• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

Indianapolis 500 & IndyCar Series

ScriptOhio

Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Didn’t see an Indy car thread but the 500 is important so will post this here


Remember the tire that flew over the fence during the wreck?

Indy 500 fan whose car was struck by errant tire invited to kiss the bricks​

FxQZiZaaMAAN9Wl


The 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 was a memorable event for many, not the least of whom was Indianapolis resident Robin Mathews.
In the late stages of the race Sunday, a crash involving Felix Rosenqvist and Kyle Kirkwood sent a wheel sailing over the track fence, just clearing a grandstand packed with fans.

The tire smashed the hood of Mathews' Chevrolet Cruze, which was parked in a lot next to the grandstand.
 
Updates on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (old news):

Roger Penske assumes ownership of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar​

January 6, 2020
Roger Penske assumed ownership of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series on Monday, completing a stunning acquisition that confirms Penske Corp. as the fourth owner in the Indy circuit’s history.

The deal’s financial terms were not publicly disclosed. However, discussions for the sale were said to include offers of $250 million to $300 million for the properties, sources with knowledge of the matter told the Associated Press.


As most fans return to IMS for first time since 2019, a look at renovations Roger Penske has made​

0b4931ba-3c16-44aa-b3a3-258cbcbe2411-_JGS-2020-33227-1.jpg


May 26, 2021
Outside the 10,000 fans who got to walk portions of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway grounds and sit along the front-stretch each day last fall for the Harvest Grand Prix, this month marks the first time race folks will have had a chance to lay eyes on Roger Penske’s $20 million worth of renovations since he officially took over the facility in January 2020.

Some changes will hit you immediately, like the 104-feet by 20-feet video board on the back of the Pagoda or the repainted Turn 2 suites. Others, like the thousands of square-feet of new fencing and freshly-paved asphalt and thousands of cans of paint, merely blend into the rest of the meticulousness Penske has instilled.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway touch-ups​

► 4,000 cans of paint across the facility (as of last July … many more have undoubtedly followed since) including the Turn 2 Suites and tunnel walls
► 25,000 linear square feet of new fencing – nearly two laps around the oval worth
► 400,000 square feet of newly-paved asphalt, along with restriped parking spaces and additional handicapped spots
► More than three acres of new sod
► New flags at every entrance and exit point
► Bold, fresh logos and signage for concession stands, bathrooms and directions
► Power-washed IMS Museum with a newly-fixed fountain
► Well-lit Gates 1 and 2
► New picnic tables throughout the facility
► Newly-planted trees inside and outside the gates, including ones transplanted that used to sit between Turns 1 and 2 to improve the sightlines

Technology updates at IMS​

► A 104x20-foot video board on the back of the Pagoda that will air on-track action, as well as in-depth data points for various cars on-track and other racing action when cars aren’t running at IMS
► 5G cellular data speeds from Verizon
► Ribbon boards to show the running order on all seven infield big-screen monitors
► More than 20 new video boards along the paddock seating area to give fans an additional view of the on-track action

IMS infrastructure updates​

► Widening of the track’s western border along Georgetown Road, transforming the street from four lanes to two to allow for more space for fan movement in the track’s busiest corridor
► Control of the decoration and maintenance of the Crawfordsville Road corridor leading to the track
► Massive renovation of the Brickyard Crossing Gold Course facilities
► Replacement and reinforcement of the infield course turn barriers to prepare for the Cup series cars running in August
► A Victory Podium that allows the winning driver’s car to be elevated up to the top of the lift where the driver will be given their trophy
.
.
.
continued
 
Upvote 0
Just sayin': Probably nobody has done more for "open wheel racing" in the United States than Roger Penske; it was nice to see him get another win.

Roger Penske collects 19th Indy 500 win thanks to Josef Newgarden​

 
Upvote 0
I've been to a number of Penske new track and re-opening days and he does it right... and I've been to Indy many many times in the 80s and 90s so I would like to see the 'new' venue... it needed these upgrades

If you haven't been inside NASCAR and open wheel garages you'd be amazed how spotless they are.
 
Upvote 0
Just a day later and I still think spectators were very lucky that Kirkwood's tire missed the grandstands when it flew over the fence.

Evidently it hit a woman's Chevy Cruze and damaged the driver's side fender.


She got to kiss the bricks after the race and the president of the track gave her a Camaro to drive home (loaner).
 
Upvote 0
Just a day later and I still think spectators were very lucky that Kirkwood's tire missed the grandstands when it flew over the fence.

Evidently it hit a woman's Chevy Cruze and damaged the driver's side fender.


She got to kiss the bricks after the race and the president of the track gave her a Camaro to drive home (loaner).
I followed the flight of the tire the first time I saw it, thinking that it might kill a few people in the stands. It took the announcing crew several replays before they even mentioned it, I couldn’t believe they took so long to spot it.

Indy was very lucky that the race wasn’t marred by some spectator fatalities yesterday. They need to review the system that tethers the wheels to the car.
 
Upvote 0
I followed the flight of the tire the first time I saw it, thinking that it might kill a few people in the stands. It took the announcing crew several replays before they even mentioned it, I couldn’t believe they took so long to spot it.

Indy was very lucky that the race wasn’t marred by some spectator fatalities yesterday. They need to review the system that tethers the wheels to the car.

One of the male analyst (not Dale Jr.) said it had four tethers during the broadcast and the crash tore through them (I guess). He said that was the first time he's ever saw that as well (so they do have to review safety measures, since it happened at least once).

Kirkwood's cockpit camera when he was upside down and the sparks were flying was pretty cool.
 
Upvote 0
Remember the tire that flew over the fence during the wreck?

Indy 500 fan whose car was struck by errant tire invited to kiss the bricks​

FxQZiZaaMAAN9Wl


The 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 was a memorable event for many, not the least of whom was Indianapolis resident Robin Mathews.
In the late stages of the race Sunday, a crash involving Felix Rosenqvist and Kyle Kirkwood sent a wheel sailing over the track fence, just clearing a grandstand packed with fans.

The tire smashed the hood of Mathews' Chevrolet Cruze, which was parked in a lot next to the grandstand.

Fan with vehicle damaged by Indianapolis 500 tire to get new car​

The owner of the Chevrolet that was damaged during the Indianapolis 500 by the flying tire that came off Kyle Kirkwood's car is set to get a new vehicle, according to an Indianapolis Motor Speedway spokesperson.

The spokesperson told the Indianapolis Star on Wednesday that Penske Entertainment, which owns the IMS track and the IndyCar Series, would give Robin Matthews, a race fan from Indianapolis, a new car.
 
Upvote 0
I followed the flight of the tire the first time I saw it, thinking that it might kill a few people in the stands. It took the announcing crew several replays before they even mentioned it, I couldn’t believe they took so long to spot it.

Indy was very lucky that the race wasn’t marred by some spectator fatalities yesterday. They need to review the system that tethers the wheels to the car.
Indeed that would’ve really been awful. Especially at their marquee event. Don’t get me wrong, that occurring is awful at any event, but for it to happen at the event that most people who aren’t even Indy or racing fans follow would really put a black eye on the sport.

Thankfully everyone was okay. It reminded me of a weird death that occurred at a Mississippi truck stop a few years back:

Also, in defense of the announcers, that crash was so wild it took me some time to realize that the tire flew off in the manner it did myself.

I was at the race, but on the other side of the track (near the finish line) so my view of the footage was from a bit of a distance.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
Upvote 0



"The car took off, hit the gravel and just rolled. Just glad I didn’t go over the tire wall. So glad we have the aeroscreen. I’m really thankful for IndyCar and the aeroscreen safety."

Plus that row of tires really softened that final rotation. :blush:
 
Upvote 0
Back
Top