Northern Light IRL: Indy Racing Awards Ceremony Scheduled for September 17 at Texas
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
July 22, 2001INDIANAPOLIS, Saturday, July 21, 2001 - The annual Indy Racing Awards Ceremony will take place Sept. 17 at The Speedway Club at Texas Motor Speedway, league and speedway officials announced July 21.
The event, which salutes the teams and drivers of the Indy Racing Northern Light Series, comes one day after the season finale, the Chevy 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The highlight of the evening is the presentation of the Northern Light Cup and $1-million bonus to the championship-winning team and driver.
Festivities will start with a reception at 7 p.m. (CDT). The ceremony program will start at 8 p.m., followed by a post-event concert at approximately 10 p.m. The event will be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on ESPN2, with air time and date to be announced later.
"The entire Indy Racing community is excited about having our annual awards ceremony at Texas Motor Speedway," said Tony George, Indy Racing League president and CEO. "There have been many exciting Indy Racing memories at Texas since our first race there in 1997, and this will add to that legacy."
The Speedway Club is a nine-story, $35-million structure just outside Turn 1 of the 1.5-mile oval at Texas Motor Speedway. It is a full-scale complex offering a state-of-the-art health club, five-star private dining, business conference facilities and more. The architectural design of the Speedway Club is unique, with a 200-foot crystal tower that overlooks the speedway in grand style, reflecting the quality of the club's elegant decor.
"It is an honor for Texas Motor Speedway to host the Indy Racing awards banquet this season," said Eddie Gossage, executive vice president and general manager of Texas Motor Speedway. "It is appropriate for the Indy Racing Northern Light Series to celebrate its most successful season ever at the second home for Indy Racing, Texas Motor Speedway. We anticipate that it will be a truly special event."
The reception will take place in the multilevel Speedway Club Starlight Room Restaurant, which features three-tiered seating and a dance floor, custom wood paneling and an elegant rotunda lobby.
Following the reception, the festivities will move into The Texas Ballroom for the ceremony program. The 13,000-square-foot ballroom accommodates 1,000 guests and features a window wall of glass that reaches 26 feet to the ceiling and provides a breathtaking view of Texas Motor Speedway. Twenty-four 6-foot chandeliers imported from Italy illuminate the ballroom.
The host of the program will be named at a later date. The cocktail-attire event is by invitation only.
Text provided by Paul Kelly
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