The Indy Racing League announced Dec.7 an extension of its partnership with Old World Industry's PEAK Performance Motor Oil brand. "The IZOD IndyCar Series is extremely excited to be extending its partnership with PEAK Performance Motor Oil," said Terry Angstadt, president of the Indy Racing League's Commercial Division. "Through its involvement with the IZOD IndyCar Series as well as driver and event programs, PEAK Performance has been an outstanding activator of its IZOD IndyCar Series partnership." The PEAK Performance Motor Oil partnership began prior to the 2008 season and includes the IZOD IndyCar Series' PEAK Performance Pole Award in conjunction with the brand's many retail partners, including AutoZone, O'Reilly Auto Parts and Pep Boys, among others.
PEAK Performance Motor Oil is available at more than 10,000 retail locations around the country with the series logo featured prominently on its packaging. PEAK Performance activates its IZOD IndyCar Series partnership featuring Danica Patrick via national TV, print, and radio advertising campaigns as well as in-store promotions. Additionally, the PEAK Performance Antifreeze brand serves as entitlement sponsor of the IZOD IndyCar Series annual visit to the Chicagoland Speedway.
The PEAK Performance Pole Award gives $10,000 to the fastest qualifier at each race on the schedule except for the Indianapolis 500, where it awards $100,000 for the top qualifier. In addition to the $100,000 for the Indianapolis 500 polesitter, PEAK awards $25,000 to the second-place Indianapolis 500 qualifier and $10,000 for the third-place qualifier. These top-three qualifiers make up the PEAK Performance Front Row. "The IZOD IndyCar Series is a great platform for us to showcase PEAK Performance products to both retailers and consumers," said Jerry Riccioni, vice president of automotive sales for Old World Industries, maker of PEAK products. "We could not be happier to extend and expand our partnership with the IZOD IndyCar Series allowing us to work with a quality partner that we continue to work with to build a strong presence in the marketplace while continuing to build our PEAK Performance brand."The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced Dec. 15 a streamlined schedule for the 2010 Indianapolis 500, featuring a two-week/three-weekend event schedule that provides an opening week of busy daily track activity, two pressure-packed days of qualifications and a traditional Race Week format that includes all of the pageantry of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." "We're pleased with the schedule because it provides fans plenty of opportunities to enjoy the excitement of a day at the Speedway while being responsive to the requests of our race teams," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. "We look forward to another memorable month of May in Indianapolis."
The schedule offers three full weekends of on-track action for fans while producing efficiencies for Indianapolis 500 teams and IMS. There will be 12 days of on-track action during the month of May, starting with practice for rookies and veterans on Opening Day, Saturday, May 15, and continuing through Race Day, Sunday, May 30.
Daily practice is scheduled for seven consecutive days from Opening Day, Saturday, May 15 through Fast Friday, May 21. The drama of qualifications will intensify with two days of time trials. Pole Day Qualifications are scheduled for Saturday, May 22, and the remaining spots in the 33-car field will be determined on Bump Day, Sunday, May 23. Track activity will resume Thursday, May 27, with practice for the Firestone Freedom 100 Firestone Indy Lights race. Miller Lite Carb Day is Friday, May 28, and will feature a schedule packed with the final Indianapolis 500 practice, the Firestone Freedom 100 race, the annual Pit Stop Challenge for Indianapolis 500 teams and the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert.
The 2010 Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET) Sunday, May 30.
"From a competition standpoint, the new Indy 500 schedule will further enhance the drama of qualifications for both the competitors and fans," said Brian Barnhart, president, competition and operations division for the Indy Racing League. "By setting the 33-car grid on one weekend, there's no room for mistakes by the teams and drivers. The pressure will be on to deliver over the 10 miles regardless of the weather and track conditions."
IZOD IndyCar Series and IMS officials will announce qualification format details at a later date.
The Indy Racing League announced at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Orlando, Fla. Dec. 10 the launch of "Road To Indy," a developmental ladder system that includes Firestone Indy Lights, The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda. The program is designed to advance drivers from Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda to the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear to Firestone Indy Lights, and finally, the IZOD IndyCar Series. "In creating the 'Road To Indy,' we are trying to bridge the gap between the premier open-wheel racing divisions and the entry level open-wheel series by creating a clear career path for aspiring racing drivers," said Brian Barnhart, president of competition and racing operations for the Indy Racing League.
Drivers from each of the affiliated "Road To Indy" series will have the opportunity to progress to the next level of the ladder system through participation in programs put together by each series or the Indy Racing League, which also will sanction USF2000 National Championship races.
Drivers and teams participating in the program will see added benefits almost immediately. All three affiliated series will offer the challenge of racing on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits and program participants will have the opportunity to showcase their drivers and teams in front of IZOD IndyCar Series teams and owners each year. In 2010, all three series that make up the "Road To Indy" program will join the IZOD IndyCar Series at the Streets of St. Petersburg and Iowa Speedway.
Additionally, all four series will be conducting events in Indianapolis on Memorial Day weekend with Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda and Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear racing at O'Reilly Raceway Park at the "Night Before the 500," while Firestone Indy Lights (Firestone Freedom 100) and IZOD IndyCar Series (Indianapolis 500) race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"With the 'Road To Indy,' a driver has the opportunity to hone professional racing skills at an early stage of his or her career and has a chance to build upon those skills in a professional environment while driving similar-style open-wheel racing vehicles on similar tracks at every step," said Barnhart.
In addition, the drivers and teams in the affiliated series will receive access to the promotional efforts of the Indy Racing League. Among the promotional tools available to "Road To Indy" participants are:
Inclusion in online advertising promoting the "Road To Indy" program. A micro Web site dedicated to "Road To Indy" housed and promoted on the League's official Web site, IndyCar.com. Invitation to participate in the "Road To Indy" Summit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May each year. Opportunities to develop business-to-business relationships with Indy Racing League teams, sponsors and manufacturers.
The Indy Racing League announced Nov. 25 that the city of São Paulo will host the opening event of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season, scheduled for March 14. "The arrival of the IZOD IndyCar Series confirms São Paulo's nature of staging great worldwide events. It is a gift to the citizens of São Paulo who will be able to watch up close great racecars and drivers. It is also a great opportunity for business for the city that becomes the capital of motoracing in Latin América," said São Paulo mayor Gilberto Kassab. The event marks the first IZOD IndyCar Series street race in Brazil thanks to the partnership between the Indy Racing League, the São Paulo municipality and TV Bandeirantes and BandSports. "While our primary focus continues to be building the sport of the IZOD IndyCar Series domestically, the race in São Paulo affords us a unique opportunity to visit a country that has a huge passion for open-wheel racing. With strong support from our major partner Aprex-Brasil, a significant television package from TV Bandeirantes, a large number of drivers from the country and the opportunity for a unique course, it makes sense from both a business and competition standpoint," said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division for the Indy Racing League.
The IZOD IndyCar Series has a long history of Brazilian driver participation since its founding in 1996, including this year's field highlighted by three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, 2004 IndyCar Series champion Tony Kanaan, veteran driver Vitor Meira, and up-and-coming IndyCar Series stars Raphael Matos, the 2009 Apex-Brasil IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year, and Sao Paulo native Mario Moraes. The race will be broadcast in 175 countries.
The IZOD IndyCar Series announced its 2010 broadcast schedule Dec. 1, featuring five races with long-term broadcast partner ABC and 12 races on cable television partner VERSUS. The schedule is highlighted by ABC's coverage of the Indianapolis 500 and VERSUS' extensive coverage of the final seven races of the 2010 season. "We are very excited about the return of VERSUS and ABC for the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season," said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division for the Indy Racing League. "Having two television partners during the 2009 season assisted the growth of our sport and its accessibility to fans, and we have confidence that the 2010 season will reap even bigger gains with ABC and VERSUS' enrichment of their already outstanding programming." ABC will offer high-definition broadcasts of five races in 2010 produced by ESPN, including the Indianapolis 500 May 30 for the 46th consecutive season. ABC will air the season's first domestically-run race on the Streets of St. Petersburg on March 28. The network will begin its month of May IZOD IndyCar Series coverage May 1 when it televises the series event at Kansas Speedway, the lead-in race to the Indianapolis 500. ABC finishes its 2010 coverage with the broadcasting of back-to-back events at Watkins Glen International and the Streets of Toronto in July.
VERSUS will televise the remaining 12 IZOD IndyCar Series events and will begin its in-depth and all-encompassing coverage with events from Sao Paulo, Brazil and Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama - two new events on the 2010 schedule. VERSUS' live race coverage will continue following the Indianapolis 500 with the Texas Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway telecasts. VERSUS concludes its 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series coverage with the final seven races on the schedule, including the season finale, for the second consecutive year, at Homestead-Miami Speedway Oct. 2. All 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series events on ABC and VERSUS will be produced and shown in high definition where available.
