Indy 500

IND Airport or INDY 500?

Art, Exercise, Sports, ,

Throughout May, Indianapolis International Airport is helping celebrate the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 with audio installations that include the traditional call to “start your engines,” the sounds of revving engines and Jim Nabors’ final performance of “Back Home Again in Indiana.”

Through June, two art exhibits in the ticket hall at IND airport celebrate the 100th Indy 500 as well:

One exhibition features work by two of the 33 artists commissioned by the Arts Council of Indianapolis to create their interpretations of the “Welcome Race Fans” signs that appear throughout the city during May. A video running above the escalators leading down to the baggage claim is showing a video featuring the work of all 33 artists.

IND AIRPORT WELCOME RACE FANS 1

IND AIRPORT WELCOME RACE FANS 2

Also featured is an exhibit with work by Indianapolis painter Rene Crigler. Crigler, who works part-time as a race official at major events around the country.

IND AIRPORT IND RENE CRIGLER

New vintage race car at Indianapolis Int’l Airport

Exhibits, Museums, , , ,

IND GRAY GHOST

Cars inside an airport?

That’s a regular thing at Indianapolis International Airport, where the Dowgard Special #2 – known as The Grey Ghost – has joined the line-up of classic racing cars on loan from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

Here’s some information about the car:

It was built in 1958-59 by Eddie Kuzma and was driven on one-mile tracks by Jim Rathmann, Ed Elisian, Bobby Grim, Jimmy McElreath and two-time National Champion Tony Bettenhausen, who won with it at Phoenix in 1959.

It became known as “The Grey Ghost” after a rush repair job in 1962 led to an appearance at a track in gray primer. Look for it on Concourse B near the exit to Civic Plaza.

The airport’s release also refers to the racing car as a ‘dirt car’ – and says that, according to the museum, other than the Indianapolis 500, most National Championship races held between the early 1930s and the late 1950s were dirt track “100-milers,” with the popular events still counting toward the national title as late as 1970. These dual-purpose, solidly built cars won the 500 in 1950, ’51 and ’52, and were still in the lineup as late as 1956.

Vintage Indy 500 cars at Indianpolis Int’l Airport

Airports, Exhibits, , ,

Car racing fan?

Then you might like the fresh set of vintage Indianapolis 500 race cars that are on display at the Indianapolis International Airport (IND).

IND 14 car

The #14 Bardahl Special led more laps of the 1966 Indianapolis 500 than any other car.

“Driver Lloyd Ruby took the lead from defending world champion Jim Clark on lap 65 and proceeded to lead 68 of the next 86 laps. Just when it appeared the race might be Ruby’s, a chronic oil leak developed, causing the car to be black-flagged twice and finally retired after 166 of the 200 laps. In the summer of 1968, sporting a different paint job, it was one of the cars used in the making of the motion picture “Winning” starring Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Robert Wagner”

Find it: on Concourse A near the exit to Civic Plaza.

IND 8

1957 WOLCOTT SPECIAL #8

“This car appeared at Indianapolis three times, driven in 1957 and 1958 by Rodger Ward (winner of the “500” in 1959 and 1962, but in different cars) and in 1959 by Len Sutton (who finished second to Ward in 1962, also in another car). Although it was entered each time with a 170-cubic-inch supercharged Offenhauser engine, it was decided for 1958 to switch to a more standard 255-cubic-inch non-supercharged version. Ward was running second in 1958 when a magneto failed after 93 laps, but later that summer he won the prestigious 200-mile race at Milwaukee.”

Find it: on Concourse B near the exit to Civic Plaza