Shortly after this year’s first Indianapolis MotoGP practice started Friday, Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Jeff Belskus
said the
two sides had agreed to a one-year contract extension that will bring the event back for a fourth year in 2011.
The National Hot Rod Association has had to go into fuel conservation mode during the recent economic downturn, but the California-based
drag racing series seems to have come through the recession in better shape than many of its motorsports brethren.
National Biofuels Distribution LLC, a subsidiary of Carmel-based Telamon Corp., signs two distribution contracts to expand
its distribution reach. The company began marketing its ethanol-based racing fuel, Ignite, about a year ago.
MZD Advertising is stepping outside the realm of traditional agency work to grow its revenue stream. In the process, it’s
attempting to bring a new form of auto racing to Indianapolis.
Motorsports insiders think the Brickyard 400’s declining fortunes will hasten the Hulman-George family’s decision
on the future of the Indy Racing League, which the NASCAR race has helped subsidize.
The Lakeville-based company won a victory in the antitrust case brought by Pittsburgh-based Specialty Tires of America,
which objected to exclusive contracts for the supplying of racing tires.
Three days after witnessing the smallest Brickyard 400 crowd in the race's 17-year history, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
CEO Jeff Belskus said he intends to cut ticket prices for about 75 percent of fans at next year's race.
With Jamie McMurray's victory in the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, owner Chip Ganassi claimed the first
team triple crown
in American auto racing: winning the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same year.
The win was huge for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, which this time last year was struggling to prove the team was stable and capable
of competing for wins. On Sunday, Chip Ganassi became the first team owner to win the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard
400 in the same season.
Financial terms of the deal were not released, but motorsports business experts said it was a six-figure deal.
An agreement with the International Motorsports Industry Show will keep it in the city indefinitely. Attendance for the three-day
December convention is expected to top 20,000.
The racing company’s only operations outside of Italy could create more than 80 new jobs in the Indianapolis area.
Racing insiders say Dallara and Lola are frontrunners to become the new Indy Racing League chassis providers.
Avis will take an active role in promoting the series through e-mail campaigns, displays at select airports, and other large-scale
promotions, company officials said.
Ruling prevents industry-certification group from breaking contract with Brownsburg-based company founded by Bill Simpson.
Franchitti’s earnings were part of an overall purse of $13,592,815. The paychecks were announced at the annual victory dinner
Monday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Formula One, which hasn’t conducted a U.S. race since 2007 in Indianapolis, plans to return to the United States in 2012 with
an event at a new track in Austin, Texas.
Race organizers, trying to save money and pump new life into Indy’s old qualifying format, have shaken up the status quo.
Ratings for the first three races of the 2010 season have grown 67 percent over last year.
Bill Simpson’s Impact Racing LLC reached an agreement Thursday with an industry-certification group that will allow the company
to continue selling race car safety gear made this year and last.
