Crain News Service report
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 30, 2013) — The IndyCar Series has a new race in an old place: As discussed recently, it will hold a points-paying event in May 2014 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) road course to kick-off Indianapolis 500 month, and the news is bound to cause a stir.
IMS has only hosted oval-track races for Indy cars since it opened in 1909. The Indianapolis 500 has been in operation since 1911, and the road course debuted with Formula 1 in 2000.
Since then, Indy has been plugging away toward this day, first bringing in NASCAR for its first Brickyard 400 in 1994, F1 in 2000, MotoGP in 2008, Grand-Am in 2012 and all the support series that have gone with them.
Now, this.
The first IndyCar road-course race at IMS is expected to be Saturday, May 10. Details regarding the time, title sponsorship, circuit direction and other items are to be announced later, some as soon as Oct. 1.
The infield portion of the road course is set to undergo refinement, in part for MotoGP's return but also to accommodate Indy cars.
"This event will bring even more energy and action to the month of May for fans and create another showcase for the diversity and excitement of the Speedway and the IndyCar Series," said Hulman & Co. CEO Mark D. Miles in a statement released Sept. 26. "The new road race will further enhance the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the premier motorsports destination in the world and direct an even brighter spotlight on the Indianapolis 500."
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This report appeared on the website of Autoweek magazine, a Detroit-based sister publication of Tire Business.
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