New Race, New Opportunities For IMS

Red Bull and IMS have partnered on events in the past

The president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway says next year’s inaugural Red Bull Air Race Championship is intended to be a long-term partnership. Doug Boles tells Inside INdiana Business he "truly believes" the high-speed airplane event will be an attraction in the market for years to come, but ultimately, it will be up to how it resonates with fans. He says the seventh of eight races in the championship fits well within the IMS brand and "rounds out" the 2016 schedule, which includes the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Boles says the race could attract new types of fans, as well as bring along new or expanded advertising partners. The title sponsor, Red Bull, was a long-time supporter of the U.S. Moto Grand Prix that was run annually at IMS for years until the high-speed motor cycle series and the Speedway mutually agreed to not bring the race back.

The Indianapolis version of the Air Race Championship joins Las Vegas as the only U.S. sites for the global series. Indy replaces Fort Worth, Texas on the 2016 schedule. It joins a slate of big events that will begin in May with the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, followed by the Indianapolis 500, the Brickyard Vintage Invitational and the Brickyard 400 weekend. Boles says IMS will continue its efforts to consider bringing more sports and non-sports events to the more than century-old venue. He has lobbied for years to attract an endurance auto race to IMS.

Boles tells Inside INdiana Business officials have been working for five years to try to bring the high-speed aerial series event to Indy.

You can connect to more details about next year’s event by clicking here.