INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 16, 2017) – A new piece of racing history came to life today as reigning race winner Alexander Rossi and officials unveiled the colorful, coveted ticket for the 101st Indianapolis 500.
Hulman & Company President and CEO Mark Miles and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles joined 100th Indianapolis 500 winner Rossi of Andretti Autosport during ceremonies at the Cummins Distribution Headquarters in downtown Indianapolis.
The ceremony started a day of activities to mark 101 days from Race Day for this year’s edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 28 at IMS.
Adhering to time-honored tradition, the ticket design is anchored by the most-recent Indy 500 champion. This year’s layout features an iconic photo of Rossi taken immediately following the winner’s customary swig from a bottle of milk in Victory Circle.
“This year’s ticket features a spectacular design, and it will be a great keepsake for fans for years to come,” Boles said. “We’re grateful to our friends at Cummins, who share our passion for racing and the Indy 500, for hosting us this morning and creating such a special memory for Alexander, as well as the many community partners and Verizon IndyCar Series fans in attendance.”
In lockstep with the Indy 500 logo, the ticket boasts a bold and patriotic red, white and blue color palette. The image of Rossi, car owners Michael Andretti and Bryan Herta, and the Indianapolis 500 logo are embellished with a special 3D coating. Metallic-foiled bricks frame the epic Victory Circle imagery. The basic design will apply to all tickets, but quantities of the embellished, souvenir version are limited and fans should purchase their tickets at IMS.com or the IMS Ticket Office in the next few weeks to receive the souvenir version with all embellishments.
The event at the Cummins Distribution Headquarters also marked the beginning of a special new campaign to promote the 101st Running: the delivery of a branded milk bottle each day throughout the full 101-day countdown. The first bottle was presented to Cummins, Inc. CEO Tom Linebarger this morning.
Visit IMS.com to purchase tickets for the world’s most prestigious auto race and to learn more about the entire Month of May at IMS, including the INDYCAR Grand Prix on May 13.
The first chance to see Rossi back in race action this year is Sunday, March 12 at the Verizon IndyCar Series season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Visit www.IndyCar.com for more information on the exciting 2017 season.
