By J Douglas Boles
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, April 8, 2011 – The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Official Program and an Indianapolis 500 commemorative issue of Sports Illustrated are on sale now as a special bundle at selected national and Indiana retail locations, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway gift shop and online at www.brickyardauthentics.com.
The bundle costs $15.
The 2011 Indianapolis 500 Official Program will feature multiple, fold-out covers, a special autograph pull-out, numerous feature stories, driver bios, statistics, event and Indianapolis Motor Speedway fan information and more.
For the first time in IMS history, the robust, 256-page program will feature three different program covers. The unique covers feature art by Thomas Kinkade, David Uhl and Gregory Beall. Each portrait includes different aspects of the 100 years of history of the Indianapolis 500, with Kinkade depicting a start of a “dream race” including cars from all eras of the race, Uhl depicting legends from the 1911 race and Beall depicting several iconic cars crossing the famed Yard of Bricks.
Each of the three covers folds out into a larger, double-paneled image of the artwork. All three covers will become a treasured collectible for fans for years to come.
One of the special features of the program is a fold-out, mini-poster that showcases the names of all 732 starters of the Indianapolis 500 on one side and the images of the admission tickets from 1911-2011 on the other. The fold-out was specifically designed to honor the drivers who have participated in the event and to allow for a special item for use in obtaining autographs.
The Official Program is packed with interesting feature stories, including:
•A 96-page section about the Indianapolis 500’s rich history, featuring a recap of every year’s race by IMS Historian Donald Davidson and previously unpublished photographs.
•An extended piece on the photography shoot with 33 Indianapolis 500-winning cars on the front straightaway at IMS last fall.
•A story about Dario Franchitti driving the famous No. 82 Lotus-Ford last fall at IMS in which his idol and fellow Scotsman, Jim Clark, won the 1965 Indianapolis 500.
•Anniversary stories about A.J. Foyt’s first Indianapolis 500 victory in 1961 and Rick Mears’ fourth Indy victory in 1991.
The commemorative issue by Sports Illustrated, the predominant sports publication in the United States, includes many stories and photos celebrating 100 years of the world’s greatest auto race. Features include a look back at the inaugural race in 1911, a special story on legendary four-time “500” winner A.J. Foyt, an essay by three-time winner Helio Castroneves on what the Indianapolis 500 means to him, a decade-by-decade recap of the race, reprints of past SI stories about the “500” and more.
National retailers offering the 100th Anniversary Official Program-Sports Illustrated commemorative bundle include Borders, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo (Canada), Hudson News, Paradies, HMS Host and Trofie. Most of the Paradies, HMS Host and Trofie outlets are located in airports and use region-specific names.
These additional major retailers are offering the bundle in Indiana: Meijer, Marsh, Kroger, Walmart, Martin’s, Target, Costco, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid.
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2011 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, “The Most Important Race in History,” on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.