INDIANAPOLIS — In celebration of the start of its 10th season, the Indy Racing League (IRL) announced it will launch a 14-day, 13-city “Green Flag Tour.”
The tour, which will carry the green flag that will be used to start the season-opening Toyota Indy 300, will begin Feb. 21 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and conclude at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 6. Along the way, the flag will travel some 7,500 miles, visiting nine of the country’s biggest cities and 10 markets that will host IndyCar Series events.
During the two-week event, select drivers from the league will tour the country along with a Chevy SSR safety vehicle and an Indy Racing Experience two-seater designed to provide passengers with the rare opportunity to ride in a real IndyCar Series vehicle. The Chevy SSR will serve as the official pace vehicle for all 2005 IndyCar Series events, with the exception of the Indianapolis 500 in May. TV and radio personality Jack Arute will travel with and report from the “Green Flag Tour.” Arute is ABC Sports’ top pit reporter and has been a member of the Indianapolis 500 broadcast team since 1984.
“The Green Flag Tour is an incredible opportunity to showcase the high technology, excitement, spirit and fan-friendliness of the IndyCar Series and its drivers,” said Ken Ungar, senior vice president, business affairs for the IRL. “This tour will engage our fans and help introduce even more people to this cutting-edge sport.”
Drivers scheduled to participate include 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice and Danica Patrick (from Rahal Letterman Racing), 2003 IndyCar Series Bombardier Rookie of the Year Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti (Andretti Green Racing), 2003 IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, Darren Manning and Ryan Briscoe (Chip Ganassi Racing), Tomas Scheckter (Panther Racing), Alex Barron and Patrick Carpentier (Red Bull Cheever Racing), Scott Sharp (Delphi Fernandez Racing), and A.J. Foyt IV (A.J. Foyt Racing).
Team co-owners Michael Andretti and Adrian Fernandez, plus four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and Indy Racing League special projects coordinator Johnny Rutherford also will participate at select stops.
The IRL IndyCar Series opens its 10th season of competition with the Toyota Indy 300 at 2 p.m. (EST) on March 6, 2005 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be televised live on ESPN and the IMS Radio Network. The 2005 Menards Infiniti Pro Series season also opens on March 6 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be televised by ESPN2 at 4 p.m. (EST) on March 17.
For more information about IRL, visit: www.indycar.com.
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