SVRA - “Indy Legends Pro-Am” Part of Vintage Weekend at IMS

Southlake, TX - Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) yesterday announced an “Indy Legends Pro-Am” race with a field of as many as 25 former drivers of the Indianapolis 500 as a special feature to its June 6 – 8 vintage race weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). The SVRA, America’s premier vintage racing organization, is creating a return to competition for the famous drivers with a 40 minute race of American muscle cars on the Speedway’s 2.43-mile Grand Prix road course on Sunday, June 8. Three initial entries, Lyn St. James, Willy T. Ribbs and Mark Dismore all made their mark on Indianapolis 500 history. St. James was 1992 rookie of the year while Ribbs became the first African-American to qualify for the race and Dismore came back from a devastating accident in 1991 to nearly win 10 years later before gearbox failure dashed his chances in the 2001 Indianapolis 500.


The cars for the Pro-Am will be 1967 to 1972 vintage Corvettes, Camaros and Mustangs of “Group 6,” with an engine displacement limit of 355 cubic inches.  The Indianapolis 500 veterans will be paired with amateur drivers, each taking a 20-minute stint. Five minutes will be allotted for driver change. The Indy Legends Pro-Am is the crowning addition to the weekend, called the “Brickyard Invitational.” The weekend promises to be the largest gathering of race cars that has ever been assembled for competition in America. The SVRA has 11 groups of cars spanning 100 years of vintage machines and all will be in action at IMS.  The exciting array of entries include exquisite examples of select pre-war machines, classic sports cars, Formula One and Le Mans prototypes as current as 2008. The storied 2.5-mile oval will be utilized as well with exhibition runs by a wide variety of cars including several of the crowd-favorite 1950’s vintage Indianapolis 500 “roadsters.” Race fans can enjoy every minute of the action by taking advantage of overnight camping inside the Speedway.

“The SVRA can think of no better way to honor the tremendous history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway than to showcase some of the great drivers who helped write it,” said SVRA President and CEO Tony Parella. “We are reaching out to many of the drivers and have heard from so many fans how thrilled they are to see these racing stars in competition again.” The Pro-Am cars and drivers will also participate in a Fan Walk through the starting grid prior to the opening ceremonies allowing fans to see the cars up close, take photos and chat with the drivers. Driver pairings and starting positions will be determined by a lottery. Entries to this event will be limited and all entry fees will be donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum Foundation.  

A three-day general admission pass including Friday, June 6 through Sunday, June 8 costs $40. Single day general admission tickets are $15 on Friday, June 6, $20 on Saturday, June 7 and $25 on Sunday, June 8. Children 12 and under are admitted free each day when accompanied by an adult. Existing ticket customers to any 2014 IMS event are eligible to receive discounted general admission three-day passes for $30 until May 1 (save $10). Tent camping passes in Turn 3 of the IMS infield are available beginning Thursday afternoon, June 5 for $30, with RV camping available in the Northwest gravel lot for $60. Fans can order Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational tickets at www.ims.com/tickets, by calling 800-822-INDY or 317-492-6700 between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday or by visiting the IMS 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 through Friday. Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are available. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association is the premier and only national vintage racing organization in the United States. Founded in 1981 by Ford Heacock III the SVRA has 1,500 members. It sanctions a 14 event meet schedule at some of the finest racing venues in the United States, including: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sebring, Road America, Watkins Glen International, California Speedway, Homestead Miami Speedway, Pocono Raceway and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The rapidly growing organization hosted the first U.S. Vintage Racing National Championships at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas in 2013. Further information on SVRA, a complete schedule for the weekend, and an entry list can be found on the SVRA website, http://www.svra.com  Also be sure to check our Facebook page and YouTube channel, SVRA.com, which currently boasts a library of over 50 action packed vintage racing videos and driver profiles.

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Volume 2014, Issue 4, Posted 3:50 PM, 04.18.2014