Celebrate IMS Centennial Era With A 2009 'Grounds Tour'

INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, Jan. 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,    April  3        Saturday,  May 30
Friday,    March 13        Monday,    April  6        Sunday,    May 31
Saturday,  March 14        Saturday,  April 11
Sunday,    March 15        Thursday,  April 23
Friday,    March 27        Friday,    April 24
Saturday,  March 28        Saturday,  April 25
Sunday,    March 29

Sunday,    June  7         Wednesday, July  1         Saturday,  Aug.  1 
Friday,    June 12         Thursday,  July  2         Sunday,    Aug.  2
Sunday,    June 14         Friday,    July  3
Saturday,  June 20         Saturday,  July  4
Sunday,    June 21         Sunday,    July  5
Friday,    June 26         Monday,    July  6
Saturday,  June 27         Tuesday,   July  7
Sunday,    June 28         Wednesday, July  8
Monday,    June 29         Thursday,  July  9
Tuesday,   June 30         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,  Sept.  5        Saturday,  Oct. 17         Thursday,  Nov.  5
Sunday,    Sept.  6        Sunday,    Oct. 18         Friday,    Nov.  6
Monday,    Sept.  7        Monday,    Oct. 19         Saturday,  Nov.  7
Saturday,  Sept. 12        Tuesday,   Oct. 20         Friday,    Nov. 27
Sunday,    Sept. 13        Wednesday, Oct. 21         Saturday,  Nov. 28
Monday,    Sept. 14        Thursday,  Oct. 22
Tuesday,   Sept. 15        Friday,    Oct. 23
Wednesday, Sept. 16        Saturday,  Oct. 24
                           Sunday,    Oct. 25

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.

Tickets for the three events in 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ­ the 93rd Indianapolis 500, 16th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and second Red Bull Indianapolis GP ­ can be ordered online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time.

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