Brickyard 400 events calendar
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| Jimmie Johnson leading Brickyard 400 |
The Brickyard 400 presented by Big Machine Records.com Race Week is packed with activities, both at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. From July 29-31, the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will practice, qualify and race on the famous 2.5-mile oval at IMS.
All events on Friday, July 29 through Sunday, July 31 at IMS are free for Brickyard 400 ticket holders that day, with the Hauler Parade on Thursday, July 28 in downtown Speedway, Ind., free for everyone.
Fans are encouraged to plan their routes to the track in advance and arrive at the track early. Gates open at 8 a.m.
Here is a calendar of the great events and features of action at the Speedway during the Brickyard 400 that make it one of the most exciting and prestigious events on the annual NASCAR schedule:
Thursday: Hauler Parade and Festival. NASCAR fans can get an up-close view of Sprint Cup Series "haulers" – the large, colorful trucks carrying the stock cars competing in the Brickyard 400 – at the third annual Hauler Parade and Festival on Thursday, July 28 on Speedway's Main Street. The event will take place from 5-10 p.m. Great live music is included, with R&B dance band The Toy Factory and country rock band KJ and the Jester Kings. A parade of more than 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series haulers is expected to arrive at 6 p.m. in Speedway, led by the 2011 Brickyard 400 Pace Car and a special grand marshal leading the parade. The haulers will park in two lines on Main Street, between 10th and 15th Streets. Meeting and greeting fans will be NASCAR personalities, including legendary NASCAR champion Ned Jarrett and Miss Sprint Cup. An array of NASCAR race cars also will be on display. Children will be entertained at a Kid Zone from 5-7 p.m. A media pit stop competition, featuring local on-air personalities, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Friday: Chevy Day at the Brickyard. Fans can enjoy autograph and question-and-answer sessions with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars, tour the Team Chevy Racing Display, look at race cars on display and test drive 2011 Chevy vehicles during the annual Chevy Day at the Brickyard on Friday, July 29 at IMS. Many Chevy NASCAR drivers, including Brickyard 400 winners Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Jamie McMurray, fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. and many more, will sign a limited number of autographs and participate in fan Q&A sessions at specific times between 10 a.m. and noon. Fans must first obtain a wristband starting at 8 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza to receive a driver autograph. Chevrolet also is supporting Cell Phones for Soldiers by providing locations at the display for drop boxes. Cell Phones for Soldiers raises money through the collection of gently used cell phones, and has provided since 2004 more than 1 million pre-paid calling cards and 60 million minutes of calling time to soldiers overseas.
Friday: Practice. All of the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, including multi-time Brickyard 400 winners Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr., will be on the famous IMS oval for two hours, 30 minutes Friday afternoon, July 29. Practice sessions are scheduled for 1-2:15 p.m. and 3:15-4:30 p.m.
Friday-Sunday: Thunder Alley. All fans can feel the rumble and hear the roar of 800-horsepower NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars Friday, July 29 through Sunday, July 31 in the new Thunder Alley, located in IMS MotoGP garages 9-12. This great location puts fans in a covered location at track level adjacent to pit lane, bringing them closer than ever to the action.
Friday-Sunday: Vintage and Stock Car Show. Some of the most iconic cars in NASCAR history and a fabulous collection of rods, customs and muscle cars will be on display Friday July 29 through Sunday, July 31 at IMS. The Brickyard 400 Vintage and Stock Car Show will give fans the rare opportunity to take pictures and interact with the vehicle owners and restorers of a fabulous collection of Superbirds, Ford Talladegas and other cars from NASCAR's past. One of the NASCAR classic cars that will be on display will be the No. 7 1970 Plymouth Superbird driven by Ramo Stott to top-10 finishes in the 1970 Daytona 500 and Talladega 500. Another special car on display will be the Holman Moody No. 98 Ford Torino that was owned and driven by the legendary Benny Parsons to 1968 and 1969 ARCA championships. Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, the world's largest rod and custom association, will display more than 100 American-made rods, customs, classics, trucks, street machines and muscle cars.
Saturday: Big Autograph Session. The largest driver autograph session of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is scheduled for Saturday, July 30 at IMS for Brickyard 400 Race Day ticket holders. Drivers will be split into two groups, signing in pairs from noon-12:45 p.m. and 1-1:45 p.m. at Pavilion 1A and 1B, adjacent to the Pagoda Plaza. Among the drivers signing will be past Brickyard 400 winners Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Jamie McMurray, fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. and many more. Brickyard 400 ticket holders can obtain an autograph session wristband at 9 a.m. Saturday at Pavilion 1A and 1B. Fans can choose from the pairing of drivers they wish to receive autographs, with a maximum of 150 wristbands allotted per driver pairing. Only one wristband will be distributed to each ticket holder, first come, first served. Gates open at 8 a.m., and fans are encouraged to arrive early.
Saturday: Brickfest. Brickyard 400 qualifying and a concert by chart-topping hard rock band Hinder will be the featured attractions Saturday, July 30 at the inaugural Brickfest. The day will feature a similar format to the popular Miller Lite Carb Day held annually before the Indianapolis 500. Brickfest activities will roar to life from 10-11:30 a.m. with a practice session featuring all of the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Brickyard 400 qualifying will take place from 2:10-4:30 p.m., followed immediately by the Hinder concert on the main stage in the IMS infield. Track admission for Brickfest, which includes the Hinder concert, is just $15, with kids 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult.
Saturday: IMS Kids Club Event. IMS Kids Club members and their families are invited to attend a special Kids Club event Saturday, July 30 during Brickyard 400 practice and qualifying. The event will take place on Legends Row near the famed Gasoline Alley. Kroger will provide lunch, with Flying Cupcake providing dessert to all Kids Club members and their families. Entertainment will be provided by a face painter and a balloon artist, with additional race-related activities. Open to all youngsters 12 and under, the IMS Kids Club gives young fans the opportunity to receive a welcome kit that includes a welcome message from a driver, a Kid-ential membership card and lanyard, a mini autograph pen, a T-shirt, an IMS lunch bag with school supplies and a Mattel Hot Wheels car. Newcomers to the IMS Kids Club also receive a one-time, 10-percent discount for IMS merchandise online or in-store, $10 off IMS Junior Garage Credentials (kids 9-12 only) for the Indianapolis 500, discounts and special offers from Kids Club Partners, invitations to seven special Kids Club events throughout the year and much more. Membership is just $25 per child. To join the IMS Kids Club, visit www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/kidsclub.
Saturday: Practice, Qualifying. There will be more than 3½ hours of on-track action Saturday, July 30 at IMS, as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars will practice from 10-11:30 a.m. and qualify for the coveted pole position at 2:10 p.m. There have been 14 different pole winners in 17 previous editions of this race, so expect a surprise or two on the front row.
Sunday: Big Machine Artists Perform Live. Event presenting sponsor Big Machine Label Group is bringing some of the top superstars in country music, including Reba, Rascal Flatts, Justin Moore and The Band Perry, to IMS on Sunday, July 31 for more than 2½ hours of live Race Day performances. Rascal Flatts will play a pre-race mini concert, partially broadcast on ESPN, before singing the national anthem. The legendary Reba will sing "America The Beautiful." Both performances will take place near the famed Yard of Bricks on the front straightaway, with great seats available in the Paddock Penthouse to see both performances. Justin Moore, The Band Perry, Brantley Gilbert and Thomas Rhett are performing sets from 9-11:45 a.m. on the infield stage inside Turn 2, near the IMS Hall of Fame Museum. All performances are included with Race Day admission.
Sunday: Brickyard Beach Bash. Fans looking to stay cool during the hot action of the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 31 can enjoy the fun and excitement of the Second Annual Brickyard Beach Bash in Turn 3 of the IMS infield. All Brickyard 400 Race Day ticket holders can enjoy the Beach Bash, which is quickly becoming one of the biggest and best parties in Indy. Hosting the festivities at the Beach Bash will be May 2008 Playboy Playmate of the Month AJ Alexander, and headlining the event will be multi-platinum R&B, hip hop and reggae fusion recording artist Iyaz, who will perform his hit singles "Replay" and "Pretty Girls." Additional highlights of this year's Brickyard Beach Bash will include a Bikini & Hot Bod Contest, a sandy beach with swimming pools, a dance party with music provided by popular DJs Indiana Jones & Gabby Love, Live Nation ticket giveaways to hottest concerts of the year, including Kings of Leon, Incubus and the Identity Festival, go-go dancers, beer pong, volleyball and more.
Sunday: Family Fun Area. Entertainment for youngsters of all ages will be featured in the all new Family Fun Area presented by FamilyTime Entertainment on Sunday, July 31. Located adjacent to Turn 2 in the IMS infield, the free Family Fun Area will feature a stage on which five different shows will take place throughout the day. Performers will include face painters, balloon artists, stilt-walking jugglers, a strolling magician and a caricature artist. A Make-A-Puppet activity also will be available to children participating in the Family Fun Area. Children 12 and under will receive free general admission to the Brickyard 400, including the Family Fun Area, when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.
Sunday: Military Salutes. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will continue its long-standing tradition of honoring the United States military during pre-race ceremonies. A 20th anniversary celebration honoring U.S. military veterans who served in Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield, during which Coalition forces drove Saddam Hussein's Iraqi troops out of Kuwait in 1991, will feature a parade lap with 86 Desert Storm veterans riding in 43 Chevrolet Silverado pick-up trucks. Prior to the race, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard – a Desert Storm veteran – will deliver a speech honoring the U.S. military. Representatives of all five branches of the U.S. military will join Ballard on stage. An additional group of more than 180 Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield veterans from 38 U.S. states will participate in other patriotic pre-race ceremonies that pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the American military during this conflict. As part of its highly popular "Give a Veteran a Piece of The High Life" program, Miller High Life Beer is joining with IMS to honor Iraq War veterans. Following driver introductions on Race Day, each of the 43 drivers in the Brickyard 400 field will climb on the back of a Chevrolet Silverado and be joined by an Iraq War veteran for a ceremonial lap around the famed 2.5-mile IMS oval. The traditional pre-race flyover will feature four U.S. Navy T-45 Goshawks, land-based training jet aircraft.
Sunday: The Race. Forty-three of NASCAR's best drivers will race 400 miles for one of the most prestigious victories in NASCAR when the 2011 Brickyard 400 presented by Big Machine Records.com gets underway at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 31. Only the best win this event, as 14 of the 17 Brickyard 400 races have been won by a past, reigning or future NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.
Tickets: Tickets for the 2011 Brickyard 400 presented by Big Machine Records.com are on sale now.
Race Day ticket prices start at just $30, with Friday general admission $10 and Saturday general admission $15.
Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Children 12 and under will receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.