Anticipation continues to grow for the IndyCar Series’ race debut at Circuit of the Americas on March 24. Fans can get a sneak preview of the action when INDYCAR conducts its Spring Training test sessions at the sparkling permanent road course in Austin, Texas, in February.
The track will be open to fans on Tuesday, Feb. 12., the first of the two days of testing featuring all full-season IndyCar Series entries and a few part-time entrants. Admission is free for those who have purchased tickets to the INDYCAR Classic race weekend, set to be the second event on the 2019 schedule, from March 22-24. Admission to the test day is $20 for anyone yet to purchase a race weekend ticket.
To buy tickets to the test day or to the INDYCAR Classic, visit http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com/indycar-spring-training.
For the Feb. 12 test day, the INDYCAR paddock will be open to spectators as well as the Main and Turn 1 grandstands. General admission areas in Turn 1 and in the esses through Turn 5 will also be available for viewing as IndyCar Series drivers and teams prepare for the 17-race season. Free parking will be available in Lot A, with gates open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. ET.
Villeneuve, Dallenbach among IMS Hall of Fame nominees
Four legendary names – including Jacques Villeneuve, the 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner and season champion, and Wally Dallenbach Sr., a longtime Indy car driver and official – are nominees for induction to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame ballot.
Joining them on the ballot are seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt and NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett. The selection committee of nearly 150 media and racing officials will vote on the Class of 2019 inductees, who will be announced on March 20. The official induction ceremony takes place at the annual Hall of Fame/IMS Oldtimers Club dinner on May 23.
Dallenbach competed in 13 Indianapolis 500s and made 180 Indy car starts from 1965-79, winning five times. He nearly won the 1975 Indianapolis 500. After leading 96 of the first 161 laps, he was forced out by a burned piston, and less than 15 minutes later the race was halted by rain.
Dallenbach’s greatest contributions to racing came in his role as chief steward for every CART-sanctioned event from 1981-2004. He is known not only for his fairness as “referee” but for directing many safety advancements in the sport.
Canadian-born Villeneuve, the son of late Formula One ace Gilles Villeneuve, turned heads at the 1994 Indianapolis 500 by finishing second and earning Rookie of the Year honors. Despite a two-lap penalty early in the 1995 race, he stormed through the field and won, then took the 1995 CART championship as well.
Villeneuve moved to Formula One in 1996 and narrowly finished second in the championship to teammate Damon Hill. He dominated the 1997 season with 10 pole positions and seven wins en route to the title.
Only two other drivers have won the Indianapolis 500, CART championship and F1 championship: Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi.
Nearly 20 years after he lost his life in a tragic last-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt remains one of the most beloved figures in racing history. At Indianapolis, he amassed an impressive record at the Brickyard 400 in just seven starts: five top-10 finishes and a popular win at the rain-delayed 1995 race with Richard Childress Racing.
Jarrett earned his first Brickyard 400 victory in 1996 and repeated in 1999 (the same year he won the Cup Series championship). He is also credited, along with his Robert Yates Racing crew chief, Todd Parrott, for starting the tradition of kissing the IMS yard of bricks after winning the race in 1996.
Zac Brown Band to perform at IMS Firestone Legends Day
Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band will headline the Firestone Legends Day concert on Saturday, May 25 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one day before the 103rd Indianapolis 500.
The concert, which also will feature additional acts to be announced, starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on the Firestone Stage inside Turn 4 of the IMS oval. Tickets are on sale now at IMS.com, by calling 800-822-INDY or 317-492-6700, or by visiting the IMS Ticket Office. General admission tickets start at $35 until March 1. A limited number of Concert Pit tickets are available starting at $75, and a very limited supply of exclusive VIP Deck tickets are available for $250.
All concert tickets include admission to the concert and all Legends Day presented by Firestone activities, including autograph sessions with current and past Indianapolis 500 drivers, the 103rd Indianapolis 500 public drivers' meeting, historic race car laps and more.
Rock legends Foreigner and funk, R&B and pop icons Kool & the Gang were previously announced to perform at the Miller Lite Carb Day concert on Friday, May 24, with the electronic music lineup for the Snake Pit presented by Coors Light to be announced soon.