THE Championship Track - Homestead

Homestead-Miami Speedway
THE Championship Track
Mar. 5-6
Oct. 1-2
Nov. 19-21
Homestead-Miami Speedway: THE Championship Tracksm
March 5-6: Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
Oct. 1-2: IZOD IndyCar Series Championship Weekend
Nov. 19-21: NASCAR’s Ford Championship Weekend
Doing It Again in 2010: Homestead-Miami Speedway is the only venue ever to host all of
North America‘s premier motorsports Championships, and we‘re doing it again in 2010 as THE
Championship Track will be the site of both the IZOD IndyCar Championship (Oct. 1-2) and
NASCAR‘s Ford Championship Weekend (Nov. 19-21). Homestead-Miami Speedway also
hosts the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series‘ ―Grand Prix of Miami‖ on March 6.
Kids FREE: Kids 12 & under are admitted FREE to five of the seven races (NASCAR, IndyCar,
Grand-Am). For tickets and information on all events at Homestead-Miami Speedway, please
call (866) 409-RACE or visit THEChampionshipTrack.com.
Media Contacts:
Jay Rand – Senior Director of Consumer Marketing & Public Relations
[email protected] - (305) 230-5233
Edward Williams - Public Relations Manager
[email protected] - (305) 230-5229
Homestead-Miami Speedway
1 Speedway Blvd - Homestead,
33035
(305) 230-5000 - THEChampionshipTrack.com
CHAMPIONSHIP BROADCAST COVERAGE:
Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series - March 5-6
March 6/Saturday: Grand Prix of Miami - SpeedTV - 5 pm
IZOD IndyCar Series Championship Weekend - Oct. 1-2
Oct. 2/Saturday: Firestone Indy Lights Championship Finale - Versus TV - TBD
Oct. 2/Saturday: IZOD IndyCar Series Championship Finale - Versus TV - 6 pm
● Radio: 610 WIOD-AM, Sirius 211/XM 145
Ford Championship Weekend - Nov. 19-21
Nov. 19/Friday: Camping World Trucks Ford 200 Championship Finale - SpeedTV - 8 pm
Nov. 20/Saturday: Nationwide Ford 300 Championship Finale - ESPN2 TV - 4:30 pm
Nov. 21/Sunday: Sprint Cup Ford 400 Championship Finale - ESPN TV - 1 pm
● Radio: 100.3 WCTH-FM, 99.9 WKIS-FM (MRN affiliates), Sirius 128
THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRACKsm - ORGANIZATION & LEGACY:
Homestead-Miami Speedway is one of 13 motorsports facilities operated by International Speedway
Corporation (ISC), a leading promoter of motorsports activities. In addition to its racing facilities, ISC
owns and operates MRN Radio, the nation's largest independent sports radio network; the Daytona
500 Experience, the "Ultimate Motorsports Attraction" and official attraction of NASCAR; Americrown
Service Corporation, a provider of catering services, food and beverage concessions, and
merchandise sales; and Motorsports Authentics, a producer/marketer of motorsports-related
merchandise licensed by NASCAR competitors.
● Groundbreaking:
Aug. 24, 1993
● Opening:
Nov. 3, 1995
● First Race:
1995 Jiffy Lube Miami 300 - Nov. 5, 1995 - won by Dale Jarrett
● Lap Record:
IndyCar: Sam Hornish Jr. - 24.462 seconds - 218.5 MPH
NASCAR: Jamie McMurray - 29.816 seconds - 181.11 MPH
Grand-Am: Darren Law - Brumos Racing 1:11.806 - 115.311 MPH
THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRACKsm - ECONOMIC IMPACT
Homestead-Miami Speedway Operations and Events*…
● Contribute an overall annual impact of more than $250 million to the South Florida community
● Create more than $106 million dollars in annual labor income
● Generate more than $18 million in annual tax revenue to state and local government
● Create more than 3800 jobs annually
● Account for more than 423,000 out-of-town visitor days per year
● ISC generates $2.3 billion in annual statewide economic benefit via Homestead-Miami, Daytona
International Speedway, the Daytona 500 Experience and ISC‘s corporate headquarter facilities
*Economic Impact Study was conducted by the Washington Economics Group, Inc. (WEG) under the leadership of
former U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, Dr. J. Antonio Villamil. The study was conducted
during a 10-month period in 2007 and utilizes the IMPLAN model analyzing both the direct and indirect statewide
benefits of an economic producer.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRACKsm - HISTORY:
When Hurricane Andrew paved a path of destruction directly through the heart of Homestead in
1992, the city strategized to revitalize the shattered South Florida community with a race track.
Homestead-Miami Speedway opened for business in November 1995, with the NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series and Nationwide Series the first to run on track.
In 1999, the facility nearly doubled its seating capacity to 65,000 seats with a massive expansion of
the Turn 1 grandstands. In the fall of 1999, Homestead-Miami Speedway hosted its first NASCAR
Cup Series event with the Pennzoil 400. Two years later, the Indy Racing League made its debut at
Homestead-Miami Speedway, with the Indy 300. In 2002, Homestead-Miami Speedway was
awarded the series-crowning Ford Championship Weekend to host the Championship finales for the
NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.
In 2003, the track underwent massive track configuration to transform its six-degree flat-banked
corners to the most technologically advanced speedway ever designed. This computer-aided design
resulted in progressive variable banking of 18-20 degrees in the turns.
In 2005, the Speedway completed its Turn 1 Tower, featuring private suites and its new Champions
Club premium-level seats. And in 2009 Homestead-Miami Speedway became the first venue ever to
host all of North America‘s premier motorsports Championships: the IndyCar, Grand-Am Rolex
Sports Car and Firestone Indy Lights Series during the NextEra Energy Resources SpeedJam
Championships; and NASCAR‘s Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series during
Ford Championship Weekend.
In the fall of 2009, Homestead-Miami Speedway debuted a brand new, state-of-the art scoring tower
featuring the most advanced technology available in motorsports. The new leader board stands 158
feet above sea level and features tilted video panels tailored to the layout of Homestead-Miami
Speedway. A 90-feet-tall, 16-feet-wide scoring pylon supports two LED displays (14x14 feet)
providing fans unprecedented illustration of all the on-track action, as well as series points standings.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRACKsm - AMENITIES:
► Tower Suites: 16 climate-controlled club level suites (32 seats each) located high above Turn 1.
►Champions Club: Climate-controlled Turn 1 club area available for private rental accommodates
850 people and offers buffet, full bar, plasma TVs, outdoor chair-back seating and private elevator.
►Infield Media Center – This 18,000 square-foot two-story media facility constructed in late 2008
accommodates more than 200 press work stations and also features a drivers‘ meeting room with
seating for an additional 150 people. The media center also houses private interview rooms, an 80seat media lounge and large-format closed-circuit TVs throughout featuring video feeds and stats.
MATT BECHERER - PRESIDENT, HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
Ten years after his first job in racing was rescinded before he made it to Day 1 in the office,
Matthew Becherer took the reins of one of motorsports‘ most prestigious tracks when he was
named President of Homestead-Miami Speedway, in December 2009.
Becherer joined Homestead-Miami Speedway from Richmond International Raceway (RIR), where
as Vice President of Marketing he oversaw all aspects of advertising, promotions, public relations
and ticketing related to NASCAR, IndyCar, and USAC Sprint and Silver Crown races. He also
managed facility rentals, shows and events that kept RIR active upward of 50 weekends each year.
Becherer earned a Bachelor of Science in Packaging from Michigan State University in 1994 and
attained a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the Moore School of Business at the
University of South Carolina in 1999. While working toward his MBA, he attended his first NASCAR
race at Bristol Motor Speedway with his father.
―That was the first time that I was able to sit in the stands, listen to a driver scanner and understand
the marketing power associated with racing,‖ Becherer said. ―Here I was getting a graduate degree
in business with an emphasis on marketing, and this NASCAR thing was exploding right before my
eyes. You always hear people say ‗Do something you love,‘ and I had discovered my passion.‖
Although Bristol was his first NASCAR race, Becherer was consumed by motorsports at an early
age while following sanctioned racing that included the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), the
Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and Championship Auto Racing Teams (―CART,‖ prior to being
absorbed by the IndyCar Series).
―When I was 8 years old, I was jumping from track to track to watch racing with my dad,‖ Becherer
said. ―All my friends were going to baseball and football games, but I couldn‘t get enough racing.‖
That passion intensified, and while other MBA holders prepped for interviews at investment
banks and consulting firms Becherer sent resumes to race tracks and sanctioning bodies
throughout the country—more than 150 in total.
―If they had anything to do with racing, they got something from me,‖ said Becherer. ―The pressure
was on, and I needed to find a job with graduation just three weeks away.‖
Becherer received just one positive response to his campaign: an opportunity to interview with
Penske Motorsports. The interview was a success, and he accepted a verbal offer to join the
marketing department at North Carolina Speedway. (Continued on next page)
Just days after accepting the job offer, however, Penske was acquired by International Speedway
Corporation (ISC). As part of the acquisition, a hiring freeze was implemented and his offer
rescinded. Becherer recalled it as ―the worst missed opportunity of my life.‖
Fate took another turn in the coming days when an exception was made to push the hire through,
and Becherer was given just two days to trek from Ohio—where he had taken refuge in the
apartment of then-girlfriend Joanne—to North Carolina prior to the Penske-ISC deal going official.
After a year-and-a-half at North Carolina Speedway, Becherer served a two-and-a-half year stint as
Director of Marketing for Darlington Raceway before joining Richmond International Raceway,
where he ascended to Vice President of Marketing.
―That was an amazing stretch for me,‖ Becherer recalls of his time prior to relocating to South
Florida with now-wife Joanne and daughter Lola. ―I learned a lot about the industry, the role of a
promoter and working with the sanctioning bodies—really, all of the mechanical nuts and bolts of
our industry.‖
Homestead-Miami President Matt Becherer on…
“Motor City” Upbringing: ―If you‘re born in Detroit, everything revolves around the automotive
industry— it is genetically part of you. There‘s just a car culture there, and cars have always been
a part of my life. Racing is an extension of that.‖
The Fans: ―It‘s more than a ticket and a race result: It‘s about making memories for the fans. We
are facilitating something much more powerful than what most businesses can do; we can play a
role in the way that friends and families share experiences.‖
Pooling Resources: ―I want to leverage the collective resources of the community, the sponsors
and the sanctioning bodies to make our events bigger than they already are— with the central
theme being fan satisfaction.‖
The “Stakeholders”: ―We have plenty of stakeholders in this business but none bigger than the
fans—their investment is not only financial but emotional. We will let the fans tell us what our
guiding principles should be. A constant dialogue with the fans will allow us to come away with not
what we deem a successful race weekend, but what they deem a successful race weekend.‖
Matthew Becherer is available to media by request. Please contact Jay Rand,
Homestead-Miami Speedway Director of Public Relations, at (305) 230-5233 or via
[email protected].
Homestead-Miami Speedway will host the 2010
IndyCar and NASCAR Championship Finales –
earning the moniker THE Championship Track.
Homestead-Miami Speedway has played host to
NASCAR events since 1996 and became the
home of Ford Championship Weekend in 2002.
The Premier Club in the Chalet Village provides a
unique pre-race experience featuring a VIP lounge,
catered food and celebrity/driver appearances.
Race-day excitement at THE Championship Track
begins long before the Green Flag waves; a PreRace Track Pass allows fans to explore Pit Road.
Pit Road Box Seats are a fan favorite, providing
spectators an up-close view to both the on-track
racing (front) and the garage/paddock area (rear).
The Speedway Club offers a panoramic view,
covered concession areas, chair-back seating, and
private elevator access and restrooms.
For exclusive hospitality, group and corporate options, please call (305) 230-5000.
Skybox Suites offer guests an extraordinary view
of Homestead-Miami Speedway, along with amenities including chair-back, fresh-air outdoor seating.
Skybox Suites provide a stellar view of the Start/
Finish Line from eight stories above the track.
Fans can enjoy a buffet and air-conditioned areas.
High atop Turn 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway,
the Champions Club provides fans a stellar view of
THE Championship Track and ultimate luxury.
The exclusive Turn 1 Champions Club offers THE
Championship Experience: Buffets, indoor (a/c)
and outdoor seating, two full bars and plasma TVs.
In the fall of 2008, Homestead-Miami Speedway
completed construction on a state-of-the-art, twostory 18,000 square-foot Infield Media Center.
Both IndyCar and NASCAR fans can enjoy their
favorite drivers competing for the Championship
under the lights at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
For exclusive hospitality, group and corporate options, please call (305) 230-5000.
“SPEEDWAY T-n-T & CAR SHOW” EXHIBITION EVENT:
Friday Nights Live as Homestead-Miami Speedway aims to curb illegal street racing
Law enforcement and advocacy groups long have sought safe alternatives to combat the rise of
illegal street racing on South Florida roadways, and in June 2009 Homestead-Miami Speedway
answered the call by launching its ―Speedway T-n-T & Car Show,‖ providing car enthusiasts an
opportunity to ―Test ‘n Tune‖ street-legal vehicles in a controlled environment on a 1/8-mile course at
THE Championship Track.
Guests of ―Speedway T-n-T‖ are also invited to catch the action from the Garage Suites overlooking
the 1/8-mile course along Pit Road, as well as showcase their vehicles in a car-club environment in
the very garages that house NASCAR, IndyCar and Grand-Am Champions. All types of street-legal
vehicles are welcome and on display.
Homestead-Miami Speedway hosts ―Speedway T-n-T‖ under the Friday night lights year-round from
6 pm to 12 am/midnight. For more info, call (305) 230-5374 or visit THEChampionshipTrack.com.
For an entry fee of $20, street-legal vehicles are invited to compete
on a 1/8-mile course along Pit Road at THE Championship Track.
Entry is just $15 for the T-n-T car show at which enthusiasts can
show off their rides in the Homestead-Miami Speedway infield.
FAQs: SPEEDWAY T-n-T CAR COMPETITION & EXHIBITION EVENT:
►How does Speedway T-n-T differ from “drag racing”?
Speedway T-n-T is designed to allow competitors an opportunity to ―Test ‘n Tune‖ their vehicle‘s
performance in a controlled environment on a 1/8 th mile course along pit road.
►What kinds of vehicles can run the course at Homestead-Miami Speedway?
Street-legal cars and trucks with valid vehicle registration and driver‘s license.
►How often do you host Speedway T-n-T?
Speedway T-n-T happens every Friday night from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m./midnight (weather permitting).
►What is the Speedway T-n-T entry fee?
There is a $20 fee to compete, $15 to display and $10 to spectate. Children 12 and under are $5.
►How many times will drivers be allowed to run the course?
The entry fee allows for as many runs as possible, based on demand (weather permitting).
►Any age restrictions on Speedway T-n-T?
No one under 18 will be allowed to compete during the Speedway T-n-T.
►Any equipment/wardrobe requirements?
Competitors must wear sleeved shirts, pants and closed-toed shoes (no shorts, tank tops, sandals).
►What else should attendees know in advance?
1) Cars may not run air conditioning during competition (to avoid a/c water drips)
2) Rid trunk of loose items
3) Windows must be rolled up
4) Seat belts must be worn at all times
5) No passengers in vehicle
6) No alcohol consumption
7) Valid vehicle registration and driver‘s license required on site
►Are spectators welcome? If so, from where can they watch the action?
From a bird‘s-eye view of premium elevated garage suites overlooking the 1/8 th-mile course.
►Is there a timing system in place for Speedway T-n-T at Homestead-Miami?
Homestead-Miami Speedway has installed a new "Christmas tree" starting device and a laser timing
system which provides competitors with a detailed statement of elapsed time, reaction time and
overall performance, including brand new T-n-T display scoreboards.
►Are refreshments available?
Homestead-Miami Speedway offers concessions for sale (burgers, hot dogs, chips, candy, soda).
►How about a little more information?
Give us a call at (305) 230-5374 or visit THEChampionshipTrack.com.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRACKsm - BY THE NUMBERS:
1.5:
Length (in miles) of the oval
2:
Number of tunnels that lie below sea level; the back tunnel is the southernmost tunnel in the
continental United States and large enough to hold two tractor-trailer trucks
2.23:
Length (in miles) of the road course
3:
The degree of banking on the straight-aways
14:
The number of turns on the HMS road course
18-20: Degrees of variable progressive banking in the turns
30:
Number of stalls in the Garage Area (space for 120 cars)
33:
Miles of safety cable around the circuit (long enough to stretch from Miami to Ft. Lauderdale)
55:
The width (in feet) of the track
153.5: The height (in feet) of the new state-of-the-art infield scoring tower
600:
Acres that comprise the property size
750:
Number of television monitors
1300: Number of RV parking spaces
1760: Feet on the front and back straights
1900: Length (in feet) of pit road
65000: Capacity of grandstand seating
THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRACKsm - RACE WINNERS:
Series
Year
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
NASCAR
Sprint Cup
Denny Hamlin
Carl Edwards
Matt Kenseth
Greg Biffle
Greg Biffle
Greg Biffle
Bobby Labonte
Kurt Busch
Bill Elliott
NASCAR
Nationwide
Kyle Busch
Carl Edwards
Jeff Burton
Matt Kenseth
Ryan Newman
Kevin Harvick
Kasey Kahne
Scott Wimmer
Joe Nemechek
NASCAR Camping
World Trucks
Kevin Harvick
Todd Bodine
Johnny Benson
Mark Martin
Todd Bodine
Kasey Kahne
Bobby Hamilton
Ron Hornaday
Ted Musgrave
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Jeff Gordon
Joe Nemechek
Jeff Burton
Andy Houston
Mike Wallace
Rick Crawford
Max Papis
Greg Moore
Michael Andretti
Joe Nemechek
Kevin Lepage
Dale Jarrett
Kenny Irwin, Jr.
Dave Rezendes
Geoff Bodine*
Michael Andretti
Jimmy Vassar
N/A
IndyCar/CART
Dario Franchitti
Scott Dixon
Dan Wheldon
Dan Wheldon
Dan Wheldon
Sam Hornish, Jr.
Scott Dixon
Sam Hornish, Jr.
Sam Hornish, Jr.
(*) indicates that Geoff Bodine won an exhibition, non-points race
THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRACKsm – CHAMPIONS CROWNED:
Series
Year
2009
NASCAR
Sprint Cup
Jimmie Johnson
NASCAR
Nationwide
Kyle Busch
NASCAR
Camping World Trucks
Ron Hornaday Jr.
2008
Jimmie Johnson
Clint Bowyer
Johnny Benson
2007
Jimmie Johnson
Carl Edwards
Ron Hornaday Jr.
N/A
2006
Jimmie Johnson
Kevin Harvick
Todd Bodine
N/A
2005
Tony Stewart
Martin Truex Jr.
Ted Musgrave
N/A
2004
Kurt Busch
Matt Kenseth
Tony Stewart
Martin Truex Jr.
Brian Vickers
Greg Biffle
Bobby Hamilton
Travis Kvapil
Mike Bliss
N/A
2003
2002
IZOD IndyCar Series
Dario Franchitti
N/A
N/A
N/A
THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRACKsm - FLORIDA COMPETITOR CONNECTIONS:
While NASCAR‘s roots are in the North Carolina foothills and Indianapolis serves as home to the
IndyCar Series, many drivers and crewmembers call Florida home (N=Native/R=Resident):
NASCAR
NAME
Mark Martin
Mike Skinner
Kenny Francis
Joe Nemechek
Juan Pablo Montoya
Alan Gustafson
Scott Lagasse Jr.
David Reutimann
TEAM
Driver, Hendrick Motorsports,
Sprint Cup Series
Driver, Randy Moss Motorsports,
Camping World Truck Series
Crew Chief, Richard Petty Motorsports,
Sprint Cup Series
Driver/Owner, NEMCO Motorsports,
Sprint Cup Series
Driver, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing,
Sprint Cup Series
Crew Chief, Hendrick Motorsports,
Sprint Cup Series
Driver, CJM Racing,
Nationwide Series
Driver, Michael Waltrip Racing, Sprint
Cup Series
FL CITY
Daytona Beach/R
Daytona Beach/R
Jacksonville/N
Lakeland/N
Miami/R
Ormond Beach/N
St. Augustine/N
Zephyrhills/N
IndyCar Series
NAME
Ryan-Hunter Reay
Helio Castroneves
Tony Kanaan
TEAM
Andretti Autosport
Team Penske
Andretti Autosport
FL CITY
Boca Raton/N
Coral Gables/R
Key Biscayne/R
Marco Andretti
Andretti Autosport
Miami/R
Milka Duno
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Miami/R
Raphael Matos
Luczo Dragon Racing
Miami/R
Vitor Meira
A.J. Foyt Racing
Miami/R
Mario Moraes
KV Racing Technology
Miami/R
Dan Wheldon
Panther Racing
St. Petersburg/R
FLORIDA COMPETITOR CONNECTIONS:
Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
NAME
Tim Lewis
Jim Matthews
Doug Peterson
Dion Von Moltke
Sylvain Tremblay
Barry Ellis
TEAM
Autohaus Motorsports
Bob Stallings Racing
Racer‘s Edge Motorsports
Starworks Racing
SpeedSource
Ranger Sports Racing
FL CITY
Boca Raton/N
Boca Raton/R
Bonita Springs/R
Coral Gables/R
Coral Springs/R
Ft. Lauderdale/N
Joseph Safina
Autometrics Motorsports
Ft. Lauderdale/R
Mike Borkowski
Stevenson Motorsports
Miami Beach/R
Chapman Ducote
Alegra Motorsports
Miami Beach/R
Terry Borcheller
Action Express Racing
Hialeah/N
Butch Leitzinger
Brumos Racing
Homestead/N
Shane Lewis
Autohaus Motorsports
Jupiter/R
Daniel Graeff
Autometrics Racing
Miami/R
Oswaldo Negri
Michael Shank Racing
Miami/R
Russ Oasis
The Racer‘s Group
Miami/R
Andy Pilgrim
Fall-Line Motorsports
Miami/R
Jeff Segal
SpeedSource
Miami/R
Ryan Dalziel
Action Express Racing
Orlando/R
John Pew
Michael Shank Racing
Palm Beach/N
Lawson Aschenbach
Compass360 Racing
Palm Beach/R
Guy Cosmo
Spirit of Daytona Racing
Palm Beach/R
David Haskell
SpeedSource
Plantation/R
Joe Jacalone
Gotham Competition
St. Augustine/N
THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRACKsm - SANCTIONING BODIES:
►NASCAR: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is America‘s foremost
stock car racing organization and the No. 1 spectator sport in the United States. Since its inception
in 1948, NASCAR has grown monumentally from its roots in the sand at Daytona Beach and the
foothills of the Carolinas to sanction more than 1200 races annually at 100 tracks in 39 states.
NASCAR's top three divisions are the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. The
Sprint Cup Series begins every season with the running of the Daytona 500 and visits tracks across
the country while competing on both oval tracks and road courses. The Sprint Cup features the most
popular drivers in motorsports, including Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie
Johnson. NASCAR also sanctions series outside of the United States, including the Canadian Tire
Series and Mexico‘s Corona Series, while also having hosted international exhibition races for the
Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. In 2004, NASCAR introduced the Chase Championship format to
its Sprint Cup Series, creating a 10-race playoff for the series Championship, which is annually
crowned at Homestead-Miami Speedway. NASCAR tours nationally across the United States and is
broadcast in more than 150 countries in 120 languages via partners including FOX, TNT, ESPN,
ABC and Speed TV. More: NASCAR.com
►The IZOD IndyCar Series: The IndyCar Series is the country‘s premier open-wheel racing circuit
and is sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. In 2010, the Series will 17 races on a mixture of
road/street courses and oval tracks, and IndyCar Series cars are famed as the models that race at
the Indianapolis 500. The Series features such recognizable drivers as Helio Castroneves, Danica
Patrick, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay. The IndyCar Series
exclusively uses Honda engines and Firestone tires while running a Dallara Automobili chassis. The
league has been racing since 1996. In 2008, the IndyCar Series merged with the Champ Car World
Series (formerly CART) to create a unified series for American open-wheel racing. More:
IndyCar.com
►Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series: GRAND-AM's Rolex Sports Car Series began its 11th
season of competition in 2010 and has established itself as the most competitive professional roadracing series in North America. Via road-course layouts in the infield of oval tracks such as
Homestead-Miami Speedway, Grand-Am has made ―stadium road racing‖ a standard. The series
features two classes of cars racing on the track at the same time, making for exciting passing and
on-track strategy. The events are unique in that they are ―timed‖ races of two hours, 30 minutes, with
the car leading at the 2:30 mark declared the winner. The Grand-Am Rolex Series features
recognizable competing drivers including Oswaldo Negri, Memo Rojas, Scott Pruett and ―Grey‘s
Anatomy‖ star Patrick Dempsey. The series also often features notable drivers from other series and
in 2010 welcomed IndyCar Series drivers Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and Justin Wilson. NASCAR
drivers Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart and A. J. Allmendinger among others
have competed in GRAND-AM‘s Rolex 24-Hour Race at Daytona. More: Grand-Am.com