Final practice, air demonstrations and music acts round out schedule Friday, May 24 at IMS. Read More>
Two departure times provide more flexibility for fans who want to commute to the track on their bike on Race Day. Read More>
This partnership represents the first time a major athlete's sponsorship has been decided by a vote using blockchain technology. Read More>
View images from the shortened first day of the Indianapolis 500 Open test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. View Photos>
View images from the once-in-a-lifetime Total Solar Eclipse event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. View Photos>
Josef Newgarden unveils the 2024 Indianapolis 500 Ticket View Photos>
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway prides itself on its fire rescue and medical response teams that arrive to the scene of an accident within seconds. But how do they get that good? On Behind the Bricks, IMS President Doug Boles takes you through the annual Motorsports Safety Training at IMS, which features specific training scenarios for INDYCAR, NASCAR, IMSA and more to make sure every driver at IMS is safe. Watch Video>
On this episode of Doug and Drivers, 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson sits down with Doug Boles to talk about the pain of coming so close to scoring back-to-back wins, how he wanted to compete on ovals after his Formula 1 career and the transition to Andretti Global. Watch Video>
Why does Scott McLaughlin move his hands around so much in the car? What "button" is he pushing? What's the pressure of the iconic Yellow Submarine like? We cover that and so much more with Scott McLaughlin on the latest Doug and Drivers. Watch Video>
May 08, 2018 | By Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Popular Indianapolis 500 veteran Dick Simon has decided to make this year’s Indy Legends Charity Pro-Am at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway his final race as a driver, the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) announced May 8. Simon, 84, has driven in every Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational since the 2014 inaugural event. The Pro-Am is the Saturday, June 16 feature race of the June 15-17 event at IMS. “The Brickyard Invitational has given me a chance to extend my career in a very enjoyable way,” Simon said. “It’s always special to come back to Indy, and this racing has brought me a ton of fun. I am delighted my final turn at the wheel during competition will come at the Speedway. This announcement gives me a chance to let fans know my decision in advance.” Said SVRA President and CEO Tony Parella: “Dick is such a popular figure in the paddock, and not just among fans. During our drivers’ meetings, I have been very impressed with all the drivers who expressed their gratitude for Dick’s help in providing them with their breakthrough career opportunities. I would like SVRA to continue to have a relationship with him, and we will talk about that going forward.” Simon, who maintains a level of physical fitness that is the envy of many younger drivers, is one of the most colorful characters of Indianapolis 500 history. Brimming with personality, he saw the promotional value for his sponsors of being the first car to take to the track when practice opened in May. A veteran of 17 Indianapolis 500s as a driver, Simon scored a best finish of sixth in 1987. He was a highly respected team leader who helped launch the careers of such notables as two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk and 1992 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Lyn St. James. He also managed the team for Eliseo Salazar’s IndyCar victory at Las Vegas Speedway in 1997. The Pro-Am feature Simon will compete in is a 45-minute race of American muscle cars on the Speedway’s 14-turn, 2.439-mile Grand Prix road course. The cars are 1963 to 1972 vintage Corvettes, Camaros and Mustangs of the “Group 6” SVRA class. As in the previous three years, the professionals will be paired with amateur drivers, splitting stints at the wheel at their discretion. Drivers who have announced entries include Al Unser Jr., Paul Tracy, Jimmy Vasser, Willy T. Ribbs and Max Papis. Additional Indy 500 drivers will be announced as they enter the Pro-Am in the coming weeks. In addition to the Pro-Am, there will be a festival of other activities at the Brickyard Invitational, including the Sunday, June 17 feature race by the professional Trans Am series headed by 2017 champion Ernie Francis Jr. The weekend also presents the Hagerty Insurance “shine and show” car corral, vintage motorcycle racing, and 500-plus vintage racers ranging over 100 years of automotive history racing in SVRA Groups 1 through 12. An oval exhibition featuring a race car show of judged competition for the A.J. Watson and Sir Jack Brabham trophies led by track historian Donald Davidson will also take place. Also, the Pre-1920 Race Exhibition cars will be on track along with a paddock area full of in-period equipment displays. The National that finished seventh in the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 will be driven at speed. Visit IMS.com to purchase tickets for the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational or for more information about the event.