Category: Other Series PR

[media-credit name=”IZOD IndyCar Series” align=”alignright” width=”360″][/media-credit]Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

1. Wilson eager to return to Raceway at Belle Isle Park

2. Honda Indy Toronto construction officially begins at Exhibition Place

1. Wilson eager to return to Raceway at Belle Isle Park: Many would call gaining 14 positions to finish seventh in the Indianapolis 500 a great day. Justin Wilson appreciates the sentiment, though he’ll stick to the claim of having “a top-three car.”

“We would get shuffled back a few spots, but then immediately come right back in a lap or two,” said the driver of the Honda-powered Sonny’s BBQ car for Dale Coyne Racing who recorded his third top 10 in the five IZOD IndyCar Series races. “The car in front of me slowed me up and kept me from getting a fast (Lap 194) restart. The wind also played a factor as it was very difficult to pass in Turns 1 and 2. The team gave me a great car to drive.”

Wilson is expecting another great car this weekend for the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix as the IZOD IndyCar Series returns to the 2.07-mile, 14-turn circuit for the first time since 2008.

Wilson was the winner the last time Indy cars raced in Detroit.

Driving for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing in the penultimate race of a trying rookie season, Wilson had mixed results (six top 10s in 14 races; four DNFs). Also, the health of team co-owner Paul Newman was deteriorating.

“I really enjoyed getting that win for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing and feel like I got to prove myself after a very difficult year,” Wilson said. “Paul passed away weeks after. Great memories, but some sadness, too.”

Wilson’s No. 02 McDonald’s car assumed the lead on Lap 73 of 87 when Race Control black-flagged Helio Castroneves for blocking.

“It’s not the way you really want to win the race, though I felt we had the quickest car all day,” said Wilson, who led 15 laps. “I tried to put a move to get the lead and had to hit the brakes instead. They reversed the positions and got the lead and pulled ahead (to win by 4.4058 seconds).”

More than $6 million in site improvements have been made to the Raceway at Belle Isle since racing was reinvigorated in 2007 after a six-year absence, including 460,000 square feet of concrete for the paddock and 150,000 square feet of concrete to the road course.

Like any street course, it’s bumpy. But that “adds character,” according to Wilson.

“You’ll never please a driver; we’re always trying to improve the track,” he said. “You want the corners to be faster and the track to be smoother so everything is flat out. We’re always looking for something better than what we have; it’s part of our job. It’s a driver’s track. It’s challenging to overtake at Belle Isle but you can.

“The (new car) was good in Brazil, and at Long Beach it was the best car I’ve ever driven there. I’m looking forward to getting back there. It’s great for the city of Detroit and it lets the rest of the world know that yes we’ve had some difficult times but we’re on the increase and will climb out of this and will put on a top sporting event. There are lots of things they’re doing to attract more than diehard race fans, but the race fans will come because we’re in the center of the automobile world.”

2. Honda Indy Toronto construction officially begins at Exhibition Place: For more than two decades, Jim Tario has led the construction of the race track at Toronto’s Exhibition Place.

With this season’s race weekend fast approaching, Tario, the director of operations for the Honda Indy Toronto, and his highly-skilled construction team began the conversion of the city’s streets surrounding Exhibition Place into the 1-86-mile, 11-turn street course that continues to feature the fastest, most versatile race cars and drivers in the world.

“The Honda Indy Toronto has one of the most challenging and exciting layouts among the street courses in North America,” said Roger Peart, president of FIA Circuits Commission and ASN Canada FIA. “The build is a complex process and it’s amazing what (Jim) Tario and the team are able to construct over such a short period of time. Organizers of the event in recent years have invested in new track infrastructure, making the racing experience at Toronto not only thrilling, but safe for everyone involved.”

The Honda Indy Toronto race track, built by approximately 200 construction workers, takes 39 days to build, and 21 days to tear down and remove all traces of the race. It is comprised of over 2,000 steel-reinforced concrete barriers each measuring 12 feet long and three feet high.

The total length of the blocks span over 12,000 feet and are each made using approximately 8,650 pounds of concrete. More than 1,200 sheets of fencing surround the track with each fence standing at eight feet high and 12 feet long. The track also features over 1,600 feet of tire wall, each one standing at five tires high and four race car paddocks.

“There is a definitely a delicate balance in the work involved with constructing a race track that’s fast, exciting, challenging and, first and foremost, safe,” Tario said. “While the track remains largely unchanged in its 26-year history, we continue to invest in the race track infrastructure to ensure it exceeds all international standards and maintains our status as one of the premier street race circuits in the world.”

***

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix on June 3 at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park in Detroit. The race will be televised by ABC at 3:30 p.m. (ET) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM (XM 94 and Sirius 212). The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix  on June 2 at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park in Detroit. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 5 p.m. (ET) on June 7 and broadcast live by the IMS Radio Network.

No. 44 Ansell/ Menards Toyota Camry

ARCA RACING SERIES – RACE 6 OF 19 – Elko Speedway

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”180″][/media-credit]IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO? Despite leading laps at Toledo Speedway two weeks ago, Frank Kimmel once again narrowly missed his long-awaited 75th ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards win – his second podium finish in the second spot at the last two short tracks (Toledo and Salem). However, if history proves correct, Kimmel’s “two for two” going into this weekend at Elko Speedway bode well for the veteran driver – one who is known for winning inaugural races at short tracks. Elko Speedway, a 3/8th-mile asphalt oval, is right up the veteran’s driving alley – and in the backyard of his major sponsor, Menards.

A MENARDS WEEKEND: This week, as the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards rolls into Minnesota for the first time ever, nine-time champ Kimmel will be front and center. He will appear at two Menards stores just south of Minneapolis and St. Paul to launch the ARCA race weekend at Elko New Market. Friday, he will also take part in the Dudas, Minnesota Menards Grand Opening celebration with the No. 44 hauler and other ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards drivers. The 74-time ARCA race winner will meet and greet fans, sign autographs, and pose for pictures next to his No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry show car.

GLOVE FOR A GLOVE: Guests who purchase a pair of Ansell gloves inside the store during any of Frank’s appearances will receive a voucher for a free second pair of gloves, presented by Kimmel outside the store. In addition, Menards stores in and around the area will give race fans and store customers the chance to “Save Big Money” on tickets to see the action live for the first time. Through Friday, race fans can buy tickets to the ARCA race at $15 – a 40% discount off the advertised at-track price – at 32 Menards stores across Minnesota.

CHASSIS INFORMATION: The No. 44 team will utilize chassis No. A-6 this weekend at Elko Speedway. A new chassis for the team for the 2012 season, it makes its debut in Elko. The chassis has tested at Sandusky Speedway in Sandusky, Ohio.

THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”180″][/media-credit]Concord, NC (May 30, 2012) Ryan Reed will be making his sixth start in the ARCA Racing Series with Venturini Motorsports at a track that is not only new to the 18-year-old rookie, but is a brand new track to the series. The ARCA Racing Series will be making their first-ever appearance at the 3/8-mile short track of Elko Speedway (Elko, Minnesota) for The Akona 200 presented by Federated Car Care.

“Elko Speedway will be cool because it is a brand new track,” said Reed. “Since this is ARCA’s first time there, the veterans in the series are just as much of a rookie at this track as I am. So hopefully we will be able to capitalize on that.”

Ryan Reed and Venturini Motorsports tested at Motor Mile Speedway (Radford, VA) earlier in the week in preparation for Elko Speedway.

“This whole year has been a learning experience for me, but Tuesday’s test at Motor Mile was the biggest learning experience so far,” said Reed. “I learned a lot at the Motor Mile test from Billy and my teammate Brennan Poole during the test. They did a lot of driver coaching with me so I was able to improve on some fundamentals of my driving.”

Carrying over the effort from Toledo Speedway, RaceHard.com will be the primary sponsor for Ryan Reed’s No. 15 car continuing the promotion of the Ryan’s Mission Wristband Drive.

“After partnering with Ryan at the Toledo race and helping his mission kicking off the Ryan’s Mission Wristband Drive we saw a lot of success,” said James Taylor, marketing at RaceHard.com. “It is really neat for our company to be part of such a great movement. Ryan has a lot of influence on the diabetic community and we want to help his mission reach beyond that.”

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”360″][/media-credit]

Toledo, OH (May 22, 2012) — 18-year-old rookie, Ryan Reed has been to three short tracks this season in the ARCA Racing Series filled with strong, competitive fields. This past weekend was no different as Ryan made his first start at Toledo Speedway capturing a 12th place finish after qualifying 16th in the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care on May 20th.

Ryan Reed, driving the No. 15 RaceHard.com car, ended up fourth quickest (16.306 sec / 110.389mph) in the final practice session at Toledo Speedway on Saturday before heading into qualifying.

While Ryan has run in the top-5 positions at every race this season, the No.15 team is still searching for top-5 finishes. The race results may not be up to their standard, but completing each race and consistent finishes has it’s perks as it has kept Ryan in good point standings; he is currently sixth overall and second in Rookie-of-the-Year points.

“Toledo was a fun race. We raced clean, had great pit stops and good race strategy, but we just didn’t get the finish we wanted,” said Reed. “This Venturini Motorsports team never gives up and we will keep working hard and continue to find what works for us. We will get the finishes we want very soon!”

Ryan Reed also kicked off the Ryan’s Mission Wristband Drive with sponsor RaceHard.com at Toledo Speedway. The special designed hood advertising the wristband drive gained a lot of attraction from race fans at the track as they contributed to the fund during the autograph session.Successful online contributions through Ryan’s Mission, RaceHard.com and PacificHealth Labs also helped kick off a great start to the goal to raise $150,000 by the end of the year to benefit JDRF.

The wristbands can currently be purchased for a $5.00 donation through:
– Ryan’s Mission (www.ryansmission.org)
– RaceHard.com (www.racehard.com/jdrf)
– PacificHealth Labs / Accelerade (www.pacifichealthlabs.com)

Ryan Reed and Venturini Motorsports will first travel to the 3/8-mile short track of Elko Speedway (Elko, Minnesota) on June 2nd, before heading to the series’ first intermediate track of Pocono Raceway (Long Pond, Pennsylvania) on June 9th.

ABOUT RACEHARD.COM
RaceHard.com, “where racers shop,” outfits serious racers, professional pit crews and diehard fans, from head to toe. They have a huge selection of pit crew apparel, pit equipment and auto racing safety equipment.

ABOUT RYAN REED & RYAN’S MISSION 
Ryan Reed is a NASCAR development driver racing under the Venturini Motorsports banner in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

Ryan was diagnosed with T1D in February 2011 and initially told by doctors his “racing career” was over. Armed with the passion and determination to fulfill his dreams, Reed shifted his focus and poured all his energy into managing his health and educating himself on the disease. He uses his racing platform and personal story to inspire others living with T1D to continue living life to its fullest through Ryan’s Mission.

Reed’s off-track goodwill has made him a National Celebrity Advocate of JDRF, the world’s largest funder of research towards curing, treating and preventing T1D and its complications. Today, Reed is only one of three professional racecar drivers in the world to compete at the highest levels of racing with T1D.

Official: www.RyansMission.org  |  Twitter @driverRyanReed  |  Facebook: Ryan Reed

ABOUT VENTURINI MOTORSPORTS
Venturini Motorsports (VMS), fielding cars in the ARCA Racing Series, is one of the premier NASCAR driver development programs in the country. The 2012 season marks the team’s 30th Anniversary of competition in the ARCA Series. Multiple team championships and consistent on-track success, VMS has evolved into one of the most recognizable names in motorsports.

Since 2007, VMS has assisted in the career development of notable NASCAR drivers such as Joey Logano, Justin Allgaier, Steve Arpin, Brian Scott, Max Gresham, Miguel Paludo, Josh Richards, Ryan Blaney, and Scott Lagasse, Jr.

Official: www.VenturiniMotorsports.com  |  Twitter @VenturiniMotor  |  Facebook: Venturini Motorsports

[media-credit name=”Knight Motorsports Management” align=”alignright” width=”216″][/media-credit]BROOKLYN, Michigan (May 22, 2012) – – Officials from Win-Tron Racing announced today that Baton Rouge, Louisiana native Aleks Gregory has joined their ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards operation for a minimum of five races in addition to the open-test session at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) today.

Gregory will make his first official start behind the wheel of the No. 32 Toyota Camry when the series swings to the Pocono Mountains for the running of the Pocono ARCA 200 set for Saturday, June 9, 2012 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

Joining the 23-year old in his move to the Lakeville, Minnesota-based team will be his sponsor, The Mosquito Patch. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, The Mosquito Patch is an all-natural, deet free mosquito bite protection patch. The transdermal, water-proof patch attaches to the skin and provides up to 36 hours of mosquito bite protection. Because the spray-free, odor-free patch is all-natural, it is safe to use on children and adults of all ages.

Prior to pairing with Win-Tron Racing, Gregory has made two ARCA Racing Series starts this season at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway respectively driving for his family-owned team. Now, combining the resources of a young-talented driver and the experience of one of the most respected and competitive teams on the circuit – could immediately ignite interest and terror throughout the ARCA garage.

“We’re really excited to make this announcement about having Aleks Gregory and his sponsor, The Mosquito Patchjoin our team,” said Win-Tron Racing co-car owner Nate Thiesse. “This is a young-man with a great racing resume who is trying to adapt successfully to stock car racing. We feel that with his ambition and our motivation – we can put him up front and make him a familiar face in the No. 32 The Mosquito Patch Toyota Camry. The purpose of the Michigan test is not only to get him acquainted with our team – but also give him a heads up on what everyone anticipates on being one of the most exciting races of the year next month.”

Before joining the ARCA tour, Gregory launched his racing career in go-karts at the tender age of nine. In a span of 10 years (1994 – 2004), he delivered over 110 Sprint Class wins, in addition to five Louisiana State championships and five Gulf Coast Challenge championships. In 2008, he graduated to the World Karting Association (WKA) where he earned the Triple Crown Award for winning three separate division class championships in a single season.

In addition to Pocono, the duo will also tackle the RainEater Wiper Blades 200 at Michigan International Speedway (June 15), the Ansell / ActivArmr® 150 at Chicagoland Speedway (July 21), the Pennsylvania ARCA 125 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, (August 4) and the season-finale Kansas Lottery 98.9 at Kansas Speedway (October 19).

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 612.306.1641

For more on Aleks Gregory, please visit aleksgregory.com.

About Win-Tron Racing:

Located in Lakeville, Minnesota, Win-Tron Racing is the home of one the most potent ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards single-car operations. Owned by former racers Kevin Cywinski and Nate Thiesse, the team since has acquired the assets of County Joe Racing has become a favorable fixture on the circuit. Since Win-Tron Racing’s inception in 2007, the team has hosted a variety of drivers including leading drivers James Buescher, Blake Bjorklund, Justin Marks and Matt Merrell to their first career ARCA victories. In 2012, the team will begin its sixth year of competition with current drivers Chris Windom, Mason Mingus and Aleks Gregory.

About The Mosquito Patch:

Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, The Mosquito Patch (themosquitopatch.us) is an all-natural, deet free mosquito bite protection patch. The transdermal, water-proof patch attaches to the skin and provides up to 36 hours of mosquito bite protection. Because the spray-free, odor-free patch is all-natural, it is safe to use on children and adults of all ages.

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”360″][/media-credit]Toledo, OH (May 22, 2012) — The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards returned to Toledo Speedway on Sunday afternoon for the running of the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care.

Venturini Motorsports, celebrating their 30th anniversary in the ARCA Racing Series, once again fielded five cars for the short track event.

Leading the way for team Venturini was 16-year old Clint “The Kid” King, who captured his third top-5 finish of his young career in just six series starts. King driving the No.66 Jaclyn North Country Music Artist Chevrolet continued to impress by displaying the skills and patience of a veteran driver en-route to a fourth place finish after starting 13th.

Brennan Poole who entered the weekend leading the ARCA Series point standings started off by qualifying second in his No.25 CJ Solar Band Chevrolet, but cut a tire late in the race while running in the top-10. The misfortune dropped the title contender off the lead lap and extinguished any chances of challenging the field for the checkered flag. Poole would finish in the 22nd position and drop him to third in the series point standings, 20 points behind new standing’s leader, Tom Hessert.

Bakersfield, California driver Ryan Reed continued his successful rookie campaign wheeling his branded No.15 RaceHard.com / JDRF machine capturing a 12th place finish and walking away from Toledo second in the Rookie of the Year point standings.

Although Reed won’t be shown as the race winner on the stat sheet, the 18-year old National Celebrity Advocate for JDRF shined off-track.

Reed along with partners RaceHard.com, PacificHealth Labs, and Accelerade used the Toledo event to kick off Ryan’s Mission Wristband drive to bring more awareness to T1D and support JDRF’s research efforts. Ryan’s Mission Wristband initiative and goal is to raise $150,000 by December 31, 2012. Information on Ryan’s Mission and his wristband drive can be found atwww.ryansmission.org.

International driver, Nelson Canache who features Venezuelan Tourism on the side of his No.35 Venturini prepared car gained tremendous experience this weekend en-route to his 16th place finish in the Menards 200 event at Toledo. Canache, who is a former Venezuelan driving champion, is making the leap to stock-cars in 2012. He is focused on gaining experience and using the diversity of the ARCA Racing Series to prepare him for his goal of rising to the ranks of NASCAR

The rookie, who defines the term “professional race car driver”, enters every ARCA event with extreme optimism and the desire to improve and become more comfortable in these foreign 3,400 lb. ARCA cars. Despite having zero experience on any of the race tracks making-up the ARCA schedule, Canache is improving week-after-week.

Erik Jones with huge fan support from his nearby hometown of Byron, Michigan made his final ARCA start before celebrating his 16th birthday on May 30th . Jones turned in another strong qualifying effort putting his No.55 Paragon Corvette Reproductions machine sixth on the starting grid.

Benefiting from a good starting spot the highly-talented rookie driver was in the mix all day driving his car as high as the second position before a late race incident slammed his car hard into the front-stretch wall taking him out of competition, crediting him with a 26th place finish.

In addition to the team’s racing efforts, Venturini Motorsports along with Nashville based, So Good! Entertainment produced several concert events leading up to the ARCA weekend festivities at Toledo Speedway.

Nashville recording artist and former American Idol Semi-Finalist, Jaclyn North joined Nashville based CJ Solar Band Friday and Saturday for performances at the Toledo Speedway Bar & Grill while capping off the weekend playing Sunday during ARCA’s fan fest pre-race party.

The Country rock duo also served as Venturini Motorsports team sponsors; the CJ Solar Band served as primary sponsor for the No.25 car driven by Brennan Poole and Jaclyn North sponsored the No.66 car driven by Clint King.

ABOUT VENTURINI MOTORSPORTS 
Venturini Motorsports (VMS), fielding cars in the ARCA Racing Series, is one of the premier NASCAR driver development programs in the country. The 2012 season marks the team’s 30th Anniversary of competition in the ARCA Series. Multiple team championships and consistent on-track success, VMS has evolved into one of the most recognizable names in motorsports.

Since 2007, VMS has assisted in the career development of notable NASCAR drivers such as Joey Logano, Justin Allgaier, Steve Arpin, Brian Scott, Max Gresham, Miguel Paludo, Josh Richards, Ryan Blaney, and Scott Lagasse, Jr.

Official: www.VenturiniMotorsports.com  |  Twitter @VenturiniMotor  |  Facebook: Venturini Motorsports

ABC will televise the Indianapolis 500 for the 48th consecutive year on Sunday, May 27, and is bringing innovation and new technology to its coverage of one of the world’s historic and iconic sporting events.

A one-hour preview show airs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 11 a.m. ET, with the race telecast, presented by GoDaddy.com, at noon. The green flag is at 12:12 p.m. “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” has aired on ABC every year since 1965.

ESPN’s production will utilize more than 80 cameras to televise the premier event of the IZOD IndyCar Series, including four onboard cameras per car in at least nine of the 33 cars competing in the race. ESPN will make use of dual-path technology for the first time in an IndyCar Series telecast, permitting views from two onboard cameras on the same car at the same time.

Also for the first time, viewers of the ABC telecast will be able to enhance their experience with a choice of live streaming video from the onboard cameras on ESPN3, ESPN’s multi-screen live sports network. ESPN3 will carry the feeds exclusively through WatchESPN and on Indycar.com to fans who receive their Internet or video subscription from an affiliated provider. Viewers will be able to choose which driver’s onboard cameras they want to watch from among the available cars. ESPN3 also will have replays of the ABC telecast following the event. ESPN3 is available online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold level members.

ESPN will continue its Indianapolis use of “Batcam,” a camera that provides unique views running on a cable over pit road and the frontstretch and can move at more than 80 mph. Views and replays will be enhanced by the first Indianapolis 500 use of Ultra Hi Motion cameras located in the short chutes at each end of the 2.5-mile track as well as at the fourth turn exit.

Marty Reid will call the race with analysis by former IndyCar driver Scott Goodyear and 1998 Indy 500 winner Eddie Cheever. Brent Musburger will host the telecast while pit reporters will be Rick DeBruhl, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch.

ESPN’s Indianapolis 500 coverage will be produced under the oversight of ESPN vice president, motorsports, Rich Feinberg. James Shiftan will produce the race telecast and Bruce Watson will direct, while Jeff Ingalls will produce the pre-race show with Chip Dean directing.

The opening tease looks at the event through the eyes of the driver in a first-person experience with Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti, Will Power and JR Hildebrand. The piece shows a driver’s life as a sensory overload with the noises of the cars, radios and fans and follows the cadence as drivers strive to shut it all out and see only the finish line with total focus.

Among the special features that are planned for the pre-race show or in SportsCenter’s Indianapolis 500 coverage:

·         Dan Wheldon: A Champion’s Story — interviews with drivers, owners and family members celebrating the life and championships of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 winner who died in a racing accident in October.

·         JR Hildebrand: 799 Correct Turns and 1 Wrong Turn – A first-person feature about the heartbreaking finish of the 2011 Indy 500 for Hildebrand, who crashed with the checkered flag in site.

·         James Hinchcliffe – The driver who has captured IndyCar fans with his sense of humor as well as his ability behind the wheel does a parody of the Danica Patrick/GoDaddy.com commercials.

·         Dario Franchitti Museum Tour – The multi-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion takes a private tour of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, exploring the history of the race and his desire to win his third.

·         Charlie Kimball: Inspiring Others — Kimball, the first diabetic driver to finish the Indy 500, has inspired a 12-year-old girl from Kansas to believe she can do anything, despite living with diabetes.

·         ESPN Sport Science takes a detailed look at the new DW12 IndyCar chassis that debuted this year and details the changes from previous chassis.

·         Memorial Day — The story of a mother who sacrificed a great deal when her son Ben lost his life fighting for his country. She visits Arlington National Cemetery to tell her story.

Other ESPN Platforms

In addition to the live telecast on ABC, the Indianapolis 500 will receive ESPN multiplatform coverage on the following outlets:

ESPN International’s network and joint ventures’ reach is more than 212 million homes in 136 countries and territories. Add to that syndication (46 countries and 53.3 million homes), ABC’s U.S. reach of 114,700,000 and television distribution exceeds 380.5 million homes in 182 countries worldwide. In addition, U.S. troops serving overseas and on Navy vessels around the world will watch live via a broadcast agreement between ESPN and the American Forces Network, bringing the total to 213 countries and territories around the world.

ESPN.com will provide surround coverage of the Indy 500 with senior motorsports writers Ed Hinton and Terry Blount, IndyCar correspondent John Oreovicz and motorsports editor K. Lee Davis for the 96th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The site has already been previewing and preparing for the event. ESPN.com staff will cap off the coverage on race day with Racing Live! Indianapolis 500 on ESPN.com as the writers, editors and fans interact on every aspect of the race. In addition, anchor Marty Reid and analysts Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever will provide exclusive digital coverage leading up to and after the race.

On television, extensive reports, interviews and highlights will air on SportsCenter and ESPNEWS.

ESPN Classic will present a week-long tribute in honor of the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500. All week long beginning Monday, May 21, ESPN Classic will air classic Indy 500 races and SportsCentury programming. The special programming continues after the May 27 running with A.J. Foyt tributes on May 29 and 31 and a Gordon Johncock tribute on May 30.

ESPN Radio’s Saturday RaceDay starts its engines at 6 a.m. with an hour of news, previews and analysis. ESPN Radio also provides auto racing fans the comprehensive Sunday RaceDay (6-7 a.m. Sundays), which covers the auto racing world.

ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language television, radio and Internet in the U.S., will cover the Indy 500 via SportsCenter, the network’s flagship news and information program. The network’s motorsports expert Andres Agulla and former professional driver Alex Pombo, will provide special reports and interviews with the racers directly from Indianapolis. In addition, ESPNdeportes.com will provide comprehensive coverage with previews, qualifying, photo galleries, videos and live chats with Agulla and Pombo. ESPN Deportes also will provide the SAP for the ABC telecast of the race, with Agulla and Pombo providing the commentary.

Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.