CELEBRATE IMS CENTENNIAL ERA WITH A 2009 GROUNDS TOUR

INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, January 19, 2009: At a venue where history has been made for a century, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Hall of Fame Museum will in 2009 set a record for the most behind-the-scenes Grounds Tours in a season.

The Museum’s popular Grounds Tour, which provides a great opportunity to entertain family, friends or clients with a 90-minute tour rich in IMS history and landmarks, will take place on a record 68 days in 2009. Tickets are available now.

This year also marks the start of the Speedway’s Centennial Era celebrations, marking the 100th anniversary of the Speedway’s founding in 1909 and the 100th anniversary of the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.

Knowledgeable Hall of Fame Museum staff members serve as hosts for the Grounds Tours, providing customers with a narrated historical journey through the decades at the “Racing Capital of the World” along with visits to notable IMS landmarks normally open only to officials, drivers and teams during events.

Grounds Tour guests will visit the timing-and-scoring suite in the Bombardier Learjet Pagoda, the Media Center, Victory Podium, Gasoline Alley garage area and the world-famous “Yard of Bricks” at the start/finish line.

Guests also will tour the Hall of Fame Museum and enjoy a ride around the famed 2.5-mile IMS oval in one of the Museum’s comfortable tour buses, culminating with an opportunity to stop at the “Yard of Bricks” and pose for photographs.

2009 Grounds Tours get underway in March and continue on select weekdays and weekends through Thanksgiving weekend. Tours are scheduled to depart from the Hall of Fame Museum four times per day on scheduled tour days: 9:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. (ET).

The Hall of Fame Museum is located in the IMS infield, just inside the main gate (Gate 2) off 16th Street. Tickets for the tour also include admission to the Museum and are $25 for adults, $10 for youth ages 6-15 and free for children age 5 and younger. Cash, travelers’ checks, personal checks, Visa or MasterCard are accepted for Grounds Tour tickets.

Grounds Tour tickets and information are available by contacting Mary Geiss at the Hall of Fame Museum office at (317) 492-6747 or mgeiss@brickyard.com. Tickets also will be available for purchase at the Museum, but space is limited and tours often sell out.

Special arrangements can be made for groups of 20 persons or more on dates other than those scheduled for Grounds Tours. Call the Hall of Fame Museum office at (317) 492-6747 for details.

2009 IMS HALL OF FAME MUSEUM GROUNDS TOUR SCHEDULE
(Dates subject to change)



Thursday, March 12
Friday, March 13
Saturday, March 14
Sunday, March 15
Friday, March 27
Saturday, March 28
Sunday, March 29

Friday, April 3
Monday, April 6
Saturday, April 11
Thursday, April 23
Friday, April 24
Saturday, April 25

Saturday, May 30
Sunday, May 31


Sunday, June 7
Friday, June 12
Sunday, June 14
Saturday, June 20
Sunday, June 21
Friday, June 26
Saturday, June 27
Sunday, June 28
Monday, June 29
Tuesday, June 30

Wednesday, July 1
Thursday, July 2
Friday, July 3
Saturday, July 4
Sunday, July 5
Monday, July 6
Tuesday, July 7
Wednesday, July 8
Thursday, July 9
Friday, July 10
Saturday, July 11
Sunday, July 12
Monday, July 13
Tuesday, July 14
Saturday, July 18
Sunday, July 19
Wednesday, July 29
Thursday, July 30
Friday, July 31

Saturday, Aug. 1
Sunday, Aug. 2

Saturday, Sept. 5
Sunday, Sept. 6
Monday, Sept. 7
Saturday, Sept. 12
Sunday, Sept. 13
Monday, Sept. 14
Tuesday, Sept. 15
Wednesday, Sept. 16

Saturday, Oct. 17
Sunday, Oct. 18
Monday, Oct. 19
Tuesday, Oct. 20
Wednesday, Oct. 21
Thursday, Oct. 22
Friday, Oct. 23
Saturday, Oct. 24
Sunday, Oct. 25

Thursday, Nov. 5
Friday, Nov. 6
Saturday, Nov. 7
Friday, Nov. 27
Saturday, Nov. 28

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2009 IMS tickets: Established in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long prevailed as an icon of motorsports excellence. Beginning in 2009, the Speedway celebrates its Centennial Era, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the facility in 2009 and the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2011.