With the new split-field format in place for the fifth running of the event, the 71 cars entered thus far have been separated into two nights of competition Thursday, Sept. 28, and Friday, Sept. 29. Read More>
Among the drivers assigned to entries are past BC39 winners Brady Bacon (2018) and Buddy Kofoid (2022). Read More>
Indianapolis Motor Speedway employees Luisa Lopez Macer (photo, left) and Alicia Mendez McCarthy (photo, right) share their pride and joy about their Hispanic roots in this piece saluting National Hispanic Heritage Month. Read More>
Pictures from Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. View Photos>
Images from Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. View Photos>
Photos from the first day of practice for the IMSA TireRack.com Battle of the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. View Photos>
How do we go from a 2.5-mile oval to a 2.439-mile road course and back again? We're here to show you on this episode of Behind the Bricks! It includes 48 barriers, 576,000 pounds of concrete and about 15 hours of work for a full conversion. Watch Video>
Is it a tradition, or is it a fact of life at the Indianapolis 500? Every year when you show up for Race Day, pit lane is lined with stencils signifying each driver's pit box. On this episode of Behind the Bricks, Doug Boles investigates the origins of the stencil work and shows you how we bring this to life each and every May. Watch Video>
In this continued episode of Behind the Bricks, IMS President Doug Boles continues to give you a behind the scenes look at pre-race ceremonies for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. You'll see how Jewel prepared for the National Anthem, how we time the flyover just perfectly, and which pre-race song made Boles get emotional minutes before the largest single-day sporting event on the planet. Watch Video>
May 15, 2019 | By Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Multiple Grammy Award-winning superstar Kelly Clarkson will perform the national anthem before the start of the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Clarkson will sing on Race Day in the traditional spot before the 33 drivers are called to their cars in front of the largest single-day spectator sporting event crowd in the world. The performance will take place on the heels of the Tuesday, May 21 season 16 finale of NBC’s “The Voice,” where Clarkson serves as a coach on the hit show. Clarkson, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, first rose to fame in 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of “American Idol.” She has grown to become one of the most popular artists of any era, with 18 singles boasting multi-platinum, platinum and gold certifications around the world and total worldwide sales of more than 25 million albums and 36 million singles. Clarkson also is the first artist to top each of Billboard’s pop, adult contemporary, country and dance charts. She has won three Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards, two American Country Awards and one Country Music Association Award. Clarkson is quickly becoming a familiar and celebrated figure at the world’s most famous racetrack. This will be the second consecutive year and third time overall Clarkson has performed the anthem before the Indianapolis 500, as she also sang in 2011 with Seal while accompanied on piano by David Foster. “It’s a pleasure to welcome Kelly back to IMS on Race Day to sing the national anthem for hundreds of thousands of fans in the stands and millions of viewers around the world,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “She is a global icon and an incredible singer, and our fans have loved her performances of the anthem last year and in 2011. We look forward to her delivering another stirring, poignant rendition just before engines are fired for ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’” Clarkson has released eight studio albums and one greatest hits album. Her most recent album and first for Atlantic Records is the Grammy-nominated “Meaning of Life.” She also has written two children’s books, including the New York Times Top 10 best-seller “River Rose and the Magical Lullaby.” Along with her role on “The Voice”, Clarkson hosted the Billboard Music Awards for a second consecutive year and voiced the character of Moxy in STXFilms’ “UglyDolls” in 2019. Clarkson also is scheduled to make her daytime debut with her talk show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” airing in September 2019 on NBC. Follow Clarkson on Twitter @kelly_clarkson, on Instagram @kellyclarkson, on Snapchat at itsmekellyc and on YouTube at youtube.com/kellyclarkson. Visit IMS.com to purchase tickets for the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26 and for more information on the complete Month or May schedule at IMS. The race will be televised live on NBC for the first time, with the event’s iconic pre-race show starting at 11 a.m. (ET).