What They're Saying About 2012 Super Weekend At The Brickyard
July 06, 2011 | By
Selected quotes from motorsports officials and drivers about the inaugural Super Weekend at the Brickyard on July 26-29, 2012 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which will feature the Brickyard 400 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and GRAND-AM Road Racing in four races (quotes listed in alphabetical order):
GREG BALLARD (Mayor, City of Indianapolis): “Racing is a real source of pride in this city for everyone who calls this city home. It's in our blood; it's who we are. Indianapolis has long played host to a lot of national events right here at this track. But today's announcement is something special, not just for race fans around the country and around the world, but for all of Indianapolis businesses alike. It provides all of this new on-track activity in 2012, coupled with what we consider to be a great downtown experience, including the hotels and restaurants and cultural activities that few racing cities can claim. It's the combination of the track and our downtown, I think, that makes it a very special destination for people. Because this is such a destination event that's going to start to happen in 2012, it's so special because racing is an important economic engine in our city. It provides so many hundreds of millions of dollars to our local economy each year because of this track. We are very proud of that and the fact we have such a long relationship with the Speedway. This extended racing weekend will have a great positive impact on local tourism, as we know, in addition to providing the city great national exposure, even more so.”
JEFF BELSKUS (President and CEO, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation): “This is a very important announcement for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We're excited to have Nationwide and GRAND-AM added to our Brickyard 400 weekend. Really adds a lot of good content and good racing for our fans. It's going to make for just a really exciting weekend. We're going to triple our hours of track activity here. That will be good for the fans. It will be good for the sponsors. We're billing it as a Super Weekend in motorsports. To come here and see all the different types of competition, whether it be on the road course or on the oval, it will be great for our fans, it will be good for the sponsors. It's going to be a fun weekend.”
TOM BLEDSOE (President, GRAND-AM Road Racing): “This is probably the most significant announcement for GRAND-AM that we've ever had. I think it's very significant to sports car racing in America. To have sports car come to Indy is huge. We have big plans for it in regards to maybe doing some different things, getting some more cars involved. Although with Continental and Rolex here, we expect to have over 110 cars, possibly more. It's huge for us.”
DAVID DONOHUE (Driver, Action Express Racing, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, son of 1972 Indianapolis 500 winner Mark Donohue): “It's really something else. It's very special for all of us as drivers. You hear it a thousand times, but it's the same thing when you watch a race at Indy on TV or you walk in the gates, there's just an electricity here. It's a place that makes legends and hopefully we can be a part of a new chapter of that. Just racing here is going to be checked off the bucket list. Winning here, I couldn't even imagine. You know, it might even – it would equal or be better than winning the Rolex 24. Who knows? I mean, it's right there. For us to race here, it's very literally a dream come true. I mean, the hair is standing up on the back of my neck. It's just amazing.”
CARL EDWARDS (Driver, Roush Fenway Racing, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion): “Just to come here to Indianapolis to race anything is huge. The first time I came to this track was for a test session. They let me ride in Kenny Schrader's hauler. I came out here and they were doing a test, and I sat right back there in the garages and polished wheels on the hauler and watched Jeff Gordon and Terry Labonte and Kenny Schrader and these guys drive by. To me it means a lot to just be here, and to be able to drive on the racetrack is just a huge honor. So a win here for me would be as big as any win on the schedule. It will be a lot of fun. It will be different because we'll be able to sit back and watch some of these spectacular races, you know, during the Super Weekend next year. It will be cool for all the drivers.”
A.J. FOYT (Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, two-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner): “It’s great. I think it will help everyone. I believe they’ll pick up a lot of different people – sports car fans who have never been to the Speedway. For all of the drivers who have never had the chance to compete at the Speedway, whether they’re in the sports cars or stock cars, I think they will be thrilled to death. I wish I was younger because I would have enjoyed running the road course there myself. I might even show up to watch it. I’ve been fortunate enough to see all of the inaugural events run at the Speedway since the Brickyard 400 in 1994. If there’s a way to make it, I will.”
MIKE HELTON (President, NASCAR): “Seventeen years ago when we ran our first race here, we've benefited from that impact ever since. So now to be able to add our second stock car series, the Nationwide Series, and North America's greatest sports car series, the GRAND-AM Rolex and Continental cars, I think it speaks to the commitment that NASCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have with each other to better the future of motorsports to create a truly a world-class event here in July in the middle of our season, which gives us a great moment to look to. Today's announcement is one of those milestones, I think, where you pulled a nationally iconic facility like Indianapolis Motor Speedway together with NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR's Nationwide and the GRAND-AM series to put together a weekend that's going to be special for all motorsports fans.”
JOHN PEW (Driver, Michael Shank Racing, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series): “I’m very excited about the addition of Indy to our 2012 schedule, and I couldn’t be more excited to come back to the Speedway and race next year. I think we are going to put on a heck of a show for the fans. Every driver grows up and dreams of racing at places like Daytona and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and for us to have a schedule that opens the year with the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona and then goes on to the Speedway later in the championship is very exciting. Next year can’t come fa
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