The 91st running of the Indianapolis 500 will be
broadcast in high definition for the first time. The race at Indianapolis
Motor Speedway will be run on Sunday, May 27, with ABC's telecast to
start at noon ET. "One of the most frequent requests from our fans is a
high-definition telecast of the Indianapolis 500, and we're thrilled to
fulfill that demand," said Speedway president Joie Chitwood. Both
weekends of qualifying by ESPN on ABC and ESPN2 will also be presented in
high definition with GoDaddy.com as the presenting sponsor.
***
A total of 40 cars are now at the Speedway. Thirty-nine have passed
technical inspection. Rain delayed practice until 4:33 p.m. leaving time
for 25 drivers to record 680 laps today.
***
Space on Tomas Scheckter's helmet is up for bid on Ebay to benefit The
Gift of Hearing Foundation. The successful bidder will be allowed to
place their company name or logo on IndyCar driver Tomas Scheckter's
helmet for the World's Greatest Spectacle in Racing, The Indianapolis
500. The Gift of Hearing Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation
initially dedicated to increasing access to cochlear implant (CI) surgery
and services for those who have been identified as candidates for this
technology. Check out Ebay item number 290111844982 to bid. The auction
ends May 11.
IndyCar Series Team and Sponsor Business News
Sam Hornish Jr. and Helio Castroneves now share something in common with
the Los Angeles Sheriff's department; cars prepared by Penske. In a deal
announced last week, Penske Truck Leasing was awarded a three-year fleet
management and maintenance services contract valued at approximately $47
million to support the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "We are
very pleased to be servicing the fleet needs of the nation's largest
local law enforcement agency," said Frank Mileto, Senior Vice President -
New Business Ventures, Penske Truck Leasing. "We are well known for
meticulous detail and high standards for vehicle maintenance.
Under the agreement, Penske will provide vehicle maintenance and body
shop repair work for more than 4,600 units, which includes police cars,
motorcycles, buses and other specialized equipment.
***
Honda opened an Environmental Learning Center (ELC) in Irving, Texas last
week. The 4-acre facility, located adjacent to an existing four-acre
Rider Education Center (REC), is the company's third such facility in
the country. The ELC is designed to be a unique community resource that
promotes a responsible land use ethic through a greater understanding of
the varied regional ecology. Honda also has ELCs in Colton, Calif., and
Alpharetta, Georgia.
Honda's Rider Education Center has trained more than 30,000 street, dirt
and ATV riders since it opened in 1989. The adjacent ELC features a
trail system and species of plants, grasses and trees representing ten
different Texas ecosystems as part of the Center's state-of-the-art off
highway training facility. "Our ELCs serve as both an environmental
resource for youth organizations as well as motorcycle training centers
teaching environmentally responsible rider ethics to both beginners and
experienced riders," said Dave Edwards, national manager of environment
and education for the Motorcycle Division of American Honda Motor Co.,
Inc.
***
BorgWarner, sponsor of the famous trophy awarded to the winner of the
Indianapolis 500 each year, has broken ground on a second dual-clutch
production plant in Germany. Driven by growing global demand for its
dual-clutch transmission technology, known as DualTronic, BorgWarner
Transmission Systems has broken ground for a second manufacturing
facility at its Drivetrain campus in Arnstadt, Germany. When completed in
November, it will double the manufacturing area of the current site to
over 107,000 square feet (10,000 square meters) and is expected to create
150 new jobs by 2010. During the next few years, the company will invest
nearly $35 million (euro 26 million) to expand the site, which will
include a dedicated vehicle lab and test track for on-site vehicle
evaluation.
BorgWarner was first-to-market with dual-clutch transmission technology,
launching its award-winning DualTronic innovation on two VW/Audi models
in 2003 with applications on additional models and production volumes
increasing steadily since then.
***
Roger Penske's United Auto Group announced today the first big marketing
push for the smart fortwo economy car. Smart USA Distributor LLC, a
subsidiary of United Auto Group, Inc is launching a national road show
May 19, starting in Los Angeles, California, to introduce the
revolutionary smart fortwo to U.S. consumers. The tour provides a
hands-on experience, allowing consumers to test-drive the fortwo and
experience its innovation and functionality. The 50-city tour will visit
events from festivals and universities, to sporting events and retail
outlets, to other popular city destinations through November. The
'street smart' tour hits Indianapolis July 5-8. The anticipated road
show schedule and updates can be found at www.smartusa.com.
