Roadster Era To Be Celebrated on Legends Day at IMS

1960 Rathman Ward duel

Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil will be celebrated through a variety of activities on Legends Day Honoring the Roadster Era presented by Firestone on Saturday, May 26 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

One of the most beloved car styles in "500" history will enter the spotlight on center stage just one day before the sleek, new-look Verizon IndyCar Series car makes its highly anticipated debut in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" on Sunday, May 27.

Activities on Legends Day Honoring the Roadster Era presented by Firestone include a roadster display and track laps by many roadsters. Drivers in roadsters won every Indianapolis 500 from 1953-64 on Firestone tires.

Many star drivers secured their legend with Indianapolis 500 victories in roadsters, including A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Bill Vukovich and Rodger Ward. Chassis designers and builders such as Quin Epperly, Frank Kurtis, Eddie Kuzma, Lujie Lesovsky and A.J. Watson also became iconic figures in the history of the race due to their roadster creations during this era.

"Few race cars of the Indianapolis 500 created more magical memories and nostalgia than the roadsters," IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. "The race reached an even higher level of interest due to the epic races by these evocative machines and the legendary names that drove and built them.

"We can't wait to celebrate this cherished era in May on Legends Day Honoring the Roadster Era with an incredible array of activities for fans of all ages. I know the camera on my phone will get a workout May 26!"

AJ Foyt rookie 1958

Additional awareness of Legends Day Honoring the Roadster Era presented by Firestone will be created by three displays of roadsters facilitated by the IMS Museum. Roadsters can be seen in April and May at the Indianapolis International Airport, and one of the magical cars also will be displayed in the Fan Midway in the infield at IMS during the INDYCAR Grand Prix and practice and qualifying days for the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. Roadsters also can be viewed from May 24-26 at the IMS Museum's Historic Racing Exhibition, located under large tents just to the east of the Museum.

Legends Day Honoring the Roadster Era presented by Firestone is one of the most action-packed days in the Month of May at IMS. Besides the activities honoring the Roadster Era, autograph sessions with the full starting field for the 102nd Running of the race and with Indianapolis 500 legendary drivers are scheduled, along with the traditional Public Drivers Meeting at 10:30 a.m.

General Admission is $10, with children 15 and under admitted free with an adult ticket holder.

Grammy Award nominee and multi-platinum superstar Sam Hunt will headline the Firestone Legends Day Concert at 3:30 p.m., with Canaan Smith and Filmore serving as opening acts. A General Admission ticket for the concert, which includes Legends Day admission, is $40, with children 3 and under admitted free to the concert with an adult ticket holder.

Visit IMS.com for more information about Legends Day Honoring the Roadster Era presented by Firestone and the Firestone Legends Day Concert. Visit indyracingmuseum.org for more information about the IMS Museum and the Historic Racing Exhibition.