Chip Ganassi Racing is opening its doors this weekend to benefit some of America’s greatest heroes.
The INDYCAR team is hosting an open house from 1-4 p.m. ET Saturday at its shop, located at 7777 Woodland Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46278. Visitors are asked to make a donation of at least $10 per person (children 12 and under free) that will benefit Indy Honor Flight, the nonprofit that raises funds to transport military veterans to visit the war memorials built in their honor in Washington, D.C.
In addition to getting an inside look at the race shop of one of the most successful Indy car teams in history, attendees will be able to meet World War II and Korean War veterans who will be autographing photos of the D.C. memorials. Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon, fresh off winning his fifth Verizon IndyCar Series championship, will be the subject for a question-and-answer session beginning at 2 p.m.
The Gordon Pipers will make an appearance and a raffle will be conducted to win an Indy Racing Experience two-seat Indy car ride at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
IMS Museum exhibit pays tribute to Indiana short tracks
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s newest exhibit, “Hoosier Thunder: Indiana’s Short Track Heritage,” is open and receiving rave reviews from racing historians and aficionados.
Hoosier Thunder tells the story of the many drivers and families who have made Indiana short-track racing a way of life: surnames such as Carter, Darland, Elliott, Kenyon and Kinser, among others. It also honors the drivers, such as three- and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, respectively, who made a name for themselves on Indiana bullrings on their journey to superstardom.
The exhibit is the largest in the IMS Museum’s 60-year history, with 41 sprint, midget and Silver Crown series cars along with many trophies, drivers’ suits, helmets and artifacts. A floor-to-ceiling wall map lists the name and location of every known oval short track, used for motorized competition, that has existed in the state of Indiana.
Nine decades of USAC (United States Auto Club) race car development is on display, from a 1937 Dreyer Special midget, to the car that carried Gordon to his first USAC midget victory, to Kody Swanson’s 2018 Silver Crown championship-winning car. The exhibit will remain open through April 21, 2019.
The IMS Museum is located inside the world-famous oval. For more information on the exhibit and hours of the museum operation, visit indyracingmuseum.org.