Brickyard 400 Events Calendar: July 28-31
July 26, 2011 | By
The Brickyard 400 presented by Big Machine Records.com Race Week is packed with activities, both at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. From July 29-31, the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will practice, qualify and race on the famous 2.5-mile oval at IMS.
All events on Friday, July 29 through Sunday, July 31 at IMS are free for Brickyard 400 ticket holders that day, with the Hauler Parade on Thursday, July 28 in downtown Speedway, Ind., free for everyone.
Fans are encouraged to plan their routes to the track in advance and arrive at the track early. Gates open at 8 a.m.
Here is a calendar of the great events and features of action at the Speedway during the Brickyard 400 that make it one of the most exciting and prestigious events on the annual NASCAR schedule:
Thursday: Hauler Parade and Festival. NASCAR fans can get an up-close view of Sprint Cup Series “haulers” – the large, colorful trucks carrying the stock cars competing in the Brickyard 400 – at the third annual Hauler Parade and Festival on Thursday, July 28 on Speedway’s Main Street. The event will take place from 5-10 p.m. Great live music is included, with R&B dance band The Toy Factory and country rock band KJ and the Jester Kings. A parade of more than 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series haulers is expected to arrive at 6 p.m. in Speedway, led by the 2011 Brickyard 400 Pace Car and a special grand marshal leading the parade. The haulers will park in two lines on Main Street, between 10th and 15th Streets. Meeting and greeting fans will be NASCAR personalities, including legendary NASCAR champion Ned Jarrett and Miss Sprint Cup. An array of NASCAR race cars also will be on display. Children will be entertained at a Kid Zone from 5-7 p.m. A media pit stop competition, featuring local on-air personalities, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Friday: Chevy Day at the Brickyard. Fans can enjoy autograph and question-and-answer sessions with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars, tour the Team Chevy Racing Display, look at race cars on display and test drive 2011 Chevy vehicles during the annual Chevy Day at the Brickyard on Friday, July 29 at IMS. Many Chevy NASCAR drivers, including Brickyard 400 winners Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Jamie McMurray, fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. and many more, will sign a limited number of autographs and participate in fan Q&A sessions at specific times between 10 a.m. and noon. Fans must first obtain a wristband starting at 8 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza to receive a driver autograph. Chevrolet also is supporting Cell Phones for Soldiers by providing locations at the display for drop boxes. Cell Phones for Soldiers raises money through the collection of gently used cell phones, and has provided since 2004 more than 1 million pre-paid calling cards and 60 million minutes of calling time to soldiers overseas.
Friday: Practice. All of the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, including multi-time Brickyard 400 winners Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr., will be on the famous IMS oval for two hours, 30 minutes Friday afternoon, July 29. Practice sessions are scheduled for 1-2:15 p.m. and 3:15-4:30 p.m.
Friday-Sunday: Thunder Alley. All fans can feel the rumble and hear the roar of 800-horsepower NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars Friday, July 29 through Sunday, July 31 in the new Thunder Alley, located in IMS MotoGP garages 9-12. This great location puts fans in a covered location at track level adjacent to pit lane, bringing them closer than ever to the action.
Friday-Sunday: Vintage and Stock Car Show. Some of the most iconic cars in NASCAR history and a fabulous collection of rods, customs and muscle cars will be on display Friday July 29 through Sunday, July 31 at IMS. The Brickyard 400 Vintage and Stock Car Show will give fans the rare opportunity to take pictures and interact with the vehicle owners and restorers of a fabulous collection of Superbirds, Ford Talladegas and other cars from NASCAR’s past. One of the NASCAR classic cars that will be on display will be the No. 7 1970 Plymouth Superbird driven by Ramo Stott to top-10 finishes in the 1970 Daytona 500 and Talladega 500. Another special car on display will be the Holman Moody No. 98 Ford Torino that was owned and driven by the legendary Benny Parsons to 1968 and 1969 ARCA championships. Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, the world’s largest rod and custom association, will display more than 100 American-made rods, customs, classics, trucks, street machines and muscle cars.
Saturday: Big Autograph Session. The largest driver autograph session of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is scheduled for Saturday, July 30 at IMS for Brickyard 400 Race Day ticket holders. Drivers will be split into two groups, signing in pairs from noon-12:45 p.m. and 1-1:45 p.m. at Pavilion 1A and 1B, adjacent to the Pagoda Plaza. Among the drivers signing will be past Brickyard 400 winners Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Jamie McMurray, fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. and many more. Brickyard 400 ticket holders can obtain an autograph session wristband at 9 a.m. Saturday at Pavilion 1A and 1B. Fans can choose from the pairing of drivers they wish to receive autographs, with a maximum of 150 wristbands allotted per driver pairing. Only one wristband will be distributed to each ticket holder, first come, first served. Gates open at 8 a.m., and fans are encouraged to arrive early.