100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 To Start At Noon, Sunday, May 29

By J. Douglas Boles

Monday, February 21, 2011

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The 33 greatest drivers in the world will cross the famed Yard of Bricks to take the green flag for the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 at noon (ET) Sunday, May 29, 2011.

The start time has been 1 p.m. since 2006.

“With less than 100 days until the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, we are excited to finalize our start time so our fans can begin to make plans to celebrate with us at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and CEO. “Starting the race at noon gives us an additional hour of daylight to ensure we can complete all 500 miles of the race in case we were to encounter any kind of inclement weather. Noon also has the green flag waving in a time slot that is better for our West Coast viewers.

“Our fans also have told us they like an earlier starting time, and it’s very important for us to stay responsive to their vital feedback.”

The inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 started at 10 a.m. after race organizers determined that start time would allow the race to be completed by dinner time. That stood as the official starting time for the event through 1941. After a four-year hiatus due to World War II, the race resumed in 1946 with an 11 a.m. start, a time that remained unchanged for 59 consecutive races through 2004.

The start time moved to noon in 2005 and again to 1 p.m. in 2006, when Indiana began observing Daylight Savings Time.

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2011 Indy 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, “The Most Important Race in History,” on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at 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 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.