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2017 Indy 500 Schedule for Wednesday, May 17th

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Wednesday, May 17, 2017, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

SCHEDULE (All times local)

  • 8 a.m.-6 p.m.: IMS Ticket Office, Credential Office, Administration Building Open
  • 8 a.m.-6 p.m.: International Collegiate evGrandPrix Series, IMS Infield
  • 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public Gates Open
  • Noon-6 p.m.: Verizon IndyCar Series Practice

TICKETS: General Admission: $15. Kids 15 and under free.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Gate 1-Walk, Gate 10-Public Drive, Gate 10A-Walk, Gate 12-Credential Drive/Walk, Gate 2-Credential Drive/Walk, Gate 4-Credential Drive/Walk, Gate 6-Walk, Gate 7 South-Walk, Gate 7 Vehicle-Drive

STANDS OPEN:

General Admission – B Penthouse (22-25) as needed, B Stand (22-25) as needed, Backstretch Family Mounds, Backstretch Mounds, E Stand (1-4) as needed, Gasoline Alley Roof, North Vista Wheelchair, NW Vista (1-4) as needed, NW Vista Deck, Paddock (9-18) as needed, Paddock Penthouse (10-20), Pit Road Terrace, South Terrace, Tower Terrace (37-42) as needed, Tower Terrace Wheelchair, Turn 2 Mounds, Turn 3 Mounds, Turn 4 Mounds, Wheelchair Accessible

PARKING LOTS OPEN (9 a.m.): North 40-Limited Free Public Parking, Turn 3-Limited Free Infield Public Parking, Lot 3P-Free Outside Public Parking

MUSEUM HOURS: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., $10 Adults, $5 Youth (ages 6-15), Free (5 and under)

Bebe Rexha To Perform National Anthem at 101st Indianapolis 500

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Chart-topping singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha will perform the national anthem before the start of the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on Sunday, May 28.

Rexha, on an international tour following the release of her album “All Your Fault, Pt. 1,” will sing on Race Day in the traditional spot before the 33 drivers are called to their cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the largest single-day spectator sporting event crowd in the world.

“This will be my first time attending the Indianapolis 500, and I can already feel the electrifying energy that comes with it,” Rexha said. “I couldn’t be more excited and honored to perform the national anthem and am looking forward to seeing everyone there and experiencing my first big Race Day!”

Rexha, a native of New York, has accumulated more 10 million overall single sales, 1 billion Spotify streams, 1.3 billion combined YouTube/VEVO views and a radio audience of more than 8 billion.

She hit No. 1 on both the Billboard Pop and Rap charts with her platinum-selling smash single “Me, Myself & I” with G-Eazy. Her single “No Broken Hearts,” featuring Nicki Minaj, has more than 180 million YouTube/VEVO views to date.

Rexha is featured on Martin Garrix’s recent single, “In The Name of Love,” which already has more than 265 million YouTube/VEVO views. “I Got You”, the first single from her “All Your Fault, Pt. 1” debut album, is quickly climbing the charts.

“We welcome Bebe to IMS on Race Day to sing the national anthem for a packed crowd and millions of viewers across the globe,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said. “She is a fantastic performer with an amazing voice that has been streamed around the globe, and she’s going to deliver a memorable rendition befitting such a monumental day and iconic sporting celebration.”

Rexha burst onto the scene in 2013 when she wrote “Monster,” which became a worldwide hit for Eminem and Rihanna and went RIAA quadruple-platinum in the United States. She wrote and featured on Cash Cash’s “Take Me Home” and Pitbull’s “This Is Not A Drill” in addition to writing Tinashe’s “All Hands On Deck” and Selena Gomez’s “Champion.”

Her 2015 debut EP, “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up,” boasts the singles “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You” and “I’m Gonna Show You Crazy,” which racked up more than 52 million Spotify streams in only six months. That same year, she co-wrote and carried instantly recognizable hooks for the double-platinum “Hey Mama” by David Guetta, Nicki Minaj and Afrojack, which was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song, as well as the Billboard Hot 100 smash “Me, Myself, & I” with G-Eazy.

Rexha recently released her debut album, “All Your Fault: Part 1,” in February 2017 and just wrapped her first headlining North American tour. The second part of her EP, “All Your Fault: Part 2,” will be released this summer.

SOURCE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

2017 Indy 500 Schedule for Tuesday, May 16th

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Tuesday, May 16 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

SCHEDULE (All times local)

  • 8 a.m.-6 p.m.: IMS Ticket Office, Credential Office Open, Administration Building Open
  • 8 a.m.-6 p.m.: International Collegiate evGrandPrix Series, IMS Infield
  • 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public Gates Open
  • Noon-6 p.m.: Verizon IndyCar Series Practice

TICKETS: General Admission: $15. Kids 15 and under free.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Gate 1-Walk, Gate 10-Public Drive, Gate 10A-Walk, Gate 12-Credential Drive/Walk, Gate 1B-Credential Drive, Gate 2-Credential Drive/Walk, Gate 4-Credential Drive/Walk, Gate 6-Walk, Gate 7 South-Walk, Gate 7 Vehicle-Drive, Gate 9A-Credential Drive

STANDS OPEN:

General Admission – B Penthouse (22-25) as needed, B Stand (22-25) as needed, Backstretch Family Mounds, Backstretch Mounds, E Stand (1-4) as needed, Gasoline Alley Roof, North Vista Wheelchair, NW Vista (1-4) as needed, NW Vista Deck, Paddock (9-18) as needed, Paddock Penthouse (10-20), Pit Road Terrace, South Terrace, Tower Terrace (37-42) as needed, Tower Terrace Wheelchair, Turn 2 Mounds, Turn 3 Mounds, Turn 4 Mounds, Wheelchair Accessible

PARKING LOTS OPEN (9 a.m.): North 40-Limited Free Public Parking, Turn 3-Limited Free Infield Public Parking, Lot 3P-Free Outside Public Parking

MUSEUM HOURS: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., $10 Adults, $5 Youth (ages 6-15), Free (5 and under)

Jake Gyllenhaal & Jeff Bauman To Serve as Honorary Starters of 101st Indianapolis 500

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Academy Award-nominated actor, and producer Jake Gyllenhaal and Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman will team up to serve as honorary starters for the 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on Sunday, May 28. They will be the first duo to wave the green flag in the century-plus history of the race.

Gyllenhaal will play Bauman in the upcoming film “Stronger,” based on Bauman’s New York Times best-selling book of the same name in which he provides a deeply personal account of his challenging, heroic journey after losing both of his legs in the infamous Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, 2013. The “Stronger” film, directed by David Gordon Green, will be released by Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions on Sept. 22, 2017.

“We’re honored to welcome Jake Gyllenhaal and Jeff Bauman to send the field of 33 starters into Turn 1 for ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “It’s fitting that our fans will join Jake in honoring an incredible hero like Jeff on Memorial Day Weekend, as it’s a time when all Americans honor those who have made tremendous sacrifices for our nation.”

Bauman personified “Boston Strong” after the attack at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2013. In the flash of the bomb blast, Bauman went from being an ordinary 27-year-old cheering his girlfriend at the finish line to a double amputee fighting for his life.

The next day, Bauman became a hero when he awoke from multiple surgeries, groggy and unable to speak. He asked for a pen and paper and wrote down: “Saw the guy. Looked right at me.” With these seven words, Bauman set off one of the biggest manhunts in U.S. history and earned global accolades.

Months of intensive rehabilitation followed, which Bauman met with grace, humor and an unwavering determination to walk again, a goal he achieved in a transformational journey that became a story for our times.

SOURCE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

2017 Indy 500 Schedule for Monday, May 15th

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Monday, May 15 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

SCHEDULE (All times local)

8 a.m.-6 p.m.: IMS Ticket Office, Credential Office Open, Administration Building Open
8 a.m.-6 p.m.: International Collegiate evGrandPrix Series, IMS Infield
10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public Gates Open
Noon-2 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program
2-6 p.m.: Verizon IndyCar Series Practice

TICKETS: General Admission: $15. Kids 15 and under free.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Gate 1-Walk, Gate 10-Public Drive, Gate 10A-Walk, Gate 12-Credential Drive/Walk, Gate 1B-Credential Drive, Gate 2-Credential Drive/Walk, Gate 4-Credential Drive/Walk, Gate 6-Walk, Gate 7 South-Walk, Gate 7 Vehicle-Drive, Gate 9A-Credential Drive

STANDS OPEN:

General Admission – B Penthouse (22-25) as needed, B Stand (22-25) as needed, Backstretch Family Mounds, Backstretch Mounds, E Stand (1-4) as needed, Gas Alley Roof, North Vista Wheelchair, NW Vista (1-4) as needed, NW Vista Deck, Paddock (9-18) as needed, Paddock Penthouse (10-20), Pit Road Terrace, South Terrace, Tower Terrace (37-42) as needed, Tower Terrace Wheelchair, Turn 2 Mounds, Turn 3 Mounds, Turn 4 Mounds, Wheelchair Accessible

PARKING LOTS OPEN (9 a.m.): North 40-Limited Free Public Parking, Turn 3-Limited Free Infield Public Parking, Lot 3P-Free Outside Public Parking

MUSEUM HOURS: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., $10 Adults, $5 Youth (ages 6-15), Free (5 and under)

F1 Champ Fernando Alonso to race in Indy 500 with Andretti Autosport

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The Indianapolis 500 has attracted another world champion to its driver field.

McLaren announced that Fernando Alonso, Formula One’s two-time champion and three-time runner-up, will compete in the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 28.

Alonso will drive for Andretti Autosport, which has won four Indianapolis 500s, including last year’s race with Verizon IndyCar Series rookie Alexander Rossi at the wheel of the Honda-powered Dallara. Honda also powers Alonso’s car on McLaren’s grand prix team.

Alonso becomes the ninth driver to enter the 500 with a world championship on his resume. In recent years, Nigel Mansell’s participation in 1993 as the reigning F1 champion was the most celebrated, with media interest at a fevered pitch. Mansell finished third.

 

Alonso has 32 grand prix victories and 97 podium finishes in 275 F1 starts. Competing in his 15th F1 season, Alonso became the youngest champion in series history in 2005 at age 24 and backed it up with another title the following year.

 

 

Andretti Autosport has won the 500 with four drivers: Dan Wheldon (2005), Dario Franchitti (2007), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014) and Rossi (2016).

The addition of the Alonso entry brings to six the number of cars Andretti Autosport has entered in this year’s 500. Full-season drivers Marco Andretti, Hunter-Reay, Rossi and Takuma Sato will compete, along with rookie Jack Harvey, who was named to drive the No. 50 Honda on Sunday.

SOURCE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Gabby Chaves Entered into the 101st Indianapolis 500

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Two Indianapolis businessmen, Mike Harding of Harding Group and Dennis Reinbold of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, have formed a technical alliance for the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil and will field an entry for driver Gabby Chaves.

The Harding Group has been an instrumental partner with Indianapolis Motor Speedway in paving projects and client hospitality. For the first time this May, the company will field a car in the Indianapolis 500 with the formation of Harding Racing.

Chaves will drive the No. 88 Harding Racing Chevrolet. The 23-year-old is the 2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires champion, including a win in the Freedom 100 on the IMS oval, and is a veteran of 23 Verizon IndyCar Series starts.

Chaves was the Sunoco Rookie of the Year in 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series competition while driving for Bryan Herta Autosport, also capturing top rookie honors in the Indianapolis 500 when he finished 16th. The native Colombian drove in seven races for Dale Coyne Racing last season, including a 20th-place Indy 500 finish.

“I’m extremely delighted to have the opportunity to get to challenge for my third Indy 500,” Chaves said. “I am very excited to be joining a new team with our new owner, Mike Harding, and everyone involved, including Larry Curry, who has been instrumental in getting the team together and guiding it.”

Chaves will also benefit from the experience of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr., who is serving as the team’s driving instructor. Matt Curry, Larry’s son who worked last season for AJ Foyt Racing and was an engineer on Tony Kanaan’s Indy 500-winning effort in 2013 with KV Racing Technology, will be the lead engineer.

“I have complete faith and confidence that our engine partner Chevy will give us the best package and support to give our Harding Racing machine a chance to challenge for the win,” Chaves said. “I’ve had good races at IMS, although the result has never come together. But I think this is the year that I really have to put it together to get the result. That’s my main focus, and I definitely think I’m going to have one of the best programs out there among those focused on Indy only.

“Again, I’m just extremely happy and grateful for the opportunity I have, and I can’t wait to get the month started.”

SOURCE: INDYCAR