The Official Blog of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Billy Boat went through some trials and tribulations before he grabbed the pole position for the 1998 Indianapolis 500.

“We crashed in practice right before qualifying,” Boat said. “I knew we had the speed, but we had some other issues. I knew we had an awesome race car.”

The pole came when the legendary A.J. Foyt gave Phoenix native Boat his shot at Indianapolis.

But mechanical problems in the race kept Boat from Victory Lane that year. But the pole was quite an achievement, and kitchen magnets featuring his picture appeared the next year.

“Any time you can see the leader with 25 laps to go, you’ll have a shot to win it,” Boat said. “We had the best car in ’98.”

In 1999, Boat finished third, his best in seven starts at Indy.

“The third behind Kenny (Brack) was a great accomplishment,” Boat said. “In the heat of the moment, you always want to win.”

Boat joined IndyCar at a time when opportunities opened up for sprint and midget drivers around the country.

“That was always my goal,” he said. “I was at the right place at the right time. I was happy to be there. I did my own team with Cary Agajanian and Mike Curb in 2001 and 2002. But for 2003, the budget was going to go from $1.8 million to $3 million, so we just couldn’t do it.”

Boat was operating an automotive exhaust business in Phoenix before he came to the Speedway.

“I started Billy Boat Performance Exhaust in 1990,” he said. “Since then, I’ve taken a more active role in the company. We work on Corvettes, Camaros and BMWs, high-end performance cars.

“My son Chad was only 8 or 9 when I was racing Indy cars, and I’ve taken an active role in his racing. Now he’s living in North Carolina. He’s going to be 21, and he’s been running some NASCAR and ARCA. He hopes to be in the Nationwide Series next year.

“My brother Mike is still here doing sales for us. My daughter Trisha works in the social media department for Chip Ganassi in Charlotte. My other two daughters, Emily, 17, and Brooke, 18, are into cheerleading, and Brooke goes to Arizona State next year.”

Boat said his IndyCar Series victories at Texas were rewarding, and he was in Victory Lane with Foyt in ’97 when a scoring question arose and Arie Luyendyk came to Victory Lane with his team to protest. A.J. promptly shoved Luyendyk into a flower bed. Through a long audit, Luyendyk was declared the winner.

But Boat confirmed something that has floated around the paddock for a long time: A.J. still has the trophy.

It was a long journey in a short time.

Coming off the fourth turn in the Silver Crown race in the 1997 Copper World Classic, veteran Chuck Gurney had the lead. But unknown Jimmy Kite jumped under him and beat him to the line for the prestigious victory.

After he got out of his car, Kite came running down the frontstretch at Phoenix International Raceway to the delight of the crowd because he was looking for Victory Lane – and didn’t know where it was.

“Before that race, no one knew about that 20-year-old kid,” Kite said, “but afterward, everyone knew.”

Six months later, he was in an Indy car at Pikes Peak. And in May 1998, he came to the Speedway in search of his first “500” berth. But it didn’t start out well.

“It was the first year they condensed the schedule,” Kite said. “We tried to get as much running as we could. I crashed three times that week, the last on Pole Day. So I had to watch my crew rebuild the race car again and it was my first Indianapolis 500, and I wanted to make a good showing.”

Even after the crashes that first year, Kite finished 11th and made four more starts in the prestigious race. He was hooked up with PDM Racing for a time, but bad luck struck again.

On Bump Day in 2002, Kite and the PDM machine were fast enough. But they got caught at the head of the line when rain came and didn’t get a chance to qualify. For three hours, pictures and video were being shot of Kite, umbrella over his head, sitting down against the right front tire of his parked race car.

His last start at Indy came in 2005. He failed to qualify in 2007 with PDM.

But Kite still has no regrets and still aspires to compete in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,”

“I’ve got five (starts) and always will,” Kite said. “I told Davey Hamilton, who was 47 at the time, I wanted to run again and I was 37, so I figured I had 10 years left. It’s not like I’m not staying in shape. If you can get around Winchester in 13 seconds, you’re ready to step in an Indy car.”

Racing the Indy 500 was one of his goals as a youngster growing up in the Midwest.

“Every year, my dad would take me to qualifying day,” Kite said. “Then he got some suite passes for Race Day. I told him, ‘No, I’ll go to the Indianapolis 500 when I’m driving in it.’

“My first impression, it was a clear day, and I came off Turn 4 thinking ‘Man, that’s a long straightaway.’ I still get excited thinking about Turn 1. You go into Turn 1, it’s a handful.”

As a rookie in 1998, he was the target of the usual pranks.

He walked into a restaurant one night and saw a bunch of people. He stopped to talk, and one of them said: “Hey, you have to go talk to those two people at the end of the table. They have a ride for you.” So Kite hurried down and approached the people. Everyone started laughing.

The two people were Dr. Richard Burmeister and Starre Szelag of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Kite has kept very busy, running with ARCA and NASCAR’s truck series on occasion as well as the USAC Silver Crown and Sprint cars. The sprinters will be his May concentration with the Little 500 at Anderson and Winchester on the schedule.

But Indy is the place for Kite, now 37.

“I’ve been the last couple years, and I’ll definitely be there this year,” he said.

The Vendor Marketplace is one of my favorite spots this weekend. It’s a chance to stroll around and check out some fashion, new motorcycle products, score some sunglasses or accessories and learn more about the motorcycle culture. Plus it’s located in Gasoline Alley. Not bad.

This year I’ve noticed a greater digital influence. As someone that works in the digital arena, this had me intrigued.

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Earlier in the summer I attended the Indianapolis 500.  On Sunday, July 31^st, 2011 the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) hosted the 18^th Annual Brickyard 400, which was the first Brickyard 400 I had ever attended. I didn’t know what to expect. I had never been to a NASCAR Race before. I wondered how the NASCAR cars would compare to open wheeled cars.

Before the race I went to the infield. We passed by the Pagoda and noticed a big crowd, so we went to see what was happening. Security blew whistles and one white van after another pulled up through the crowd of people. I saw the majority of the drivers and family members as they walked through the Pagoda to the otherside to prepare for the race. It was amazing to be so close to the drivers.

Before the race, I watched Desert Storm/Shield Veterans, Mayor Greg Ballard, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire on the winners podium. At the end of the National Anthem there was a US Navy T-45 Goshawk Jet Flyover and hundreds of red, white, and blue balloons were released into the sky. I loved hearing IMS Chairman of the Board, Mary Hulman George, say those famous words “Gentlemen, start your engines.”  I was very excited that Hope Solo, US Women’s Soccer Goalie, came to the Brickyard to drive the 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport pace car around for two laps before the start of the race.

When I was walking through the tunnel to get to our seats I put my hand on the top of the tunnel and you could feel the cars drive over your head. Every time the cars passed by your entire body shook. The NASCAR cars are definitely louder than IndyCars.

Once in our seats we watched the cars race around and pit. During the middle of the race Kyle Busch was leaving his pit while his neighbor, Tony Stewart was entering his pit. Kyle drove straight while Tony drove left into him. Both cars were damaged so they entered the pits and both pit crews took out sledgehammers and started beating the car back into shape.   The sledgehammer is definetly something you definitely don’t see in open wheel racing.

I really enjoyed the unique designs on the NASCAR cars.  My favorite car was Kyle Busch’s M&M Car.  Even the tires advertised M&Ms with the multicolored M&Ms in the center of the tires.

As the race neared the end, it was anybody’s race. After most cars pitted during the last twenty laps it was certainly unclear who was going to win it. When Jeff Gordon entered the pits he was in first place but when he came out of the pits he was in 18^th place. Nothing stopped him though. He sped past 16 drivers and landed himself in second place on the final white flag lap. Paul Menard still stood in front of him.  On turn four Gordon was close enough to catch Menard, although he didn’t pull it off. Menard came zooming across the bricks for his first NASCAR win. He drove his yellow 27 car in circles with smoke filling the air. The last five laps was pure adreneline.

I was glad to see such an exciting finish for my first Brickyard 400.

What was your first Brickyard 400 experience like?

Sunday 4:30 PM – The 2011 Brickyard 400 presented by Big Machine Records has come to a close – and the conclusion was an unforgettable one for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Paul Menard and his father John Menard. John Menard is no stranger to the IMS oval with his history in IndyCar racing. He has spent time and money on racing at this track and today his hard work paid off when he saw his son cross over the yard of bricks and win the Brickyard 400. A big congratulations goes out to Paul for his win today, and for this being his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win.

This weekend had something for everyone – and next year’s Brickyard will include even more excitement. So start counting down to the 2012 Super Weekend. 364 days to go…. – Cassie

Sunday 3:45 PM -  We’re 123 laps into the 160 lap Brickyard 400 presented by Big Machine Records.  Brad Keselowski is currently in the lead as the cars circulate under caution after a small incident on the back stretch.  Jeff Burton, Juan Pabolo Montoya, Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson round out the top 5. We stepped out of the nice cool media center to hit the beach… The Brickyard Beach Bash that is.

If you’re looking for a place to cool off the Beach Bash is the spot.  There’s pools, cool zones, beach volleyball, a bar, and the best part… LIVE MUSIC.  There’s been a DJ running all morning with dance competitions and as we speak Iyaz is on stage performing for the crowd.  If you’ve been to the Snake Pit before this is our NASCAR version of the famed turn 3 party.  Believe me when I say, it’s a sight to be seen! -Brian

Sunday 1:45 PM – The 2011 Brickyard 400 presented by Big Machine Records is off and running.  Kasey Kahne is currently out and front and looking strong (obviously, he’s my pick).   Gordon, Ragan, Kenseth, and Allmendinger round out the top 5.  It’s a beautiful day, hot, and perfect for racing.  It should be a great race as the heat will have the cars slipping and sliding all over the place.  Who’s your early pick for victory?  What about leader at half distance? – Brian

Sunday 12:30 PM - Emily and I were lucky enough to spend the morning backstage at the Big Machine Records performances. We were up close and personal with Thomas Rhett, The Band Perry, Brantley Gilbert, and Justin Moore. It was an unforgettable experience! The fans loved every minute of the concerts and we got to capture some great pictures that you can find in our Flickr photostream. As soon as Justin Moore concluded the concerts on the Brickfest stage, Rascal Flatts began to rock out on the front straight. Fans who had pre-race pit passes got an awesome 3 song set from Rascal Flatts.

We’re now awaiting Reba McEntire’s performance. The stands are filling up and the waving of the green flag will happen before we know it!

Sunday 11:28 AM – Cars are lined up on pit row. Tires are laid out. The pit stalls are ready. The green flag is inching closer. Who is your pick to kiss the bricks today? We want to know. – Daniel

Sunday 9:28 AM – NASCAR is hosting a tweetup at 10am on the Turn 2 side of the Hall of Fame museum. We’re headed that way. So is Big Machine Records. How about you Tweeps? – Daniel

Sunday 8:20 AM – It’s starting to heat up – and there’s more hustle and bustle. Fans are rolling in and the teams are starting to fill pit lane. Big Machine Records and their star studded line up of Rascal Flatts, Reba, The Band Perry and more, will get started at 9am. Cassie and Emily will be on hand to send out tweets, grab pics and report back later in the blog. In the meantime, put on some sunscreen and head this way. It’s going to be a great day of racing and music. – Daniel

Sunday 6:05 AM – It’s 6 AM and the 2011 Brickyard 400 is off with a bang, literally. Just a few hours until some of the biggest names in country music take the stage at IMS. Big Machine Records has provided a fantastic line up including The Band Perry, Justin Moore, Brantley Gilbert, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flatts, and the legendary Reba McEntire.

A salute to US troops and the Brickyard Beach Bash are other great activities planned for today. The green flag will be waved at 1 PM and one lucky driver will be given the opportunity to kiss the bricks. We’ll be blogging through all the action, so be sure to keep checking back! – Cassie

Saturday 6:15 PM - The 1st annual Brickfest was a hit – autograph sessions, an exciting round of qualifications, and a great concert by Hinder made the day quite a success. We headed out into the crowd of singing, dancing Hinder fans and searched for our Fan of the Day.

Alissa was decked out in Jimmie Johnson gear with her husband by her side dressed in Dale Jr gear and their son head to toe in Jeff Gordon attire. Alissa told us she waited in line for about an hour to get her wristband to get Jimmie’s autograph at the largest Sprint Cup autograph session of 2011. It seemed to be well worth the wait! She said the autograph session was what she was most looking forward to because she had never gotten an autograph. Alissa and her husband have attended the Brickyard 400 every year since 1998 and plan to attend next year’s Super Weekend.

Tickets go on sale for the 2012 Super Weekend on Monday, be sure to get yours as well!

Saturday 5:45 PM – Qualifying has ended and the driver wheeling the car with the paint scheme commemorating our Grand Marshal, Ned Jarrett, is on pole.  David Ragan set the fastest lap in qualifying with a lap speed of 182.994.  My choice for pole position, Kasey Kahne was just behind him in second place.

Here’s the top 10 after qualifying:

1.) David Ragan

2.) Kasey Kahne

3.) Jimmie Johnson

4.) Kurt Busch

5.) Brad Keselowski

6.) AJ Allmendinger

7.) Juan Pablo Montoya

8.) Jeff Gordon

9.) Matt Kenseth

10.) Carl Edwards

We’re off to the Hinder concert! – Brian

Saturday 3:25 PM – We caught up with Hope Solo and showed her around pit lane and Gasoline Alley. She got to rub elbows with lots of NASCAR and soccer fans, as well as meet Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon, 2nd place finisher JR Hildebrand, and NASCAR driver David Ragan. Hope talked about how excited she is to drive the pace car, driving over 100mph around IMS, being at such an amazing facility and how overwhelmingly friendly everyone has been. She’s still walking around soaking in all the excitement. – Daniel

Saturday 2:00 PM – We stepped out just a few minutes ago to check out the MASSIVE autograph session taking place in the chalet’s behind the pagoda.  Today’s autograph session is actually the largest session in the NASCAR Sprint Cup this season.  Drivers like Trevor Bayne, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon were all present for the second half of today’s two part autograph session.

After strolling through the session it was pretty obvious why fans were sprinting through the gates this morning to get in line for the wristband distribution.  It’s not too often to get to experience these drivers in a face to face atmosphere, especially this many!  It certainly was a rare experience and I’m sure many fans won’t forget anytime soon. – B

Saturday 11:30 AM – The practice session has concluded, and we took the time to check out the view from Club 94. Club 94 is ticket holders that have had tickets since the innagural Brickyard 400 – in 1994. Club 94 is located on the front straight, so it’s pretty much front row seats to all the NASCAR action all weekend long. Not to mention the food and shade from this crazy July heat. – Cassie

Saturday 10:06 AM – Practice is underway at the Brickyard. In other news, US Women’s National Soccer Team Goalie, Hope Solo will be driving tomorrow’s 2011 Chevrolet Corvette. We already know she has good reflexes. – Daniel

Saturday 9:14 AM – Another good morning. We’re ready for a massive day at the Brickyard for Brickfest. Autograph Sessions. NASCAR Qualifying. Club 94. Kids Club activities. An open Hall of Fame Museum. Hinder in concert. And it’s only Saturday. It’s also going to be a hot one – so stay hydrated and well fed. Speaking of which, Cassie and I started our day off with a breakfast sandwich. It’s no breakfast burrito, but it got the job done. What are you eating today? Daniel

Saturday 6:45 AM – Good morning!  It’s a bit damp here this morning after the late night showers we had here in Indy but the trucks are already out on the track doing laps in order to dry the track.  Today’s a big day, it’s the 1st Annual Brickfest!  We’re all looking forward to all the live music, autograph sessions, and obviously on-track activity.

There’s been quite a bit of debate here in the media center as to who will take the pole for the Brickyard 400 presented by Big Machine Records but I’m going to go with Kasey Kahne.  It’d be a big story if the week after his spectacular shunt in a World of Outlaws car he took the pole.

Who do you think will be sitting on top of the timing charts this afternoon? -Brian

Friday 5:55 PM - It’s the end of the day and we’re glad the weather held out. Tomorrow’s a big day – autograph session, qualifying with lots of track time and the Hinder concert. The Daily Trackside Report is available now, if you want a good dose of track facts and quotes. And below, we’ve got a slideshow of over 200 images from the Brickyard 400 so far. Have a great night. See you tomorrow? – Daniel

Friday 5:33 PM – It was another hot day, but it seemed much more bearable than yesterday. As practice ended, fans gathered around Gasoline Alley and Thunder Alley to cheer and jeer their favorite teams and drivers. It made me realize how loyal NASCAR fans are. Who’s your favorite driver? – Daniel

Friday 5:00 PM – The final practice session has ended concluding track activity for the day (other than the Richard Petty Driving Experience).  This session had a bit more activity as one of the cars had an engine let go.  After a yellow flag to clean up the track, we were back to green flag conditions and the practice ended with no other events.

The final top 10 ended up like this:

1.) Greg Biffle

2.) Martin Truex Jr

3.) Jimmie Johnson

4.) Casey Mears

5.) Kevin Harvick

6.) Carl Edwards

7.) Joey Logano

8.) David Reutimann

9.) Jeff Burton

10.) Brian Vickers

Tomorrow’s a big day here at IMS.  We’ve got live music all day (including Hinder!), the NASCAR Sprint Cup largest autograph session, Q&A sessions, and of course qualifying. We’ll also have an exclusive behind-the-scenes sneak peak from inside the IMS Hall of Fame museum.

We’ll be here through it all, make sure you follow along. – Brian

Friday 3:45 PM – After the first practice session concluded we headed out towards Turn 3 for the vintage car show that will be going on all weekend, and it was impressive! If you’re coming to the track this weekend, make sure to head over and check it out.

Then it was time to find the Fan of the Day! True fans hang out by the garages and that’s exactly where we found Derek. He was wearing his Jeff Gordon hat, and surrounded by his family of Tony Stewart fans. I asked him why his favorite driver is Jeff Gordon and his little sister answered for him – “because he isn’t our favorite” meaning herself and their parents. This is Derek’s 3rd year in a row at the Brickyard 400 and he can’t wait to see Jeff Gordon win this weekend!

Practice session #2 is almost over and at 5 the Richard Petty Driving Experience is taking over the IMS oval. Keep checking back to stay up-to-date on all of the Brickyard happenings. – Cassie

Friday 2:15 PM – The first practice for the 2011 Brickyard 400 presented by Big Machine Records has just concluded.  No major event to speak of as it was a caution free session.  Matt Kenseth was the fastest of the session… followed by Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, and Jeff Burton.

The next session starts at 3:15 PM ET.  We’re heading out to go find our next Fan of the Day.  So if you see us drive by be sure to scream and shout, we just might pick you! -Brian

Friday 11:30 AM – About an hour and a half ago, the 2011 Brickyard 400 pace car was unveiled. Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, and Jamie McMurray had the honor of taking the cover off of the Chevrolet Corvette. This is the 18th year in a row a Chevy has been featured as the Brickyard 400 pace car, in other words, a Chevy has always paced the Brickyard 400.

The driver of this year’s pace car is Hope Solo, the goalie of the US women’s soccer team. Racing, soccer, music, autographs – what more could you ask for in one weekend?- Cassie

Friday 11:00 AM – I was lucky enough to climb onboard one of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro pace cars and go for a spin around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Any fan who was at IMS today and took a Chevrolet test-drive in the Chevy Experience area was granted a hot lap in a Camaro or Corvette.  There aren’t very many feelings in this world like coming off turn 4 at IMS and heading down the front straight.

In the early morning the front stretch is similar to a long dark tunnel with the light at the end being turn 1.  Roaring past the Pagoda at over 120 mph is an experience every diehard race fan should have. -Brian

Friday 8:45 AM - Good morning!  The track is officially open and the 2011 Brickyard 400 presented by Big Machine Records has begun.  It’s Chevy Day and tons of exciting event are planned for today. People were seen sprinting through the gates this morning in order to get in line for the autograph session wristband give away.  Vintage cars are rolling through the gates and concession stands are providing the fans with coffee and breakfast sandwiches.

There are TONS of things going on here today.  There’s a vintage car show running the entirety of the day, autograph sessions, pace car rides and, of course, Sprint Cup practice.  We’ll also have some exclusive behind-the-scenes photos coming from an event at the IMS Hall of Fame Museum.  Stay tuned all day! -Brian

9:00 PM- The Hauler Parade was the perfect way to kick off Brickyard 400 weekend! The event was definitely successful, but we can’t say the same about our pit stop competition team. We lost first round, but it was a great time! NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Ned Jarrett & David Ragan arrived and answered questions from fans to make the evening even more exciting.

We headed home early to rest up for another day of NASCAR action tomorrow, but the Hauler Parade will continue until around 11 PM. So if you haven’t yet, head to Main Street for some great Thursday night entertainment! – Cassie

6:10 PM - Not gonna lie. It’s a hot one, but there are tons of fans on Main Street. And now they are joined by tons of NASCAR Haulers. The band is still playing and there a lots of refreshments, so it’s worth it. Up next? The pit stop challenge! Daniel

5:10 PM - Headed to the Hauler Parade! We’re competing in the pit stop competition and everything! Head to Main St and join in on the fun and check back here later for full Hauler Parade details! -Cassie

3:40 PM - It’s hot here today and when I say hot, I mean that kind of hot where it feels like your eyes are sweating.  Disregarding the heat, my colleague Cassie and I ventured out of the media center here at IMS with the goal of finding our first 2011 Brickyard 400 Fan of the Day.  The grounds are mostly filled with workers diligently building stages, kiosks, and fan entertainment zones but we stumbled across this IMS first-timer at the Hall of Fame Museum.

Tony is from Manchester, England and this weekend is his first visit to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  A self-confessed Formula 1 fan, Tony is pulling for his namesake in the 2011 Brickyard 400, Tony Stewart.  His favorite racing moment was Lewis Hamilton’s first win in Formula 1, obviously a big moment for all natives of England.  When asked which event he’d be most excited to see in 2012 at the newly announced Super Weekend, Tony was eager to return for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

We’ll be looking for fans of the day all weekend.  So keep your eyes peeled for Cassie, myself and our camera! -Brian

12:45 PM - 2012 is already looking very different with a new Super Weekend at The Brickyard. Today the IMS announced that Crown Royal will become the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday, July 29, 2012 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The announcement was even followed by a whisky tasting. So we’re off to a great start to this weekend – Daniel.

10:45 AM – The 2011 Brickyard 400 has arrived and IMS is making final preparations. We’re all set up in the media center and awaiting the exciting activities! We’ll be covering everything from crazy fans to food being made in the drivers’ garages. At about 11:30 AM today, a HUGE announcement regarding next year’s Brickyard 400 will take place! We’ll be covering it, so check back later to get full details.

If you’re sitting at home wishing you could be here then open this link: Brickyard Tickets and purchase your weekend tickets! Concerts, autograph sessions and great NASCAR racing will be lighting up the Speedway, you don’t want to miss out! Follow us on  Twitter (@IMS) and “like” our Facebook page to stay up-to-date all weekend as well! – Cassie

I’m not going to feed you a cheesy pick up line about the ‘hottest party of the summer’ or try to seduce you with Playboy’s smokin’ red headed Playmate, AJ Alexander. I’m not going to entice you with a bikini and hot body contest hosted by Colt’s punter Pat McAfee. I’m not going to tempt you with Live Nation concert tickets, and I’m certainly not going to lure you in with a headlining performance by multi-platinum R&B, hip hop and reggae fusion recording artist Iyaz.

No, I would never do those things to you.

But if by chance one or all of those things were to pique your interest, I’d be happy to tell you more. Oh – I should go on? Okay, you win.

On Sunday, July 31, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host the second annual Brickyard Beach Bash at the Brickyard 400 sponsored by RadioNOW. Beginning at 10 am, party-goers can enjoy swimming pools, beer pong, volleyball, go-go dancers, and a dance party with DJ Indiana Jones and Gabby Love. Get your picture taken with May 2008 Playboy Playmate, AJ Alexander or join in the bikini and hot body contest hosted by Pat McAfee – each winner will receive $500!

Live Nation will also be on-site giving away tickets to concerts including Kings of Leon, Incubus and the Identity Festival. Speaking of concerts, you won’t want to miss the live performance by Iyaz of his hit singles “Replay” and “Pretty Girls.” The party goes on until the checkered flag waves.

Sound good? Great.

All you need to do is be 18 or over and have any race day ticket for admission. What’s that? You want a VIP pass? Alright, lean in and read closely. Show up at one of the follow locations and find one of the IMS Street Team members. Tell them I sent you.

Wednesday, July 27: Champps (downtown) 10pm – 2am ; 350 W. Maryland St., Indianapolis, IN

Friday, July 29: Bartini’s 10pm – 2am ; 39 West Jackson Place, Indianapolis, IN

Saturday, July 30: Sensu 10pm – 2am ; 225 South Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana

2011 Brickyard 400 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 2011 Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 31 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling 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.

The Brickyard 400 is quickly approaching and while I’ll be perfectly content interning behind the scenes with the media department, it’s great to imagine what I’d be doing if I were attending as a fan. Conveniently enough, the Build Your Own Experience program allows me to do just that! Building your own experience consists of choosing different icons that represent the way you plan to spend your Brickyard 400 weekend then sharing it with your friends and family all over the web.

So I decided to dedicate a few moments of the work day to building my own Brickyard experience. It was hard to narrow down the things I would want to experience at the Brickyard 400; I didn’t want to miss out on anything!

I had finally chosen the icons that would be the perfect way for me to spend my Brickyard 400 weekend. I decided I would definitely go with a large group of friends, and we would camp out starting Thursday, the first day the camping lots open. Thursday is also the Hauler Parade. I’ve never been, but the pictures from last year’s Hauler Parade look like a great time that I would definitely want to be a part of!

On Friday, my friends and I would spend time in the infield, bring our own cooler and whip something up on the grill for lunch all while watching practice. (But just because I chose to grill out on my Brickyard 400 weekend doesn’t mean I’d pass up a Brickyard Burger at one of the concession stands)

Saturday at this year’s Brickyard 400 is something I would have to attend! The first annual Brickfest is taking place. An exciting day of qualifications and a great concert to end it all, how could anyone pass up Quals Day at the Brickyard 400 this year? I’d also spend some time around Gasoline Alley, and kiss the bricks if I got the chance!

Sunday is race day, and I chose the checkered flag icon because I can’t wait to see who wins! Any race at Indy is exciting and winning here has got to be a rush! After the race and once I got home, I’d continue to stay up to date with the Brickyard 400 and IMS events through Facebook, Twitter, and the IMS website, just as I already do.

That pretty much sums up my Brickyard experience. What would yours include? Build your own and share it with us and all of your friends! Don’t forget to purchase your 2011 Brickyard 400 tickets, can’t wait to see you there….except I’ll be seeing you through the windows of the media center while I’m hard at work…

Throughout his career, Bobby Allison has always been known as a “racer’s racer.” Even at the height of his stardom as a NASCAR stock car driver, Allison still competed at the local short tracks throughout the United States so that he kept in touch with “his people” – the grassroots race fans who idolized the leader of the “Alabama Gang.”

From the “grassroots,” Allison made it to the “hallowed grounds” by racing in the Indianapolis 500 in 1973 and 1975 for famed team owner Roger Penske. And while his NASCAR career was legendary, earning him a place in the second induction class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame this week, his time at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway did not include similar success.

“My Indy deal was not really very good,” Allison said. “Donnie’s was great, and mine was just the opposite. The first time there I blew up on the pace lap. That was a heartbreak, especially after devoting a month to it and missing three NASCAR races to get the preparation done. Two years later, Roger Penske begged me to go on back, and I gave it another try. I actually led the 23^rd lap in 1975, but then the car had all kinds of problems. It got a lap down from a bad fuel leak and I was getting my lap back at halfway, and then the engine blew up again.”

Allison’s brother, Donnie, preceded Bobby’s appearance in the Indianapolis 500. Donnie Allison finished fourth and was named Rookie of the Year at Indy in 1970. He finished sixth in 1971.

“Donnie went up there and did well, and I was proud of him,” Bobby said. “At the time, Indy-car racing was different from so many standpoints. There were several guys that wanted to run very limited schedules, and I wanted to run everywhere. There were guys who were used to getting paid a lot of money just to be there and at that time I wasn’t getting paid money just to show up. Roger Penske insisted that I run that test. At the time, I was driving for my own team in NASCAR.”

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As the eldest member and leader of the famed “Mears Gang,” Roger Mears took a unique path to the Indianapolis 500.

He actually followed his younger brother, Rick, to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In fact, Rick – who is 5 years younger than Roger — had already competed in four Indy 500s and scored one victory before Roger made the starting lineup for the 1982 500 Mile Race.

“Rick came over to Indy cars and did very, very well, and that opened the door for me,” Roger said. “I was actually headed toward stock cars and off-road at the time. I feel very fortunate that I did get the opportunity to run there for a few years. I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get to run as long or as much as I would like, but I did what I could and did what I had to work with.”

The “Mears Gang” was among the best off-road racers that ever drove through the desert, and after the 1983 CART season, Roger had the opportunity to return to off-road where he continued an impressive career.

“Some opportunities opened up for me to go off-road full time, and I felt I had a better shot at making a full-time career out of it, which I did,” Roger said. “I rode the off-road wave that took off in the early 1980s and rode it into the 1990s and had the time of my life.”

Roger Mears’ career included stock car racing in the Bakersfield, Calif., area in addition to off-road racing. Rick was a noted off-road race but branched out to Formula Fords and Super Vee racing in the 1970s. That opened the way for Rick to head into Indy-style racing.

“We raced every weekend to have fun and we just loved doing it, and all of a sudden it turned into a career, which was a dream come true for all of us,” Roger said.

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