Carpenter, Mann Visit IMS Kids Club Christmas Event
December 06, 2011 | By Tom Surber
INDIANAPOLIS, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011 – IZOD IndyCar Series drivers Ed Carpenter and Pippa Mann enjoyed an afternoon of holiday fun Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during a special Christmas event with the IMS Kids Club.
The Kids Club is an exclusive group in which members get their very own “Kid-ential” and access to fun activities during IMS race weekends and throughout the year. Club members receive access to exclusive events, fun contests, cool prizes and special discounts. For more information on the IMS Kids Club, including how to become a member, visit IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com/KidsClub
Carpenter, winner of the 2011 Kentucky Indy 300 and an eight-time Indianapolis 500 starter, announced recently he will drive for his new IndyCar team in 2012, sponsored by Fuzzy’s Ultra-Premium Vodka. Carpenter and his daughter, Makenna, had fun at the Kids Club event with Santa Claus and everyone on hand.
“It’s just me and Makenna here today, but it’s a really good event,” he said. “It’s great to see a good turnout and a lot of race fans getting together, and our cousins are here, so it’s a good, fun holiday atmosphere.”
As an IZOD IndyCar Series team owner for the first time in 2012, Carpenter has been busy and is anticipating the 2012 season.
“Things are moving along very well,” he said. “We’re coming up on a month since we started the team and made the announcement, so we’ve made a lot of progress from what we’ve done this past month. We’re about on pace with where we wanted to be. There’s a lot more to happen in the next month, and we should be getting our new car and there’s a lot of work to be done, but I’m really happy with the team we’re building.”
Mann became the first British woman to drive in the Indianapolis 500 when she placed 20th at the 100th Anniversary edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” last May.
A kid at heart, Mann enjoyed herself at the afternoon’s Kids Club event, signing autographs and meeting families.
“Like most racing drivers, I have a mental age of about 5, so I’ve had a fantastic time,” Mann said. “This is right on my wavelength.”
The 2011 season was Mann’s first in the IZOD IndyCar Series after a successful tenure in Firestone Indy Lights. The year was quite a learning experience.
“One of the big things I learned this year is how hard it is as a rookie to try to just jump in for a few races,” she said. “So we’re really, really focused on trying to get me out there full time in 2012, and boy, I hope it happens. We’re still trying to put a deal together. I’m extremely hopeful that I’m going to hear good news in the next few weeks, and if I do that would be great because then we can start talking to teams in seriousness.”
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2011 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 96th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 27, 2012 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. 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 be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2012 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.