The Official Blog of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The 2011 500 Festival princesses represent 11 Indiana colleges and universities and 24 cities and towns across the state. The young women were selected from 278 applicants based on communication skills, poise, academic performance, and community and volunteer involvement. The 500 Festival has narrowed the field to 33 princesses who will serve as ambassadors for the 2011 500 Festival.

In this blog series we will introduce you to the 500 Festival Princesses, share what they are doing in Indiana communities and their tips for the month of May. We will also share their dream line-up of 33 drivers from TheGreatest33.com. Want to earn bragging rights by sharing your line-up with friends and family too? Be sure to click the “share” feature after finalizing and submitting your line-up!

With 47 days remaining until the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, we’re pleased to introduce you to Katelyn and Riley.

Name: Katelyn Dapper

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN

School: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN (Alumni of Cathedral High School, Indianapolis)

Number of Years you’ve have been to the Indy 500: 2 full races and several days of practices, qualifying, and other festival events over the years. To the 500 Festival Parade: at least 15 times!

Your tips for someone attending the Indy 500 for the first time: Arrive early- you don’t want to miss any of the pre-race activities. Bring hearing protection, it gets loud. Don’t pass up a chance to view the pit activities. It is amazing to watch the precision and teamwork of the crews! Enjoy getting to know the people sitting around you. It is fun to find out where they are from and their race day traditions.

Your tips for someone attending the 500 Festival Parade for the first time: Definitely reserve a seat by buying tickets. The parade route gets very crowded and unless you get there very early, it is difficult to find a good viewing spot. Watch the weather forecast. The parade runs rain or shine and you will want to be prepared with either sun block or a rain poncho. Do not forget a camera! You will want pictures of the beautiful floats, giant character balloons, and many celebrity photo ops in close range.

This is what I am doing in my community as a representative of the Princess Program: Encouraging mini marathon runners by passing out water and giving the motivational cheers and visiting grade schools, high schools, and other community locations promoting the 500 as they celebrate the excitement of the race.

My Greatest 33 Line-up and what’s cool about TheGreatest33.com: Click here to see my dream line-up on TheGreatest33.com. Check out the quick links to purchase tickets and apparel, as well as the sweepstakes for the chance to win many prizes!

This May, I’m most looking forward to seeing: Tough to pick, but I’m going with Carb Day!

Let us know when you spot the 500 Festival Princesses in your community!

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The 2011 500 Festival princesses represent 11 Indiana colleges and universities and 24 cities and towns across the state. The young women were selected from 278 applicants based on communication skills, poise, academic performance, and community and volunteer involvement. The 500 Festival has narrowed the field to 33 princesses who will serve as ambassadors for the 2011 500 Festival.

In this blog series we will introduce you to the 500 Festival Princesses, share what they are doing in Indiana communities and their tips for the month of May. We will also share their dream line-up of 33 drivers from TheGreatest33.com. Want to earn bragging rights by sharing your line-up with friends and family too? Be sure to click the “share” feature after finalizing and submitting your line-up!

With 52 days remaining until the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, we’re pleased to introduce you to Savannah and Katelyn.

Name: Savannah Teegarden

Hometown: Anderson, Indiana

School: Ball State University

Number of Years you’ve have been to the Indy 500? This will be my first time attending the running of the Indy 500. I’ve watched it on television almost every year! To the 500 Festival Parade? This will be my first time at the parade as well. I am so excited to be a part of such an important and historical event in Indianapolis. Such a great way to kick off my first year at the 500 Festival Parade!

Your tips for someone attending the Indy 500 for the first time: Find a way to go! Not everyone will get the chance to go every year, but definitely try to go once. It is such a historical event that takes place right here in the Hoosier state, and it’s wonderful to have experienced it at least once in your lifetime.

Your tips for someone attending the 500 Festival Parade for the first time: I’ve never been to the parade before so again, just try your best to go at least once! It’s so important to be involved in Indiana history, and the parade is an essential part of it.

This is what I am doing in my community as a representative of the Princess Program: As a Princess, I know I only have a few short months to make this a wonderful experience. I have planned outreaches at many of the local schools in my hometown of Anderson and surrounding areas such as Lapel, Frankton, Alexandria, Muncie, etc. I am also trying my best to be as involved as I can in other organization’s events. Being a 500 Festival Princess isn’t just about being a representative for the 500 Festival, it’s a chance to give back to community through volunteerism. So I plan to make this the greatest few months of my life by doing whatever I can to give back to the people of Anderson and the Muncie community (being that I go to Ball State University) along with the wonderful people involved in the 500 Festival.

My Greatest 33 Line-up for the Indianapolis 500: To see my dream 33 line-up on TheGreatest33.com click here. I loved getting to put together my Greatest 33. I was shocked I knew a good majority of the Top 100 drivers! I feel like every one of the drivers in the Top 100 deserved a spot in my Greatest 33, but I am very happy with my choices!

This May, I’m most looking forward to seeing: Pace Car Reunion

Let us know when you spot the 500 Festival Princesses in your community!

Name: Katie Groves Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana School: Marian University

Number of Years you’ve have been to the Indy 500? 11 To the 500 Festival Parade? 3

Your tips for someone attending the Indy 500 for the first time: -Bring sunscreen! -Pack a lunch/eat lunch before the race starts so you don’t have to leave to go get food once the race starts! -Bring a personal radio to listen to the commentators so you know what’s going on throughout the whole track, even the parts you can’t see! -Scream loud and have fun!

Your tips for someone attending the 500 Festival Parade for the first time: -Bring sunscreen! -Wave to those in the parade! -Cheer loud/make signs for your favorite driver so they can see their fans!

This is what I am doing in my community as a representative of the Princess Program: As a representative of the Princess Program, I am working with Race for the Cure, Pacer’s games, The 500 Festival and Indianapolis 500 Education Program, and visiting places such as nursing homes and The Miracle Place. I have prepared to visit some grade schools including my alma mater as well as make appearances and lead programs and prayer nights at my parish on the south side.

My Greatest 33 Line-up for the Indianapolis 500: To view my dream 33 line-up on TheGreatest33.com click here. TheGreatest33.com is a fantastic website designed to get fans involved with the Indianapolis 500 as well as the drivers. It’s great for fans of all ages and captures the history of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. I loved picking my Greatest33 and choosing who I would want in the race! I hope my Greatest33 wins an amazing prize!

This May, I’m most looking forward to seeing: World’s Largest Autograph Session

The 2011 500 Festival princesses represent 11 Indiana colleges and universities and 24 cities and towns across the state. The young women were selected from 278 applicants based on communication skills, poise, academic performance, and community and volunteer involvement. The 500 Festival has narrowed the field to 33 princesses who will serve as ambassadors for the 2011 500 Festival.

In this blog series we will introduce you to the 500 Festival Princesses, share what they are doing in Indiana communities and their tips for the month of May. We will also share their dream line-up of 33 drivers from TheGreatest33.com. Want to earn bragging rights by sharing your line-up with friends and family too? Be sure to click the “share” feature after finalizing and submitting your line-up!

With 54 days remaining until the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, we’re pleased to introduce you to Laken and Katelyn.

Name: Laken Kurtz

Hometown: Muncie

School: Ball State University

Number of years you’ve have been to the Indy 500: 3  To the 500 Festival Parade: 1

Your tips for someone attending the Indy 500 for the first time: First, GET EXCITED! This is going to be a day to remember for the rest of your life! I still remember my first trip to the Indy 500 and boy did I have a blast! Second, make sure you wear comfy shoes; the track is big so you’ll be doing lots of walking. Lather up on the sunscreen and bring lots of water because it get’s toasty out there! Third, make sure you visit the museum and different attractions inside the track. There are many great things to see while you are waiting for the race to start! My personal favorite is watching the drivers prepare for the race. Lastly, if you don’t have a favorite driver, make sure you choose some one to cheer for during the race. It’s great to cheer some one on and watch them move up and down the pole. Maybe your driver will get to drink milk at the finish line and have their picture taken with the lovely queen!

Your tips for someone attending the 500 Festival Parade for the first time: Bring kids! Get downtown early; you’re going to want a great seat! Sitting close will give you the best view of all the attractions the parade has to offer! Don’t forget to look up high for all the balloons floating by; the parade isn’t just on the streets. Make sure you bring your camera for all those special photo opportunities. Keep an eye out for the drivers and those gorgeous pace cars! Also keep your camera close by for pictures of myself and the other 500 Festival Princesses. We will be waving at you from our float! Make sure you wear comfy shoes to walk around downtown Indianapolis and wear your sunscreen! No one wants a bad sunburn on race weekend! Last but not least, have a blast! Make sure to enjoy this day to the fullest; it’s an amazing experience!

This is what I am doing in my community as a representative of the Princess Program: As a representative of the 500 Festival Princess Program I am working in the Muncie community to give back to local organizations and schools. I love my community very much and there is no better way to show my appreciation and love then by giving back and volunteering. I have set up outreach opportunities with local soup kitchens, food banks, shelters, after school programs, and Habitat for Humanity. Since I am an education major and attended Muncie Community Schools, I thought it would be great to visit local elementary schools to educate them on the 500 Festival. I am also attending a literacy night to promote literacy in the schools, spring carnivals, tutoring sessions, and after school programs. Not only am I attending outreaches I have set up, I am also volunteering at other princesses’ events. This is a great way to spread the message of the 500 Festival all over the state of Indiana. I am very honored to be able to give back to my local community and represent the 500 Festival Princess Program through different outreaches!

This May, I’m most looking forward to seeing: The Pace Car Reunion

My Greatest 33 Line-up and what’s worth checking out at TheGreatest33.com: Click here to view my dream 33 line up from TheGreatest33.com. I chose my drives based on their experience at the 500 and their number of wins. I also looked for racers I was familiar with like Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart. I made sure to include some classic drivers in my line-up as well. I used the driver comparison tool on the website to make sure my line-up was just right! Make sure you take time to create your own line-up!

Let us know when you spot one of the 2011 500 Festival Princess Program participants in your community!

Name: Katelyn Kingseed

Hometown: Kokomo, IN

School: Purdue University

Number of Years you have been to the Indy 500: 0 To the 500 Festival Parade: 0
I know that is alarming!! Don’t worry- I am very excited to be a first timer!

Your tips for someone attending the Indy 500 for the first time: Considering this is my first time attending the Indy 500 as well, I would say the three most important pieces of advice I’ve heard are to wear sunscreen, drink water, and most importantly have fun! Enjoy this wonderful Indiana tradition, and take it all in. I know that is what I plan on doing!

Your tips for someone attending the 500 Festival Parade for the first time: Once again, because the 500 Festival Parade is something I have never attended before, I am not exactly sure what to expect. I know that this parade is one of the largest in the country, and it is a wonderful way to celebrate the Indy 500. I would suggest taking a lot of pictures, and making sure you stay for the entire event. I can guarantee you are not going to want to miss one moment of the 2011 500 Festival Parade!

This is what I am doing in my community as a representative of the Princess Program: As a representative of the Princess Program, I am working both in my hometown community and community where I attend college to promote the Indianapolis 500 and all of the 500 Festival events that lead up to and celebrate the race. I am reaching out to local elementary school classrooms, after school groups, Purdue student organizations, my local church, and local events supporting and celebrating the Indy 500 race. I am also taking advantage of any opportunity to attend outreaches in other communities hosted by other Princess Program representatives.

My Greatest 33 Line-up and what’s worth checking out at TheGreatest33.com: Click here to view my dream 33 line-up at TheGreatest33.com. At first I was not sure how I was going to select my own greatest 33 of all time because I did not think I knew that many drivers!  After reading through the names, familiarizing myself with their stories, and looking into some of the repeated winners my line-up came into place, and I think that my final list represents the Indianapolis 500’s rich history very well. I have enjoyed looking through TheGreatest33 website as well!  One of my favorite portions of the website is the area where we can “meet the 100 drivers.”  I enjoyed seeing who had won the most races, who had driven the most laps, etc.  I also enjoyed the driver comparison area of the website.  I did not discover this until after making my list.  I can tell you it would have made it a lot easier, and more fun!

This May, I’m most looking forward to seeing: Back Home Again in Indiana Community Decoration Program

The 2011 500 Festival princesses represent 11 Indiana colleges and universities and 24 cities and towns across the state. The young women were selected from 278 applicants based on communication skills, poise, academic performance, and community and volunteer involvement. The 500 Festival has narrowed the field to 33 princesses who will serve as ambassadors for the 2011 500 Festival.

In this blog series we will introduce you to the 500 Festival Princesses, share what they are doing in Indiana communities and their tips for the month of May. We will also share their dream line-up of 33 drivers from TheGreatest33.com. Want to earn bragging rights by sharing your line-up with friends and family too? Be sure to click the “share” feature after finalizing and submitting your line-up!

With 59 days remaining until the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, we’re pleased to introduce you to Karley Sasso and Katie Hargitt!

Karley Sasso

Name: Karley M. Sasso

Hometown: Warsaw, IN

School: Indiana University School of Law

Number of years you have been to the Indy 500? To the 500 Festival Parade? This will be my first time attending the Indy 500 and I can hardly wait. I don’t know how other races will compare in the future—the 33 of us are so spoiled which will make attending the 500 a very special experience.

Your tips for someone attending the Indy 500 for the first time: It’s my first time, I can’t wait to hear everyone else’s tips!

Your tips for someone attending the 500 Festival Parade for the first time: Same as above!!

This is what I am doing in my community as a representative of the Princess Program: I will be going out and speaking to elementary, middle school and high school students about the importance of community service. I also spoke to the following community service based foundations about the 500 and the community service opportunities offered through the 500: Octagon and Optimist Club, volunteered at Lemonade Day and volunteered at the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.

This May, I’m most looking forward to seeing the: Back Home Again in Indiana Community Decoration Program

My Greatest 33 Line-up and what’s worth checking out at TheGreatest33.com: Click here to view my line-up on TheGreatest33.com. This was a great chance to learn more about the history of the Indianapolis 500. I learned so much just by reading the driver profiles!

Let us know when you spot one of the 2011 500 Festival Princess Program participants in your community!

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Last weekend was a B-U-S-Y one for the Street Team. We were all over events in Indianapolis and at the Speedway, got to meet a lot of very cool fans, and, after many months of planning, were able to talk about some of the new events that have (finally!) been locked down and confirmed for the month of May (read more about what’s going on this May).

Saturday, we kicked the day off with a visit to Brickworld Indy. Strolling through the Indiana Convention Center exploring the amazing and creative Lego displays brought back reminders of this past December when a Lego replica of the IMS was on display at the Hall of Fame Museum.

Daniel Incandela also swung by Brickworld Indy, here's one of his shots from the event

Lego IMS at the Hall of Fame Museum with creator Brian Darrow in the background

Next we headed down to Conseco Fieldhouse to support IZOD IndyCar Series driver Pippa Mann as she dropped the puck for an Indiana Ice hockey game. Dario Franchitti received his Winner’s Ring there this past Friday and we’ll  head back next on the 28th of March to catch an Indiana Pacers game. We’ll have plenty of great giveaways, including Qualification Day tickets, so mark your calendars to join us.

Indiana Ice Game at Conseco Fieldhouse

Bright and early on Sunday morning, we  set up at the Hall of Fame Museum to greet the hundreds of fans that came through to check out the display of 67 Indianapolis 500 winning cars and get autographs from Indy 500 legends Bobby Unser, Al Unser Jr., Arie Luyendyk, Gil de Ferran, and Rick Mears. The place was packed with fans ready for May!

Next, we headed (along with Arie Luyendyk) over to newly renovated Brickyard Crossing to watch the MotoGP season opener race from Qatar with Red Bull Indianapolis GP fans. The parking lot filled up quickly with two-wheelers and it was great having folks out at the track on a day without any on-track activity (Check out a weekend recap blog post from Monday here).

So what’s next on our calendar?

On Friday, March 25th we’ll be hanging out on the Butler University campus for Blue II’s birthday celebration. Follow us on Twitter @IMSStreetTeam to find us from 1-3 PM.

Monday, March 28th we’ll be at Conseco Fieldhouse along with the 500 Festival Princesses for Pacers vs. Celtics 7:00 p.m./ET.

As February rolled around, the IMS Street Team turned its attention to the Dealer Expo. This year’s expo, the country’s largest power sports trade show, took place Friday, Feb. 18 through Sunday, Feb. 20. In efforts to share the exciting news about the fourth annual Red Bull Indianapolis GP, the Street Team and IMS staff headed to the newly expanded Indiana Convention Center for the weekend.

The team shared some key highlights that are being added to this year’s Red Bull Indianapolis GP such as “Main Street,” which can be seen below and will be filled with vendors, entertainment and, of course, motorcycles. “Main Street” will be located between Turns 9 and 10, along the green, dotted path which will be a “cruise path” so fans can cruise in and out as they please.

Track map of this year's Red Bull Indianapolis GP.

One of our biggest changes that we were eager to tell everyone is that our gates will be open until 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26 and Saturday, Aug. 27! There will be more than 12 hours of activity on and off the track each day! Fans and motorcycle enthusiasts were just as excited to hear this news as we were to tell it.

The entire weekend at Dealer Expo gave us a great opportunity to talk to folks who have been attending the race since 2008 and some who we will attend for the first time this August. Additional information can be found here.

The 1910 Indian that Nicky Hayden rode in 2008 was a big attraction.

Blythe and Maddie at the 2011 Dealer Expo

The weekend didn’t stop there, by any means! IMS hosted a kick-off party for the start of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on Sunday. Fans join us at Jillian’s Downtown in Indianapolis to watch the Daytona 500 and get a chance to win some prizes, play games and enjoy some great racing.

This weekend also is full of events for the team. Friday through Sunday, the team and a few partners will be at the 20th annual Motorcycle Expo at the Indiana State Fairgrounds continuing to promote the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. On Saturday, Feb. 26, the team will be at the Children’s Museum for Engineer’s Day. If your child, niece, nephew, grandchild or neighborhood friend is an IMS Kids Club member, this will be the first of many fun opportunities for them to attend this year. (Spoiler Alert: If you purchase a Kids Club membership at the Children’s Museum on Saturday, you will receive free IMS Silly Bandz!)

This is yet another exciting weekend for the IMS Street Team, and there will be many, many more to come! March has lots of surprises in store for the collegiate crowd, including our first ever Snake Pit Tour! Stay tuned for those dates. Until next time, remember – only 93 days left until the start of the Indianapolis 500!

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Street team is itching to get out of the office and back to streets! Luckily we’ve got a busy couple of months ahead of us but for now here is where you can find them during the month of January.

The team will be weaving in and out of the crowd this Friday as they celebrate Blue Friday at Circle Centre Mall cheering on the Colts along with the rest of Indy. They will not only be rooting on the Colts but also passing out some goodies! Not to worry though, you’ll be able to spot them in their IZOD gear in the massive sea of Colts jerseys. Find them if you can!

Left to Right: Dovizioso, Spies, Smits, Redding, Pedrosa, and Marquez during GP weekend.

In case you haven’t heard, next Friday January 14th is IMS Night at Conseco Field House! As the Pacers take on the Chicago Bulls you’ll be able to snag some giveaways from the 500 Festival Princesses and the IMS Street Team. [Speaking of which, today is the deadline to apply for this year's 500 Festival Princess Program].

Indy Car will be there right next to us, but I don’t want to give too much away! Come on down, chat with the team, and get a chance to sign up for the IMS Kids Club if you haven’t yet. The all-new Kids Club just hit 200 members and we are excited to see how many more kids will join us for its inaugural season!

If you can’t catch the team on Friday head over to the 13th Annual MLK Festival at The Christian Theological Seminary on Saturday morning. Among all of the festival’s activities the street team will be out and about passing out your new “2011 Summer To-Do list” and chatting with everyone.

Last but definitely not least, on January 29th the team will be hitting up monster truck fans as they head to the Monster Jam at Lucas Oil. We love anything on two or four wheels! Especially really big wheels!

As you can see the team will be out all over Indy throughout January, make sure to keep up with them and any impromptu stops they make via Twitter!

Last week, at the Hall of Fame Museum, the Macy’s Santa Claus Tour stopped by to spread holiday cheer to everyone (Miss it? Find out more here–). The team (or elves for the time being) helped Make-A-Wish children and their families write their letters to Santa Claus and passed out plenty of cookies, milk, and candy canes. This was the perfect event to help the IMS Street Team reflect on the 2010 season and take a look at what is ahead.

With the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Kid’s Club, the upcoming Snake Pit Tour, and several other events (we’ll bite out tongue and try to keep them secrets for now!) before May, the team will be as busy as ever. Whether you got a chance to meet up with us during the resurrection of the Snake Pit in turn 3, partied with us at the Inaugural Brickyard Beach Bash, saw us at the State Fair, or had a great time with us at Motorcycles on Meridian, there will be that and much more next year. Some of our favorite stops this year include: going to the Evansville Fall Festival, being a part of Zoo Boo at the Indianapolis Zoo, passing out giveaways at the Hauler Parade, and our 1 Lap, 1 Great Cause food drive.

Getting the party started at the 2010 Indy 500 Snake Pit

Over 13,000 Cans of Food were collected with the '1 Lap, 1 Great Cause' Food Drive

The IMS Street Team will hit the ground running in 2011. Their first stop will be the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pacer Night January 14th. Come support the Indianapolis Pacers as they take on the Chicago Bulls at Conseco Fieldhouse, and grab any goodies the team and the 2010 500 Festival Princesses will be passing out!

IMS Street Team spreading holiday cheer!

Until next time, see you in the New Year and have a safe and Happy Holidays!

- Your Indianapolis Motor Speedway Street Team

In the next few months the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Street Team will still be in full force preparing for the Indianapolis 500. The team just wrapped up a weekend at the International Motorsports Industry Show where they promoted the Grounds Tour of IMS and all three Speedway events in 2011, additional coverage of the event can be found here.

Display at IMIS

With the launch of our new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Kids Club we will be focusing on family-friendly events throughout the holiday season. The official launch for the Kids Club will be made tomorrow at the Children’s Museum (shhh! you heard it here first!).

Once 2011 approaches the team will change gears and focus on the collegiate side of things. Being college students themselves, the team is going to engage young consumers and invite them out to track for the most important race in history! Purdue University, Indiana University, and Ball State will get a little taste of what’s to come in May as we launch our Snake Pit Tour.

More exciting details are to come for this event after the 1st of the year. As always, follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook for the latest happenings with the IMS Street Team.

In a joined effort to kick off the launch of our new Kids Club we teamed up with the Indianapolis Zoo at their annual Zoo Boo event. The north pavilion at the zoo became our home for two consecutive weekends as trick or treaters filled the zoo with their record breaking attendance.

The car was a popular photo opportunity for all.

The street team was in full force informing all of the parents about our new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Kids Club but if you didn’t catch us at Zoo Boo you can sign up to get more information here! In addition to that we were giving away goodies to not only the kids but we gave some awesome centennial posters and flip-books for the parents to enjoy as well. On site we had our Rick Mears touch car on display, a Red Bull Indianapolis GP show bike, and our iPads showing highlights from this years races.

Young race fans watch highlights from this year’s Indianapolis 500.

Children and their parents waited patiently for their turn in the touch car.

Teaming up for Zoo Boo with the Indianapolis Zoo was a great experience and we hope to join them again later this holiday season. As always I will be keeping everyone in the loop with the IMS Street Team’s next stop! For the next week they will be all around town promoting our can food drive with Gleaners, 1 Lap 1 Great Cause. If you are interested in donating cans, making a monetary donation, or learning more about it check out the website! Also keep your eyes on the IMS Street Team Twitter and the IMS Twitter to keep up with the progress of our food drive and for any contests that arise.