The Official Blog of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

It’s easy to think back and recall Dan Wheldon’s greatest moments on a race track.

Scoring Honda’s long-sought first win at its home track of Twin Ring Motegi in Japan in 2004.

Taking a dominant victory in his first race for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, in 2006 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

And of course those two classic wins (and a few near-wins) at the Indianapolis 500. Wheldon’s 2011 triumph, when he won for the comparatively small Bryan Herta Autosport team against the might of the Ganassi and Penske organizations, ranks as one of the great David vs. Goliath stories in the century-long history of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

But today, on the one-year anniversary of Dan’s passing, the folks at the Speedway asked me to share some memories of the other side of Dan Wheldon – the side that the public doesn’t get to see on television, or read about in the stories I write.

The relationship between journalists and the subjects they cover is often tricky. By definition, we are supposed to remain objective, and not get too close so we don’t end up playing favorites.

I’ve been in this business for twenty years, and if you cover a single racing series over that length of time, it’s inevitable that as a writer, you’re actually going to be come friends with a few of the drivers.

Although I knew him since 2001, I don’t think I ever reached that point with Wheldon. Our relationship kind of reminded me of my high school days: He was one of the popular kids – a jock, if you will – and I was just a wallflower who was flattered when guys like Dan paid attention to me.

We may not have been outright friends, but IndyCar is a small community, so we were certainly more than acquaintances. And just seeing the way Dan developed as a person (as opposed to a race car driver), I’m pretty sure we would have ended up being friends, swapping stories about our kids or our latest racing memorabilia acquisition.

Here are a couple of stories that illustrate the kind of relationship I had with Dan – stories that really bring out his personality within the IndyCar community – the people he interacted with on a daily basis.

 

It’s well known that Dan was very self-conscious about his teeth. Let’s face it, the British are often dentally challenged, and it you look at pictures of Wheldon celebrating victories up through his 2005 championship season, you’ll note that his mouth is rarely open.

Prior to the 2006 season, Wheldon had a reported $40,000 worth of dental work done that turned his smile into a radiant row of gleaming white Chiclets. No longer unwilling or afraid to smile, Wheldon’s new grille literally lit up a room.

IndyCar’s 2006 preseason media day was held in conjunction with an open test at Homestead. Throughout the day, Wheldon and all the other drivers were shuttled between stations for print and television interviews and photo shoots. About half a dozen photo agencies set up portable studios to capture ‘hero’ shots of the drivers fully kitted out in their new uniforms.

Near the end of the shoot schedule, I wandered into LAT Photo’s studio to visit friends. When I walked in, Wheldon’s teeth were obviously the point of discussion; in fact, a pair of Wheldon’s countrymen – Laurence Foster and David Malsher of RACER Magazine – were preparing to wind him up about the new choppers. They were doctoring a banana peel to insert over their own teeth to poke fun at their pal.

Spying a stack of white Styrofoam cups, I realized they could do better. I tore off a piece of the cup and inserted it on my teeth. Laurence exclaimed, “Oreo, that’s brilliant!” and set about drawing lines on my ‘teeth’ with a black Sharpie marker.

You know what happened next. Almost as if on cue, in walked Wheldon, completely busting us as we prepared our ‘teeth’ gag. Looking back now, several years later, it’s not surprising that Wheldon didn’t get upset, but in the heat of the moment in early 2006, that’s what we expected. Instead, he just laughed along with us.

A few hours later, after the cars had run a night practice session on the Homestead oval, I was walking through the paddock to chase down an interview. Around the corner walked Wheldon; we were the only people within 30 yards. I was worried that Dan was upset about our earlier gag, but instead, he shouted out, “Hey Oreo, where’s your teeth?”

“Uh, they’re back in my hotel room, soaking in some Polident,” I stammered. And we both slapped a high-five and had a good laugh before we went on about our business.

In those days, Wheldon didn’t have the smoothest relationship with the media – as my next story will illustrate. But that moment – when I saw that Dan actually had the ability to step back and laugh at himself, and he realized that the media really wasn’t out to get him – was a turning point in our professional relationship. And we always got along just fine after that.

***When Wheldon won the 2005 Indianapolis 500, he didn’t earn a place on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Instead, the driver who finished fourth in the race stole the spotlight, and that infuriated him.

Wheldon dominated the 2005 IndyCar season, but it was the Summer of Danica, and every other driver, no matter how much success they achieved on the track, was cast in a supporting role. And Wheldon didn’t like that.

Like SI, RACER magazine made the snap decision to feature Patrick on the cover of its post Indy 500 issue. At the time, RACER also published IndyCar Series magazine, and Jeff Olson was the main Indy writer for both publications. Through a miscommunication, Wheldon thought he was going to be featured on the RACER cover, and when it didn’t happen, he took out his frustration on Olson.

Jeff went to interview Dan a couple weeks later for an IndyCar Series magazine cover story, but still stinging from the RACER cover snub, Wheldon decided not to cooperate. Jeff tells the story much better than I ever could (it’s his story, after all!), but the end result is that within the space of 24 hours, Wheldon cooled down and gave Jeff an outstanding and revealing interview, and finally got his cover story.

Fast forward six years to 2011: I’m sitting with Dan at the Honda hospitality area during Wheldon’s endless summer. He had won the Indianapolis 500, against all odds, really, earning the cover of RACER Magazine in the process (but alas, again not Sports Illustrated). But at the time, that was the only race he was scheduled to drive all year, and while chasing a full-time ride for 2012 and beyond, he kept coming to races, sometimes doing television commentary for NBC Sports, and sometimes just hanging with his friends at Honda.

TE McHale, the manager of motorsports public relations for American Honda, burst into the tent with a box of books. “Honda’s Challenging Spirit: Adversity and Success at the Indianapolis 500” was literally hot off the presses, and TE distributed copies for all to see.

Any author knows that at least one mistake inevitably finds its way into print. As I leafed through the book, authored by my friend and colleague David Phillips, I noticed a doozy: The cover photo, featuring Dan in the #10 Target Ganassi entry leading a group of cars at Indianapolis, was incorrectly captioned, identifying his teammate Scott Dixon instead. The photo was also used on the last page of the book, with the same error in the caption.

As diplomatically as possible, I pointed out the error to TE. Muttering curse words under his breath, he stormed into the motorcoach to try to get the problem sorted. Left alone at the table with Wheldon, I turned to him and said, “Well Dan, it looks like you got a cover you weren’t expecting!” And we both had a hearty laugh.

Although I am not an autograph collector, when Dan offered to sign my book, I quickly accepted. His only question was what number to add to his signature…26? 4? 98? We decided on 26, because the photo across from the title page that he signed was from Victory Lane at Indianapolis in 2005.

He wrote: “To Oreo, Enjoy the book my friend!”

And that’s how I will remember Dan Wheldon.

***

• “Honda’s Challenging Spirit: Adversity and Success at the Indianapolis 500” by David Phillips is available from the Honda Racing Store. http://hondaracingstore.com/accessories/hondas-challenging-spirit-book/

• A prior book extensively documents Honda’s history at Indianapolis from 1993-95 – “A Winning Adventure: Honda’s Decade in CART Racing” by Gordon Kirby and John Oreovicz is available from David Bull Publishing http://www.bullpublishing.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=46

Frank Lockhart, who two years later would lose his life in an attempt to break the World Land Speed Record on the sands of Daytona Beach, showed up at Indianapolis as a 23-year-old unknown. He secured an assignment as a potential relief driver for Bennett Hill, but just a few days before the race, driver/owner Peter Kreis had to be hospitalized with pneumonia. Lockhart took over the Kreis car and immediately began to travel quickly, setting a one-lap track record of 115.448 mph on an incomplete qualifying attempt. He eventually started back in 20^th position but was two laps ahead of the second-place car when the rain-interrupted race was halted for the second and final time at 400 miles. This was the first of four years for engines limited to only 91 ½ cubic inches.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian Donald Davidson has been the expert on the history of the Racing Capital of the World since he arrived in Central Indiana in the mid-1960s. Now 2010 Auto Racing Hall of Fame inductee Davidson is answering your questions periodically in this blog!

Q: Is there any truth that the late Ayrton Senna had a test run with Penske at the Speedway, back in November 1993?

—Michael Brucker Jr. via email

A: Senna did in fact test with Penske, but it was the week of Christmas 1992 and it took place at Firebird Raceway (a road course) in Phoenix, rather than IMS. The situation was that Senna was not at all happy with his current lot in Formula One and was undecided as to whether or not to stay with McLaren (which he did), especially in view of the fact that Honda would not be returning for 1993. Largely through the efforts of fellow Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, Senna showed up at Firebird, and under Emmo’s tutelage, took a number laps in a Marlboro-liveried Penske car.

Not surprisingly, everyone involved was extremely impressed with his runs, and Emmo pushed for Senna to come on as teammate to Paul Tracy and himself, Rick Mears having just announced his retirement at the Penske Christmas party a couple of weeks earlier. There are several minutes of footage of that day available on YouTube, including an interview (in Portuguese) conducted with Senna and Emmo during which time Senna comes over as even a little bashful, the two of them clearly having great affection for each other.

With Nigel Mansell already confirmed as joining Mario Andretti at Newman/Haas and Nelson Piquet expected to return with John Menard (which he did), Emmo was fantasizing that there could be at least five World Champions at Indianapolis in 1993. There would only be four. The next step was to get Senna on an oval, which never happened, and it wasn’t before he was re-signed with McLaren for another year of F1.

In the meantime, longtime Penske engineer Chuck Sprague, who had been somewhat apprehensive as what Senna might be like to work with, was absolutely amazed that he showed up at Firebird as the lone passenger in Fittipaldi’s rental car. No handlers, no entourage, just himself. He was extremely polite, very complimentary about the car and gave tons of feedback after very few laps.

The following day, Senna accompanied the team over for a test on the other side of town at PIR’s oval with Fittipaldi and Tracy, and he paid plenty of attention but declined to take any laps. He shook hands with everyone involved when he left and a year later, Chuck was flabbergasted to receive a Senna Christmas card.

Q: I recently visited a signage business in Indianapolis, located at the southern tip of a road called Gasoline Alley. When I looked at the map, although there are northern sections of this road that bear other names, it might have originally led right up to the track itself? So is there a historical connection between the lower stretch of this road and the track?

—Mel Francis, Oconomowoc, Wis.

A: We know it well, and we’ll hazard a guess that the signage business you visited was Freelance Lettering. Prior to 1985—the year in which that stretch was officially re-named Gasoline Alley—it had always been Roena Street. It did cause some confusion at the time—and since—one having to specify precisely which “Gasoline Alley” was being referenced, that of course, having been the nickname applied to the Garage Area at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a mile to the north as far back as the 1920s.  And yes, it did lead directly to IMS until quite recently, in spite of it going by three different names during the 1.5-mile trip.

We can remember when the Roena stretch (from Vermont Street down to where it dead-ends into Rockville Road) was pretty much out in the country, much of it being occupied by row upon row of fruits and vegetables and several large greenhouses. The sweeping left- and right-hander just south of Vermont Street where Bob East and Steve Lewis had their operation for several years used to be lined with so much foliage overgrowth that to drive through there was almost as if one was travelling through a winding carwash with the brushes on but no water! That’s all gone now.

A longtime “500″ crew member named Charlie Patterson purchased some property along Roena in 1978, with a view to relocating his driveshaft business there, but after clearing out a bunch of shrubbery, one thing led to another. He began purchasing more and more property and pretty soon was putting up buildings for the purpose of housing race teams, accessory companies and a variety of racing-related businesses. It has been a height of activity for the last 30-odd years, and at the risk of leaving somebody out, we recall at various times over the years Bignotti-Cotter being down there, along with Vince Granatelli, Ron Hemelgarn, Newman/Haas, Riley & Scott, Chris Paulsen’s C & R Racing, several drag racing teams, including Don “The Snake” Prudhomme’s, Herb Porter’s HP Performance (now Speedway Engines run by Rick Long), Rick Hendrick’s IMSA GTP team, Dan Gurney, Jud Phillips, Tony Bettenhausen, PacWest, Jackie Howerton, Steve Lewis and Bob East, Alex Morales and Johnny Capels, Elouisa Garza, Mike Fanning, Frank Weiss, Donnie Ray Everett, Jeff Sinden and Joe Kennedy, Gordon Barrett, Bob Lazier, Adrian Fernandez, Pagan Racing (with John Barnes), HVM Racing (driver Simona de Silvestro), J. J. Yeley, Steve Long, Dan Drinan, Jason Leffler, Bud Kaeding, Joe Devin, Gambler, Earl’s Supply, Van’s Metalcraft and countless others. Over this last winter, Hinchman Uniforms moved in there.

For many years, as you suggest, the journey from IMS down to Gasoline Alley was a direct route, specifically Polco Street running from West 16th Street south to West 10th Street, followed by Grande Avenue from 10th to Vermont Street and finally Roena/Gasoline Alley down to Rockville Road where it dead-ends. Polco and Grande have retained their names, but the very handy direct route to IMS did come to an end a few months ago when the Town of Speedway closed a portion of Grande Avenue in a transaction made with Allison Transmission.

The name Polco, by the way, has an Allison connection. Now approximately 100 years old, the name is derived from using five letters out of “Prest-O-Lite Company,” the firm underwritten in 1904 by Carl Fisher and Jim Allison for about $5,000 and then sold in 1917 to Union Carbide for $9 million!

Aerodynamics have been a part of the Indianapolis 500 since Ray Harroun designed the first rear view mirror on a race car in 1911. The “wedge shaped” contraption that would eventually be used on almost every automobile built was shaped like that to eliminate the drag of a flat piece sticking up from the car.

Even before that the shape of the Marmon Wasp, built in 1910, had a sleek shape compared to other race cars of the day.  The 1937 winner of Wilbur Shaw was an aerodynamic piece itself.  In 1955 2 cars entered (and almost a 3^rd car for Bill Vukovich, winner of the past two 500’s) that were called, back in the day, “Streamliner”.  The yellow Belond Miracle Power Special designed by Quinn Epperly and the blue and white Sumar Special designed by Frank Kurtis and Chapman Root started out as “fendered” cars.

The Sumar had full fenders and the both cars had enclosed cockpits. Jimmy Daywalt, driver of the Sumar car did not like the fact that he could not see the front tires and complained of being claustrophobic with the “bubble” installed.  After the 1^st day of practice, the team took the “fenders” and the cockpit bubble off of the car.  Jimmy Qualified the car 17^th and finished 9^th. In 1956, Marshall Teague failed to qualify the car. In 1959, the body was put back on the car and taken to Daytona to attempt a “Land Speed Record” run with Teague.  After taking the car up to over 171 mph early in the trials, Teague crashed the car attempting to break the 180mph mark and was killed.  The car was not raced again. It is still in the Root family.

The #33 Belond car driven by Jim Rathmann used fairings rather than a complete body. It also started out as a covered canopy on the cockpit but that was taken off early in the month.  Rathmann qualified the car 20^th and finished 14^th.  It did not qualify in 1956.

The Keck “Streamliner” was designed and being built by Norman Timbs, Quinn Epperly, Jim Travers and Frank Coon and was to have first a Novi motor.  When Lew Welch would not sell the motor to Keck, he wanted to have Leo Goosen build a new V8 Supercharged Offenhauser for the radical new car.  When it looked like the car would not be completed in time for the ’55 race, Keck released Vukovich to drive for owner Lindsey Hopkins. The rest is history.

The Keck Streamliner never arrived or raced in Indy although according to Jim Travers, the car was scheduled to be driven at Indianapolis in 1956 by Jack McGrath.  McGrath was killed in a racing accident in Phoenix in November of 1955. The Keck Streamliner was not completed until 1985 and it never raced.

My dad woke mom and I up early in 1956 and said we were “going for a ride” .  As we neared the area of 16^th and Georgetown, I realized we were headed for THEE RACE.  I do remember the traffic and my dad was not really looking forward to getting his year old Ford all dinged up so I was quite surprised when we actually turned into the infield and pulled up to the 1^st turn infield  area (front row actually).  The rains the week before and up to early raceday morning left the ground a bit soggy but I didn’t care…we were at the track.  It was a good day!

What a thrill to actually be at the RACE and while the pre-race hoopla was exciting, nothing could beat the sound of those 33 cars as they came barreling into the 1^st turn.  You could pick the Novi’s sound out from all the Offys immediately as Paul Russo came through the 1^st turn.  Then, on lap 21, we heard a loud pop and the red Novi was sideways through the turn and against the wall.  I was relieved as Russo climbed out of the car and walked to the inside of the track.   As the race progressed the clear favorite for me had to be the white and pink car of Pat Flaherty.  As he entered the turn, I could see that green shamrock on his helmet. Flaherty ended up winning the event that year and for me, my 1^st race was a memorable experience.  I have only missed 2 since then while in the Army in 1966 & 67.

Another favorite of mine, Tony Bettenhausen did not fare as well.  The beautiful blue and gold # 99 Belanger Special ended up on the South Short Chute with a hard hit, ending Tony B’s day.  Future winners including Sam Hanks, and Rodger Ward along with past winners, Johnnie Parsons and Bob Sweikert finished in the top 10 that year. But oh, the sound of that Novi…………..

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian Donald Davidson has been the expert on the history of the Racing Capital of the World since he arrived in Central Indiana in the mid-1960s. Now 2010 Auto Racing Hall of Fame inductee Davidson is answering your questions periodically in this blog!

Q: With the Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP race approaching, I find myself wondering if any Indiana-built (or even Indianapolis-built) motorcycles ever raced or were tested at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

—Scott Smith, Brownsburg, Ind.

A: It turns out that there were actually several motorcycle companies in Indiana in the early days, but as with the majority of the automobile firms, they were short-lived, typically lasting only a year or two. Certainly none ever was tested at the track in the early days, the only makes participating in the seven events held during the one and only day of actual competition—Aug, 14, 1909—being Indian, Harley-Davidson, NSU, Excelsior, Reading Standard, Peugeot, Merkel, Minneapolis and Thor.

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By now, you have probably heard about a little (and by little, we mean HUGE) web project called TheGreatest33.com. Hopefully, you have visited TheGreatest33.com by now as well. Fans that enter their email addresses now will receive a special insider email with an access code to see the website prior to its actual launch. It’s that easy– want to view the site the same week as the media and celebrities can? You can.

As if that isn’t enough, we’ve pulled together a pretty slick video displaying some of the more-prolific moments in the history of the Indianapolis 500. With the official website launch weeks away (get here FASTER, please!), we decided to look back through this video and pick out some of the facts and trivia that fans may (or may not) know.

Starting today and leading up to the official launch of TheGreatest33.com, we will be posting a few trivia questions a week about TheGreatest33.com video. Once the question is posted, fans can use the video (or their memory) to discover the answers. Play along with us and post your guesses below or on Facebook or Twitter. The answers will be posted here the day after they are first asked. Pretty easy, kind of fun, but definitely cool history that will get you as excited as we are about TheGreatest33.com and what’s in store for fans this March!

Wednesday, February 2 – TheGreatest33.com Video Trivia Question #1

Q: Only two drivers are seen in the video holding up fingers to signify what win they had just achieved, who are they?

A: Louis Meyer #3 in 1936 and Johnny Rutherford #3 in 1980

Saturday, February 5 – TheGreatest33.com Video Trivia Question #2

Q: Who is the only driver seen in the video finishing second in the Indianapolis 500 and then again in Victory Lane?

Many people believe that during the period between the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 and the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994, Speedway was host to only one race a year.  Although this may be true for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it is not true for the Town of Speedway.  From 1946 until 1959, races were held at the 16th Street Speedway which was located on the south side of 16th Street directly across from the second turn of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The track was a quarter-mile paved oval that was best known for its midget racing. For many years, the biggest event at the track was the annual night before the 500 midget race. Many of the Indy 500 stars of that era raced at 16th Street Speedway.  The list of winners at the 16th Street Speedway midget races includes Indy 500 veterans like Duane Carter (winner of the first midget race at the track on May 29, 1946), Johnnie Parsons, Gene Hartley, Mike Nazaruk, Manuel Ayulo, Johnny McDowell, Johnnie Tolan, Art Cross, Shorty Templeman, Eddie Sachs, and Len Sutton.  The track closed down in 1959 and was torn down to make room for a shopping center.

There was a second 16th Street Speedway that operated from 1997 through 1999, but it was located a few miles outside of Speedway’s town borders.  Similar to the original 16th Street Speedway it was a quarter mile oval, but the new track had a dirt surface.  The track was built inside of Bush Stadium, the former home field for the Indianapolis Indians minor league baseball team. Although a number of different series competed at the track, similar to the original 16th Street Speedway the main draw was the midget series.  The list of participants at the track includes a number of drivers who have also raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway including Tony Stewart, Ed Carpenter, Billy Boat, Jack Hewitt, Jason Leffler, Robbie Buhl, Mel Kenyon, Donnie Beechler, Rick Treadway, Johnny Parsons, Jr., Andy Michner, Bruce Walkup and Jay Drake.

Even though the Town of Speedway has been home to only one track since 1959, there are more than 15 short tracks within an hour and a half of central Indiana that feature open-wheel racing.  This includes tracks in Bloomington, Clermont, Gas City, Terre Haute, Anderson (home of the Little 500 Sprint Car race the night before the Indy 500), Winchester, Salem, Kokomo, Lawrenceburg, Putnamville, Paragon, and North Vernon.  As visitors make their plans for the Indy 500, the Brickyard 400 or the Redbull Indianapolis GP, they should consider making a trip to one of the short tracks in central Indiana to experience grass-roots racing at its best.

The first race where I was a credentialed photographer was at the 16th Street Speedway in 1997.  During that event, I shot the picture below of Johnny Heydenreich when he had a vicious accident during qualifying.  Shooting at the track that day and this photograph in particular would prove to be the first of many steps that eventually resulted in me becoming a member of the IMS Photo Staff in 2002.

The Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500 is every bit as historic and legendary as the race itself and the track where it’s held.  It’s been driven by astronauts, Indy 500 winners, decorated American generals, world-famous actors, late-night television hosts, Formula One World Champions, heads of large corporations, land speed record holders, Tour de France winners and car dealers.

There have been many, many models and makes of Pace Cars in the Speedway’s 100 years of history. Ranging from Marmons and Lincolns to Cadillacs and Fords. It’s been very interesting to look back and see the evolution of the Pace Car over the years. In 1911, the first Indianapolis 500 was paced by a Stoddard Dayton driven by none other than Indianapolis Motor Speedway co-founder Carl G. Fisher.

The image above is quite a sight.  The pace car is shown here but not in 1911.  The photo is actually from 1909 while the track was still under construction.

In 1925, the field was led to the green flag by a Rickenbacker “8.”  The car was driven by racing driver, WWI Flying Ace, CEO of Eastern Airlines, Rickenbacker Motors and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker.

In 1926, the first Chevrolet hit the track, although it wasn’t a Pace Car.  The 1926 Indianapolis 500 was started with Louis Chevrolet, the founder of Chevrolet, behind the wheel of the Chrysler Imperial “80.”  Louis was a four-time Indianapolis 500 competitor, having completed his career at Indy with a best finish of seventh.

In 1948, a Chevrolet Fleetmaster Six-Series would take over the duties as Pace Car (driven by Wilbur Shaw) and would start the long line of 22 Chevrolet Pace Cars.

Chevrolet has led the field of the Indianapolis 500 with assorted models in their expansive line of automobiles. There have been Corvettes, Camaros, Berettas, Monte Carlos and car-truck hybrids like the SSR from 2003. In 1967, what could be considered one of Chevrolet’s most iconic cars made its debut at IMS.  The 1967 Chevrolet Camaro was a modified, 375-horsepower, 396 cubic-inch V-8 convertible.  It was painted in a patriotic red, white and blue and was driven by three-time Indy 500 winner Mauri Rose.

In 1993, the Camaro made what seemed to be its last laps around the Speedway until it returned to lead the field in 2009 and 2010.  This year, for the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, a Camaro once again will lead the lucky 33 drivers to the Yard of Bricks.

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car is equipped with a 400-horsepower V-8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission. The actual Pace Car for the race requires no performance modifications to perform its duty in front of the racing field.

All 50 of the Indianapolis 500 Festival committees cars will be SS convertible models fitted with the 2SS equipment package, offering the following standard features:

• Four-wheel disc brakes with Brembo four-piston calipers and hydraulic asssist
• StabiliTrak electronic stability control
• Competitive/sport mode that enhances on-track performance
• Performance Launch Control (with the manual transmission) that optimizes hard-acceleration launches for quicker, more consistent performance.
• Twenty-inch polished aluminum wheels and performance tires
• Head-up instrument display
• Center console with auxiliary gauge packaage.

This new Pace Car continues the tradition of performance and style at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At 22 Pace Cars and counting, Chevrolet has certainly made its mark on Indianapolis 500 history.

Want even more Pace Car history?

Check out our Flickr set with a comprehensive look at Pace Cars over the years.

Find out more about the Barrett-Jackson Pace Car auction on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011 — the winning bidder will drive the Pace Car on a Parade Lap of the 2011 Indianapolis 500!

Consider joining us this May 21-22 for the 100th Anniversary Pace Car Reunion.

Or snag your own die-cast version of the 2011 Camaro Pace Car here.

An impressive collection of Indianapolis 500 winners, veterans and hopefuls are visiting U.S. service personnel in Europe and the Middle East from Jan. 12-22 on the Indy 500 Centennial Tour. Participants on the Tour include Indianapolis 500 winners Mario Andretti, Johnny Rutherford and Al Unser Jr., Indy 500 veterans Sarah Fisher, Larry Foyt and Davey Hamilton, Firestone Indy Lights standout Martin Plowman, longtime Indy 500 announcer Jack Arute and IZOD IndyCar Series spokesmodel Cameron Haven.

The Tour aims to increase troop morale by bringing the excitement of the 100^th anniversary celebration of the Indianapolis 500 directly to more than 10,000 service personnel at military bases and on an aircraft carrier at sea. A specially modified two-seater IndyCar also is on the Tour, bringing the on-track sensations of the Indy 500 to service personnel while being driven by Andretti, Rutherford and Unser.

So far, the Tour has been a great success. Follow along through this blog and through videos at the INDYCAR YouTube channel.

The Tour is the latest example of the commitment of the Indianapolis 500 to America’s armed forces. “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” has paid tribute to the troops since its inception in 1911.

For starters, the race always has been scheduled either on Memorial Day or Memorial Day weekend, which commemorates American troops who have died in the service of the nation.

Even before Race Day, an induction ceremony for new members of all branches of the U.S. military takes place on the Yard of Bricks in front of the Pagoda on Armed Forces Day at the track. Many military charities also have been supported through donations or purchases of memorabilia by fans at the track, including Fisher House, We Support You and more.

Salutes to the military occupy many special spots during the pomp and pageantry of pre-race ceremonies on Race Day. Military members march in uniform down the front straightaway, earning thunderous cheers from appreciative fans in peacetime or wartime. Large American flags have been unfurled in the infield during the performance of the national anthem, and a military rifle team fires a volley to honor their fallen comrades. Florence Henderson also traditionally sings “America the Beautiful” to honor America and the troops.

The fly-over during the national anthem has featured both modern aircraft such as F-16 fighter jets and B-2 stealth bombers, and historic planes such as B-25 bombers.

Perhaps the most poignant tribute to America’s veterans during pre-race comes when a lone bugler plays “Taps” to honor those who died defending the freedom that Americans enjoy. It’s still a fantastic experience to hear more than 250,000 people fall silent to hear the powerful notes of that tune. Every note seems to seep into your body, helping you realize what great sacrifices America’s military has made and continues to make to this day.

So whether they’re being greeted by Indy 500 winners and veterans during the Indy 500 Centennial Tour or attending the “Most Important Race in History” this May 29, we salute all of America’s fighting forces and appreciate their loyalty, duty and sacrifice.