Northen Light IRL: Fans flood Indy Racing Online during Phoenix race
Posted By Terry Callahan
Contributing Editor, The Auto Channel
March 20, 2001INDIANAPOLIS - The number of race fans visiting IndyRacing.com reached record numbers during the three-day Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, with Internet-savvy fans creating more than 7.5 million hits.
Sunday was the top day with more than one million page views before, during and after the race, which was won by Sam Hornish Jr., competing in only his ninth race in the Indy Racing Northern Light Series.
"These are incredible numbers, topped only by the Indianapolis 500," said Fred J. Nation, vice president of corporate communications and public relations for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "On Friday, the practice day, we had more visitors to IndyRacing.com than the entire month of March 2000. While we have been expanding steadily, the rate is now increasing exponentially."
Nation noted that Indy Racing's news updates were the most popular pages visited this weekend, followed by live timing and scoring and the photo galleries.
"This marks a change from when timing and scoring and photos were the top two features, and it indicates an increasing trend that our fans come to IndyRacing.com for their news," said Nation.
IndyRacing.com recently introduced a new page design that is more efficient and adaptable. It loads quickly and also is formatted for reception by personal digital assistants and cellular phones.
"We are very proud of what our Online Services Department has accomplished, along with the media staffs of the Indy Racing League and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway," said Nation. "Not only is it good for our fans, it is providing an excellent platform for advertisers who want to reach Indy Racing fans, one of the premier demographic groups sought by many marketers."
IndyRacing.com will be adding several more features in coming weeks, including audio updates from events, video streaming and the ability to deliver information WAP-enabled devices (such as web phones, palm pilots and pagers).
The next race for the Indy Racing Northern Light Series is the Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway on April 8. It will be broadcast on the ABC television network at 2 p.m. (EDT). The 85th running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race is scheduled for Sunday, May 27, at noon (EDT) on ABC.
Text provided by Paul Kelly
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit
The Racing Photo Museum and the
Visions of Speed Art Gallery.