RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP NOTEBOOK

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 – Reigning Miss America Kirsten Haglund, a native of Farmington Hills, Mich., will sing the national anthem before the start of the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sunday, Sept. 14 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Haglund, who will celebrate her 20th birthday on Red Bull Indianapolis GP Race Day, was crowned Miss America 2008 on Jan. 26 at Las Vegas. She is pursuing a bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theatre at University of Cincinnati with the goal of establishing a career on Broadway. As part of her duties as Miss America, Haglund also serves as National Goodwill Ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Haglund’s presentation of the national anthem will be part of a pre-race schedule of activities leading up to the start of the inaugural MotoGP World Championship race at IMS, scheduled for a 3 p.m. start. Three other races also are scheduled: the Red Bull Riders Cup at 10:25 a.m., the 125cc class at noon and 250cc class at 1:15 p.m.

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Red Bull Indianapolis GP television, radio coverage to feature Schwantz, Ward: The inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP will receive live national television coverage by NBC Sports from 3-4 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Sept. 14.

The NBC broadcast team for the event will include veteran motorcycle racing play-by-play announcers Ralph Sheheen and Robbie Floyd, and color commentary by 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz.

The IMS Radio Network will also provide in-depth coverage of the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP with a preview show/qualifying wrap-up from 3-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 and race coverage from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14.

In Indianapolis, WIBC-FM 93.1, the flagship station for the IMS Radio Network, will offer live coverage from the Speedway from 8 a.m. to the end of the race.

The IMS Radio Network on-air crew will be comprised of familiar names from the network’s Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series coverage: Mike King, anchor; Donald Davidson, historian; Dave Wilson and Kevin Olson, pit reporters; and Jerry Baker, Bob Jenkins, Jake Query and Mark Jaynes, turn announcers.

Legendary AMA motocross champion and 1997 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Jeff Ward joins the team as a rider analyst.

Ward, who was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2006, was the first rider to win every major AMA motocross national championship. He followed with a successful career in the IndyCar Series, with one victory and 27 top-10 finishes in 61 starts. He won the AMA Supermoto title in 2004 and 2006 and the X Games Supermoto title in 2006 and 2008.

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Club hospitality still available: A limited number of hospitality packages for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP remain available for purchase. The Red Bull Indianapolis GP Club offers large or small groups of fans an entertaining and comfortable space to take in the events of race weekend.

Packages cost $460 per person and are valid Sept. 12-14. Amenities include a three-day general admission ticket, infield motorcycle parking, and access to the Club hospitality area containing catering, air conditioning and closed-circuit television monitors. For $510, fans receive the same package and an upgrade to a reserved seat in the Corner 9 grandstand.

Spaces can be reserved in the Red Bull Indianapolis GP Club by Monday, Sept. 8. To obtain more information about the Club and purchase packages, contact the IMS Sales department at (317) 492-6750 or e-mail sales@brickyard.com.

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Online magazine: The sights and color of MotoGP are captured in “09/14/08,” a digital magazine all about the Red Bull Indianapolis GP available for free at www.redbullindianapolisgp.com.

The 16-page, full-color magazine includes stories and vivid photos of the MotoGP superstars who are competing in the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 12-14 at IMS. Feature subjects include five-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi, the race for the world title between Rossi and reigning World Champion Casey Stoner, the history of motorcycle racing at IMS, American MotoGP superstar Colin Edwards and more.

“9/14/08” features a unique online format so the magazine reads like a conventional print publication but also includes embedded, easy-to-access multimedia, such as video and a track map.

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Red Bull Indianapolis GP Official Program: The Official Program for the Red Bull Indianapolis GP is packed with feature stories profiling the current and former stars of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, motorcycling history and MotoGP technical information – a perfect balance for the casual fan or the die-hard enthusiast.

The 192-page book includes profiles on full-time American MotoGP riders Nicky Hayden, Colin Edwards and John Hopkins, plus up-and-coming 18-year-old American 125cc rider Stevie Bonsey. Historical pieces cover the motorcycle racing in 1909 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the story of legendary motorcycle and Formula One World Champion John Surtees.

A full weekend schedule, team rider rosters, handy, pocket-sized rider spotter guide and a lap of the 2.621-mile IMS road course with two-time AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies will get fans prepared for the weekend.

The Red Bull Indianapolis GP Official Program retails for $10 and will be available at the IMS Official Trackside Gift Shops located around the track race weekend, at the year-round gift shop locations in the Hall of Fame Museum, and online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.

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Bike pays tribute to famed 1953 Vukovich Indy 500 winner: It’s no secret that Cycle World Magazine Editor-in-Chief David Edwards has a passion for motorcycles, given his line of work, but he also has a deep interest in Indianapolis 500 history.

His love of both has come together in a beautiful custom Triumph motorcycle that carries the legendary colors of Bill Vukovich’s 1953 Indianapolis 500-winning Fuel Injection Special. The Kurtis Kraft Offy-powered car that Vukovich drove to a dominating 3.5-minute victory carried a striking battleship-gray paint scheme with a red circle serving as background for a yellow No. 14, all of which receive tribute on Edwards’ motorcycle.

The customized bike, featuring a 1947 Tiger 500 engine placed in the frame of a Triumph 350cc 3T, is Edwards’ way of paying homage to California native Vukovich, who won back-to-back “500’s” in 1953-54, and led the race in 1955 when he was tragically killed in an accident.

In addition to the paint scheme, Edwards’ Triumph carries authentic Indianapolis 500 “gold badge” credentials from 1953 and 1954, and the leather seat carries the word “Vukie” and the famed IMS Wing and Wheel logo.

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Red Bull Indianapolis GP tickets: Tickets are on sale for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 14, 2008.

Three-day tickets can be purchased either online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time; on the phone by calling (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or (317) 492-6700 locally between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday; or visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office on the first floor of the IMS Administration Building at 4790 W. 16th St. in Indianapolis from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Single-day general admission tickets will be available at the gate Friday, Sept. 12 and Saturday, Sept. 13. The one-day tickets are $10 each Friday and $20 each Saturday. These tickets only can be purchased at the gates with cash.