Firestone Heroes Of Indy Race To Feature '500' Legends :: Official site of the Indianapolis 500

Thursday, September 11, 2003

The greatest drivers in the history of the Indianapolis 500 will pull on helmets and driving suits to compete one more time in the "Firestone Heroes of Indy" race Oct. 12 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The Firestone Heroes of Indy will pit 10 of the greatest drivers in the history of the Indianapolis 500 in a 25-lap showdown driving identically prepared Thunder Roadsters on a quarter-mile paved oval within the 1.5-mile TMS main oval. The event will take place before the IRL IndyCar^™ Series' season-ending Chevy 500.

The Texas contingent of drivers introduced at a press conference Sept. 10 at Texas Motor Speedway were Johnny Rutherford, a three-time Indy 500 winner, and Lloyd Ruby and Jim McElreath. Fellow Texan, four-time Indianapolis 500 victor A.J. Foyt, will serve as the event's grand marshal.

"The Firestone Heroes of Indy race will be an opportunity to honor the sport's legendary names on the very day we crown the 2003 IRL IndyCar Series champion," said Texas Motor Speedway General Manager Eddie Gossage. "Indy-car racing enjoys a rich heritage that is unparalleled in American motorsports, and the drivers competing in this event have written page after page into our sport's history book. These men are giants in the sports world and to get them all together again offers all of us a unique privilege.

"We've spoken to some of the most famous Indy-car drivers from around the world, but this first set of drivers is special to us because all of them are from Texas. We believe the reason our two IRL IndyCar races draw the largest crowds of the season outside of the Indy 500 is because of the rich heritage Texas has in Indy-car racing. In large part, that history and heritage is due to these four men."

The Firestone Heroes of Indy will include a full weekend of activities celebrating the accomplishments of drivers who established much of the history of the Indianapolis 500. In addition to practice and qualifying for the race, the participants will participate in autograph sessions open to the public and a special Heroes reception featuring "Mom" Unser's fabled chili, a longtime tradition with participants at the Indianapolis 500.

The remaining Firestone Heroes of Indy participants will be announced shortly.

"For nearly 100 years, Firestone has been involved in competition at the highest levels of motorsports," said Al Speyer, executive director of Firestone Racing. "More Indy 500 winners have crossed the finish line on Firestone tires than all other tire companies combined. We are proud to be associated with some of the greatest drivers in history and are honored to have the opportunity to pay tribute to these men who have contributed so much to the sport."

Thunder Roadsters are produced by 600 Racing and resemble the roadsters that dominated the Indianapolis 500 and Indy-car racing through the 1950s and 1960s. The cars are powered by a 1250cc Yamaha engine and will sport special Firestone Firehawk tires for the event.

Tickets to the Chevy 500 and the Firestone Heroes of Indy on Oct. 12 at TMS are available daily at the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office by calling (817) 215-8500, online at www.texasmotorspeedway.com and at Ticketmaster locations.

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Thursday, September 11, 2003

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