Jeff had a great time reading through your posts about how the Indianapolis Motor Speedway should celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the first Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. All the suggestions were great, and in the coming weeks many of you will recognize that not only did you have good ideas, but the Speedway has put plans in place to make them a reality! You’re going to see not only a focus on our incredible history, but a look forward to the IMS role in shaping motorsport and automobile technology in the 21st century – stay tuned.
From all your feedback it is readily apparent you love your legends and so we will be issuing invitations to all the living veterans of the Indy 500 to come “Back Home Again in Indiana.” You will also see an incredible array of automobiles from classic cars to muscle cars and vintage pace cars to virtually every Indy 500-winning race car that still exists today. And that’s just the beginning. But let’s take a look at the video below as the IMS videographers caught up with our CEO in his office late last week.
Just one more thing – before you watch the video we want to pose another question and very much want your feedback. Jeff would like to know:
“What can IMS do to improve your experience at any of our major events: the Indy 500, the Brickyard 400 or MotoGP”
Thanks for your ideas and suggestions!
Either open gate 6 on practice days. It is insulting to pay to park in lot 2 only to find out one has to walk all the way north to gate 7 to get in and then have to walk back south to the tunnel under the track by gate 6 to get to the only seats open to the public. Those that work gate 6 have said they have suggested opening that gate to deaf ears by management. Show some common sense here.
Thanks for the video. It’s great to hear of some of the plans that will make this years 500 the best ever.
As for the other races? They need better promotion. (We complain with lack of promotion for Indycar races at other tracks but don’t look at what is done to promote other events at IMS). Look in the museum and you see a very small presence of both NASCAR and MotoGP. As for the MotoGP it’s not even recognized at the Fieldhouse. While IMS has a very large presence on the main floor looking around I see history for the 500, Brickyard, the USGP (yep, it’s still advertised) and NOTHING for the MotoGP.
More focus needs to be done with social media and fun “hip” events vs. newpaper and print. Also these promotions can’t wait until a week or two before the event. IMS can draw more folks to every event. Remember if you do what you always did you will get what you also got.
IMS is the only racing facilty that I visit that does not have a fan-friendly Pass-Out policy. How about reviewing this? Keep the fans in mind!
As Daytona, and other tracks, host auto shows, not only a Speedway, but a Central Indiana get together for invited car clubs, for a neat background and a two-day weekend show. I know Indy Cruise a few years was a bust, but we were a part of the crowd on Main Street, and it was fantastic. A little more form the track; maybe scheduled laps and pictures of cars would draw more, and more involvement and access to the museum would be a gas.
It was a great idea at the time, but the guy spread himself too thin, and ticked off some people. I, myself, would LOVE to have another chance to set up and play music for the crowds and cars on Main Street, or even inside!
An addendum; Charlie Browns’ is under-appreciated as a history spot for Speedway, and should be included in any Speedway celebration.
I would like to see IMS open up more sections of select Grand Stands during the month of may. As a fan, I like to view the track at many of the great viewing spots that exist. The ones I never get to enjoy on race day. I think you should open up select Stands and Sections, call them “Fantage Points”. The apex’s of turn 3, 4, 2 and maybe a Suite where people could spend some time enjoying the perspective from those Fantage Points. The past policy is too restrictive to encourage fans to wander i.e. spend time and money.
This will by my 25th Indy and I have two boys (age 5 and 8) so I have a couple of idea’s. 1) During Practice open up a top section across from the pits or out in other great viewing area’s. 2) Allow re-entry. 3) Car Shows are great (Ford, Chevy, etc). 4) The balloon glow was awesome for the kids. What about letting families bike around the track earlier in the day? 5) Get in touch with car clubs (Mustang, Camaro) and have a weekend at the track car show (during the summer).
I really enjoy taking my kids to see the free exhibits at the infield area next to the Museum, but in the last 5 years these haven’t been as robust. I’d like to see more exhibitors and interactive events from the vendors, teams, celebrities and drivers. Those of us who can only come for the weekend need to have more events available on Saturday before the race.