:50-1:45 p.m. Driver Autograph Session #2 (Dillon, Menard, Newman), Chalet No. 4, Pagoda Plaza (must have wristband)
  • 1-3:30 p.m. Brickyard Sports Car Challenge GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Race (Two hours, 30 minutes)
  • 1:10-2:10 p.m. Driver Autograph Session #3 (J. Gordon), Chalet No. 4, Pagoda Plaza (must have wristband)
  • 3-4 p.m. Driver Autograph Session #4 (Johnson, Stewart), Chalet No. 4, Pagoda Plaza (must have wristband)
  • 4:05-4:20 p.m. Driver Q&A (Johnson, Stewart), Chevy Stage, near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 4:10-7:10 p.m. Brickyard Grand Prix GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Race (Three hours)
  • 7:15-8:15 p.m. Live Music by Davy Knowles, Coca-Cola Stage, Pagoda Plaza
  • 8:30 p.m. Public Gates Close

SATURDAY, July 28th

  • 7 a.m. Public Gates Open
  • 8 a.m. Wristband Distribution for Autograph Session, East Chalet, Pagoda Plaza
  • 8:30-9:30 a.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice
  • 9:30-10:30 a.m. Live Music by Cooke & Belle, Coca-Cola Stage, Pagoda Plaza
  • 10:30-11:30 a.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Autograph Session, East Chalet No. 2, Pagoda Plaza (must have wristband)
  • 10:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice
  • 11:45 a.m. Driver Q&A (Allgaier), Chevy Stage, near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • Noon IMS Kids Club Event, Flag Lot
  • 12:30-1:30 p.m. Live Music by Cooke & Belle, Coca-Cola Stage, Pagoda Plaza
  • 12:35-2:05 p.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying
  • 2:10-4 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying
  • 2:30 p.m. Driver Q&A (Buescher), Chevy Stage, near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 4:05 p.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Introductions, Victory Podium
  • 4:31 p.m. Invocation
  • 4:33 p.m. National Anthem, Corey Cox
  • 4:38 p.m. Command To Start Engines, Matt Jauchius, Chief Marketing Officer, Nationwide
  • 4:50 p.m. Indiana 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race (100 laps)
  • 7 p.m. Public Gates Close

SUNDAY, July 29th

  • 6 a.m. Public Gates Open
  • 8:30 a.m. Live Music by Sunny Sweeney, Brickfest Stage, Inside Turn 2 Near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 9 a.m. Live Music by Greg Bates, Brickfest Stage, Inside Turn 2 Near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 9:15 a.m. Driver Q&A (McMurray), Chevy Stage, near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 9:30 a.m. Driver Q&A (Menard, Smith), Chevy Stage, near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 9:45 a.m. Driver Q&A (J. Burton, Montoya), Chevy Stage, near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 9:40 a.m. Live Music by The Mavericks, Brickfest Stage, Inside Turn 2 Near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 10 a.m. Driver Q&A (Harvick), Chevy Stage, near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 10:30 a.m. Driver Q&A (Johnson, Kahne), Chevy Stage, near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 10:30 a.m. Live Music by Justin Moore, Brickfest Stage, Inside Turn 2 Near IMS Hall of Fame Museum
  • 11:50 a.m. Live Music by The Band Perry, Trackside Stage, Yard of Bricks
  • 12:20 p.m. Vintage NASCAR Track Lap
  • 12:30 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Introductions, Victory Podium
  • 12:53 p.m. “America The Beautiful,” Sunny Sweeney
  • 1 p.m. Invocation, Rev. Howard Brammer
  • 1:01 p.m. National Anthem, Raul Malo of The Mavericks
  • 1:03 p.m. Flyover (Two U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Osprey tilt-rotator aircraft)
  • 1:10 p.m. Command To Start Engines, Mari Hulman George, Chairman of the Board, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
  • 1:19 p.m. Crown Royal Presents the Curtiss Shaver 400 at the Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race (160 laps)
  • 6 p.m. Public Gates Close

2012 Kroger Super Weekend tickets: Ticket orders for the 2012 Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard can be made at www.imstix.com and through the IMS Ticket Office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.

General admission tickets will cost $10 for Thursday, July 26, $30 for Friday, July 27, $25 for Saturday, July 28 and $30 for Sunday, July 29. A four-day Kroger Super Weekend general admission ticket is $80, a great value for the ultimate race weekend.

Children ages 12 and under will be admitted free any of the four days of the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard when accompanied by an adult with a general admission ticket.

Reserved tickets for the Saturday and Sunday action also will be available at various price ranges.