Indianapolis Raceway Park and ESPN 950-AM

INDIANAPOLIS (May 16, 2005) Indianapolis Raceway Park and ESPN 950-AM are pleased to announce that for the second year the radio station will broadcast all 2005 USAC races at IRP starting with the 60th Annual Coca-Cola Night Before the 500, Midget series race on May 28th. ESPN-950 will also air the June 9th Thursday Night Heat, Sprint Car race and the August 4th J. D. Byrider 100 Silver Car race during the Kroger SpeedFest.

“We at the station try to look for as much local programming as possible,” said Greg Rakestraw, production director at ESPN 950. “When we can be a part of an event with such a rich history as the Coca-Cola Night Before the 500 it is a win win situation for the both of us.”

“We feel this will be a tremendous benefit to the fans that attend the race and those who aren’t able to make it to the track,” said Ron Anderson, general manager of Indianapolis Raceway Park. “With the station airing the race, fans across the state will be able to hear the exciting racing action from IRP.”

The Coca-Cola Night Before the 500 is a month of May racing tradition with past winners including A. J. Foyt, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and the 2004 winner Ron Gregory. Drivers scheduled to appear are Bobby East, Dave Darland and Dave Steele.

Tickets for the Coca-Cola Night Before the 500 are on sale now and IRP is proud to once again offer reserved seating for the race. The cost for the reserved seats will be $25.00 per person and general admission seats will remain at $20.00. Children 12 and under are free with a paying adult. Tickets may be purchased at the IRP box office, any Ticketmaster location or by calling 317-291-4090.

One of five drag racing facilities owned and operated by the National Hot Rod Association, IRP was built in 1960 and has presented organized racing events since 1961. From March through October, the facility hosts more than 120 dates of racing on three tracks, a quarter-mile drag strip, a .686-mile paved oval and a 2.5-mile road course. Home to drag racing’s biggest event, the NHRA U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend, the drag strip runs more than 50 days of point-to-point action, from national events to street legal community programs. The oval track draws racing’s biggest events, including annual visits from the NASCAR Busch, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and three annual USAC races. The road course provides a home for several racing sanctions, such as SCCA, while providing an ideal resource for driving schools, corporate outings and open-road tests for professional drivers.