The Official Blog of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

With Halloween around the corner, many people are thinking about their Halloween costume for this year.  Some are even making suggestions for their favorite athletes and celebrities.  What costumes do you suggest for the stars of the IZOD IndyCar series?

To help you with your suggestions, we have some never-before seen photos of many of the drivers from Halloween 2004.  In 2004, the year-end IndyCar Championship Celebration was held on a 3-day Disney Cruise.  The cruise ship was still at sea on Halloween night, the day after Tony Kanaan and his Andretti-Green Racing team celebrated their season championship.  For the on-board Halloween party, most of the drivers and team owners were in costume.

The stars of the party were series champion Tony Kanaan and his AGR teammates (Dario Franchitti, Dan Wheldon, and Bryan Herta) who all dressed up as women.  Here they are along with 2-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk who was dressed as Hugh Heffner.

Dan Wheldon, Arie Luyendyk, Tony Kanaan, Bryan Herta, Dario Franchitti

Team owner Sam Schmidt got in the spirit with his Crash Test Dummy costume.

Sam Schmidt

Team owner Michael Andretti was Batman, the Dark Knight.  Here he is along with Arie and Arie Jr.

Arie Luyendyk, Arie Luyendyk Jr., Michael Andretti

One of the more creative costumes was 2-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. who was dressed as Beetlejuice from the Tim Burton movie.

Al Unser Jr.

The drivers weren’t the only ones to dress up.  Here is Ed Carpenter as Joe Dirt along with his wife Heather.

The Carpenters

And here is 1999 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Robby McGehee who was placed under arrest by his wife Norma.

The McGehees

Now that you have seen this crazy and fun side of your favorite drivers, what other costumes would you recommend for them?

JR Hildebrand thought he was walking into the Panther Racing garage for just another morning full of meetings, little did he know a huge surprise was in store for him. The conclusion of the 2011 Indy 500 for JR Hildebrand was a rough one, but he never let it show and Panther Racing wanted to reward JR for his professionalism. When John Barnes (Panther Racing co-owner) ran across JR’s dream car in perfect condition, he knew it would be the best way to show his appreciation.

JR has been storing a Trans-Am he got from his dad in high school at the Panther garages. The team told JR they had “fixed it up” and wanted to show it to him. They unveiled the Trans-Am (not in any better condition) to JR and he laughed, realizing it was a joke but still not knowing exactly what was going on.

The "fixed-up" Trans-Am

Just as Hildebrand got a good look at the Trans-Am, the garage door in the back of the shop opened and in came his 1966 Chevelle SS in mint condition. He kept taking off his hat and scratching his head; he seemed to be in disbelief. “This is the greatest thing that has ever happened,” I overheard him say.

JR checks out his new Chevelle

After JR had a chance to sit in the driver seat and get a feel for his new bright red dream, he spoke on the surprise and his Indy 500 experience. He explained that he finds it “silly” that he has received so much attention for his behavior because no matter the outcome of the Indy 500 he would have carried himself the same way. At the same time, he is happy for the positive impact it has had for the team and the National Guard. “This is the coolest thing ever,” he said about his new Chevelle.

What’s your dream car?

Indy 500 weekend is officially here (yes, I start my weekends on Thursday) and I don’t know about you but I’m ready to get this party started! While the race may not be until Sunday, there’s plenty of action to check out between now and then. Here’s a rundown of the events on my schedule. You’ll also find information about each event as well as their Twitter handle if available and of course you can follow my weekend on Twitter too (@lesalina)!

Where will you be?

Thursday, May 26

Jocktails at the 500 / Jocktails After-party

7 pm – 10 pm Invite Only Event

10 pm – 3 am After-party, open to the public

Jocktails at the 500 will feature some of the biggest names related to the Indy 500, and other local celebrities using their star power to raise money for this year’s beneficiary, Racing for Cancer (www.racingforcancer.org). 100% of the tips raised from the event will be donated to the organization. While the event may be by invite only, the after-party is open to all and will be hosted by yours truly!

Info: Jocktails Celebrity After-party Hosted by Leslie Bailey, Blu Lounge, 240 S. Meridian St.
Indianapolis. Visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jocktails/131277730281798?v=info for more information.

Follow this event on Twitter: @Jocktails, @RacingForCancer

Friday, May 27 – Carb Day

Firestone Freedom 100

12 pm

One happy Carb Day fan

Don’t miss the 9^th Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is your chance to witness the future stars of IndyCar in action! And it’s only 40 laps which means you’ll have plenty of time to get to the rest of the Carb Day activities.

Info: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Miler Lite Carb Day Tickets: $20

Follow this event on Twitter: @IndyCar

Miller Lite Carb Day Concert featuring Staind with Special Guests Papa Roach

3:30 pm

Remember them? This concert is free with Carb Day admission so get your beer and prepare for a flashback to the 90’s. Grab yourself a beer and enjoy! (Please drink responsibly. Nobody likes that guy at a concert.)

Info: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Miller Lite Card Day Tickets:$20

Saturday, May 28

IPL 500 Festival Parade

12 pm

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper leads the two-mile procession of floats, marching bands and all 33 competing drivers. Fun for the whole family! If you’re not purchasing reserved seats, make sure to arrive early to get a good spot as you will be joining more than 300,000 spectators for this 54 year tradition.

Info: Pennsylvania and North Streets, Reserved seats are $14.50; $18 and $32. Visit http://www.500festival.com/parade/ for more information.

Follow this event on Twitter: @500Festival

FANtasy 500 Race Party

9 pm – 3 am

The 4^th annual FANtasty Race Party will be hosted by television personality Catt Sadler, recording artist and actress Christina Milian, and CNN’s ‘Morning Express’ host Carlos Diaz. Held at the historic Columbia Club on Monument circle, this event is sure to be the hottest party of the night.

Info: The Columbia Club, 121 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, IN, Tickets: $75 General Admission/$100 Moet VIP Lounge. Visit http://www.fantasy500party.com/ for more information.

Sunday, May 29 – Race Day

The Centennial Indianapolis 500

12 pm

The green flag drops

Celebrate one hundred years of history on the track as 33 drivers race for the checkered flag. Personally, I’m looking forward to the Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500 World Record Jump Attempt at 10:40 am and watching the National Anthem performed by David Foster, Seal & Kelly Clarkson during the pre-race festivities, but nothing – I mean nothing, beats the sound of those famous words and hearing the engines roar.

Info: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tickets: $30 and up. Visit http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com for more information.

Follow this event on Twitter: @IMS

We’re checking out the latest Hot Wheels® video showing the Team Hot Wheels driver’s firesuits! Have you been following along to catch all the videos in the Team Hot Wheel series? The Yellow Driver will make the World Record Jump Attempt at Indianapolis, but which driver is your favorite?

Will you be here on May 29th to witness IZOD Presents Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500? Special Hot Wheels ticket packages featuring the best views of the World Record Jump Attempt are still available by visiting IMSTix.com/HotWheels and include a $5 Retail Discount Voucher, an invitation to the Driver’s Meeting on Saturday, May 28th, and a Hot Wheels® Diecast Car Voucher!

With all apologies to Led Zeppelin, it’s been a long time since we’ve rocked and rolled at “Splash And Go.” There has been plenty of news since the North American season officially ended with the NASCAR Sprint Cup season finale Nov. 21, so it would be a bit tedious to review all of that.

Let’s just pick up with the last week or so, shall we?

The IZOD IndyCar Series season ended two months ago, but it seems that no series in America has more mojo right now than Randy Bernard and Co. The good news keeps coming and coming, putting more than a decade’s worth of acrimony due to “The Split” deeper and deeper into the rear-view mirror.

Mazda joins the party!

The Road To Indy ladder system for INDYCAR, consisting of Firestone Indy Lights, Star Mazda and USF2000, received a major boost this week when Mazda announced its title sponsorship of the program. The Mazda Road to Indy will provide scholarships to the champion of all three developmental classes to jump to the next level the next season.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. There’s no other way to describe this, on so many levels. The scholarships provide a legitimate carrot for aspiring open-wheel racers at all levels, and the addition of another manufacturer bullish on the future of INDYCAR racing is fantastic.

Combine the Mazda Road to Indy with the recently announced program to grant a Firestone Indy Lights oval program to the USAC National Drivers Championship winner, and few — if any — sanctioning bodies in the world have such a clearly defined road to the pinnacle as INDYCAR.

Team Penske continued to add sponsors to its stable, as series sponsor IZOD came on board this week. IZOD will use Penske driver Ryan Briscoe as its new poster boy, and the best series sponsor in INDYCAR history — by about 1,000 miles — already is activating both its series sponsorship and support of Briscoe through new TV commercials filmed in the desert with a live soundtrack provided by rock band Weezer. No more racing to the party, I guess. I shed no tears.

The addition of IZOD continued a hell of a capitalistic run for Penske, which also snared Shell/Pennzoil as an Indianapolis 500 primary sponsor for three-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves, AAA of Southern California as a primary sponsor for Castroneves at Long Beach and Texas and Midwestern grocery store chain Meijer as an associate sponsor for all three of its cars.

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My adventures as an intern here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have continued to be nothing short of amazing. Working here has allowed me to develop an even greater appreciation for the sport of racing, especially the IZOD IndyCar Series. Entering the historical statistics has allowed me to learn a lot of history about the series as well as the Firestone Indy Lights. The names and faces of the legends of the league fill my mind and my computer screen daily. I have grown fond of particular drivers and was especially nervous before Tony Kanaan’s final qualification attempt on Pole Day (I’m sure I was not the only one).

I have continued to soak in all that I can of the best summer job a 19 year old could ask for. The greatness of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway never ends and I keep finding more and more out that continues to excite me. If you are one of those who lives by the motto “Indiana is a boring Midwest state”,which I am guilty of, then come out for a day at IMS and your opinion will be changed.

The historical statistics project has almost been completed and when I am finished entry lists and point standings for all past IndyCar and Indy Lights races will be available on indycar.com. Photo tagging has kept me especially busy due to all the events that have recently taken place at IMS.

The real perks of the job have continued and when I found out I would be able to attend the IZOD Race to the Party celebrity event on Saturday evening I immediately volunteered. Yes, my main job would be to tag and caption photos of the celebrities but I would have a pass into the majority of the parties and would definitely get to spend time in the company of stars such as Kim Kardashian and Jewel. Vanity Fair and GQ were throwing the parties in downtown Indy. Though the Vanity Fair party was very exclusive and a challenge to gain access to, the GQ party was easier to navigate. I spent time in the VIP room and was able to have a great look at the real happenings of a celeb party. The DJ’s and bands were great, the atmosphere was fantastic, and the experience was unforgettable.

The night was great and I got to have some free time to enjoy the parties. Our photographers captured some great pictures and they are posted on indycar.com and indianapolismotorspeedway.com as well as our Flickr site. It was definitely a memorable experience and showed me that attending these kind of events and documenting them is exactly what I want to do, and journalism can lead me in that direction.

I hope you enjoyed all the Fan of the Day posts and all your time spent at IMS this May. Until my next post keep commenting, tweeting, and Facebook stalking us!

We missed highlighting a fan yesterday and our apologies! The track was closed and the entire 2010 Indianapolis 500 starting field was at ESPN and later Boston. You can follow the adventure, here. Today, the majority of the drivers were in New York making quite a splash in Herald Square, arriving at with 33 Honda’s, the two-seater IndyCar, Mario Andretti and lots of fans.

Today we’re featuring the IZOD Trophy Girl who will be attending her first Indy 500 this Sunday, rooting for all 33 drivers in the IZOD IndyCar Series and probably, deep down, hoping Ryan Hunter-Reay pulls off a win, in the IZOD sponsored car.

She’ll be in Indy this weekend, see if you can find her.

Fan of the Day - IZOD Trophy Girl

And, tomorrow is Community Day. Maybe you’ll be Fan of the Day?