St. James To Race, Simon To Serve as Grand Marshal in Brickyard Vintage Event

Two of the most popular names of Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge lore will participate in the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational on Aug. 3-4 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one as a driver and another as an official.

Lyn St. James will drive in SVRA’s Vintage Race of Champions (VROC) Charity Pro-Am presented by Chopard Watch on Saturday, Aug. 3, while Dick Simon will serve as grand marshal for the entire event weekend.

St. James, a seven-time starter in the Indianapolis 500 and the event’s rookie of the year in 1992, competed in 15 Indy car races in her career. While many fans know St. James best for her Indianapolis 500 achievements, she is an accomplished road racer and has earned numerous laurels at the wheel of a variety of race cars.

Ohio native St. James is a two-time competitor in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1989 and ’91). She was even more successful in 62 IMSA GT events, amassing a record of six wins, 17 top-five and 37 top-10 finishes. Her 1985 GT victory at Watkins Glen remains the only time a woman has scored a win in that series driving solo.

St. James raced in the 12 Hours of Sebring nine times, winning the GTO class in 1990, and was a two-time winner in the GTO Class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. She has held 31 international and national closed-circuit speed records and is a member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame and the SCCA Hall of Fame. She has competed in all of the Indy Legends Pro-Am races since 2014 and has raced in a variety of cars on different tracks at SVRA events.

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, he scored a best finish of sixth in 1987. He was a highly respected team leader who helped launch the careers of not only Arie Luyendyk and St. James, but other notables such as Raul Boesel and Scott Brayton. He also managed the team for Eliseo Salazar’s NTT IndyCar Series victory at Las Vegas Speedway in 1997.

The VROC Charity Pro-Am presented by Chopard Watch is a Saturday, Aug. 3 feature event at the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational. The cars are 1963 to 1972 vintage Corvettes, Camaros, and Mustangs of SVRA “Group 6” A and B Production. The professionals will be paired with amateur drivers. Amateurs will start the race and be required to drive a maximum of seven laps.

The Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational VROC Charity Pro-Am will benefit the Morgan Adams Foundation. The foundation supports laboratory and clinical research for pediatric cancer, with an emphasis on tumors on the brain, spine and central nervous system.

In addition to the Pro-Am, there will be a festival of other activities at the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational, including professional Trans Am by Pirelli series races Saturday and Sunday. The weekend also presents the Hagerty Insurance “cars & caffeine” car corral, and 300-plus vintage racers ranging over 100 years of automotive history racing in SVRA Groups 1 through 12.

Fans can order Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational tickets for either or both days of the event online through the Speedway or by calling 800-822-INDY or 317-492-6700 between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday. Fans can also visit the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at 4790 West 16th Street between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Children 15 and under are admitted free each day when accompanied by an adult.