WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.738 >>GERRY: HELLO AND WELCOME TO INSIDE INDIANA BUSINESS. I'M GERRY DICK. RACE WEEKEND IS UPON US. 2 00:00:04.738 --> 00:00:11.945 ALL EYES AND EARS ARE ONCE AGAIN ON INDY---IN PARTICULAR 16TH AND GEORGETOWN---WHERE THE LARGEST SINGLE-DAY SPORTING EVENT IS 3 00:00:11.945 --> 00:00:19.953 ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE. MORE THAN 300,000 FANS EXPECTED TO GATHER FOR THE 102ND RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500. 4 00:00:19.953 --> 00:00:25.225 ON THIS WEEKEND THAT IS BUILT ON TRADITION, THERE ARE SOME INTRIGUING STORY LINES AND CHANGES... 5 00:00:25.225 --> 00:00:34.634 WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? FOR SOME ANSWERS, I'M PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY PRESIDENT DOUG BOLES... 6 00:00:34.634 --> 00:00:40.106 AS ALWAYS, WELCOME. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME A BIG TIME. WE ARE READY TO GO. 7 00:00:40.106 --> 00:00:47.680 >> IT IS EVERY TIME THIS YEAR AS WE GO INTO THE 100 SECOND RUNNING. IN YOUR OPINION WHAT IS THE 8 00:00:47.680 --> 00:00:54.387 STATE OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500? >> FROM LAST YEAR'S GREAT CROWD TO A CROWD THAT WILL BE BETTER THAN LAST YEAR THIS YEAR, 9 00:00:54.387 --> 00:01:00.126 THE STATE OF THE INDIA'S HEALTHY. THE COMPETITION IS GREAT, THE BUMPING THIS YEAR, THE 10 00:01:00.126 --> 00:01:06.666 CONTROVERSY REALLY GOES TO SHOW YOU WHEN YOU ARE GETTING MORE CARS, THE STATE OF THE INDY 500 IS GREAT AND THE BIGGEST THING 11 00:01:06.666 --> 00:01:12.839 FOR ME AS THE FANS ARE REENGAGED. >> THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY CONNECTS WITH THE 12 00:01:12.839 --> 00:01:19.078 COMMUNITY AND IN SO MANY WAYS. THE PACE CAR DRIVER VICTOR ALL THE DEPOT. >> ONE THING WE CAN ALL BE 13 00:01:19.078 --> 00:01:26.886 PROUD OF THE WAY THE PACERS REPRESENTED US INTO THE PLAYOFFS. IT'S US MUCH SAYING VICTOR, 14 00:01:26.886 --> 00:01:32.392 THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND THANK YOU PACERS AND INDIANAPOLIS FANS. WE LOVE HAVING SOMEONE 15 00:01:32.392 --> 00:01:38.264 REPRESENTING OUR VALUES KICKING THINGS OFF. I THINK HE WILL REALLY ENJOY IT. >> YOU TALK ABOUT MOMENTUM AND 16 00:01:38.264 --> 00:01:46.473 POSITIVE THINGS GOING ON, SO MANY CHANGES WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ENTERTAINMENT VENUES AND LEGENDS DAY AND SO MANY THINGS. 17 00:01:46.473 --> 00:01:52.979 CAN YOU POINT TO ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT IS REALLY DRIVING THAT? SO MUCH OF IT IS FOCUSED ON NOT 18 00:01:52.979 --> 00:02:01.054 NECESSARILY ACTION ON THE TRACK BUT ENTERTAINMENT AT THE VENUE. >> IT'S UNIQUE IN THE SENSE THAT ALMOST 70 PERCENT OF THE 19 00:02:01.054 --> 00:02:05.592 CUSTOMERS DO NOT WATCH ANOTHER RACE. THEY COME BECAUSE OF THE EVENT AND THE THINGS AROUND AND OVER 20 00:02:05.592 --> 00:02:12.065 THE LAST FEW YEARS AS WE'VE PACKAGE THIS THREE DAY WEEKEND OF RACING ON TRACK TO THE CONCERT AND THE CONCERT WE HAVE 21 00:02:12.065 --> 00:02:21.007 ON LEGENDS DAY PLUS THE DRIVERS MEETING AND ROLLING INTO THE SNAKE PIT IT CREATES A MUST ATTEND WEEKEND NOT JUST FOR 22 00:02:21.007 --> 00:02:28.348 FOLKS IN INDIANAPOLIS, BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IT WORKS WELL AND IT'S HIGHLIGHTED BY THE 100 SECOND RUNNING THIS YEAR. 23 00:02:28.348 --> 00:02:35.154 >> IN TERMS OF CHANGES THE QUALIFYING FORMAT CHANGED FIVE YEARS AGO. AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER CREATED 24 00:02:35.154 --> 00:02:40.627 A CONTROVERSY AND THAT SPARKS INTEREST. >> THIS WEEKEND OR THIS PAST WEEKEND YOU SAW IT WHEN THEY HAD 25 00:02:40.627 --> 00:02:47.300 DRUM AROUND WHO WAS GOING TO GET IN THE FIELD BUMPING INTO THE FAST NINE AND THEY WERE FANTASTIC AND CARPENTER HAVING 26 00:02:47.300 --> 00:02:53.773 HIS THIRD POLE AND THEY COME IN THE NEW FORMAT FOR HIM IT'S EXCITING. I'VE SAT IN THE GRAND STANDS FOR 27 00:02:53.773 --> 00:03:00.246 THE FAST NINE AND I COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW INTO THAT PART OF THE DAY THE FANS WERE AND IT'S WORKING WELL AND IS THE FIRST 28 00:03:00.246 --> 00:03:07.987 TIME WE'VE SEEN THE ATTENDANCE ON SUNDAY MORE THAN THE ATTENDANCE ON SATURDAY WHICH USED TO BE OLD POLE DAY SO 29 00:03:07.987 --> 00:03:15.562 PEOPLE ARE THINKING, SUNDAY IS A DAY WE WILL SET THE FIELD. >> HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FROM A MANAGEMENT STANDPOINT TO BALANCE 30 00:03:15.562 --> 00:03:22.135 TRADITION AND NEW STUFF? THE NEW STUFF IS IMPORTANT, BUT NO PLACES BUILT ON TRADITION MORE THAN IMS. 31 00:03:22.135 --> 00:03:27.840 >> WE ARE SPECIAL BECAUSE OF HISTORY AND TRADITION AND CERTAIN THINGS YOU CAN CHANGE OTHERWISE YOU FUNDAMENTALLY 32 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:33.346 CHANGE WHAT THE 500 US SO YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THOSE THINGS THAT ARE CENTRAL TO THE DNA PROTECT THEM WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT 33 00:03:33.346 --> 00:03:39.185 AND MAKE CHANGES IN THE AREAS THAT ARE NOT REALLY TRUE TO OUR DNA. SO THAT'S THE CHALLENGE. 34 00:03:39.185 --> 00:03:46.960 WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE CHANGES WE MAKE STILL FEEL LIKE THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE WITH. 35 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:54.434 >> A NEW TV CONTRACT ABC THIS IS THE LAST YEAR GOING TO A BIG NEW CONTRACT. >> I AM 51 AND MY ENTIRE LIFE 36 00:03:54.434 --> 00:04:02.709 THE INDY 500 HAS BEEN ON ABC. ALTHOUGH I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY WITH NBC WHO UNDERSTANDS INDY CAR. 37 00:04:02.709 --> 00:04:07.914 THEY BROADCAST A LOT OF EVENTS ALL YEAR THEY UNDERSTAND OUR BRAND AND WHAT WE ARE ABOUT. I THINK THEY WILL DO A FANTASTIC 38 00:04:07.914 --> 00:04:13.386 JOB. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW THEY WILL TWEAK THE PRODUCT A LITTLE BIT AND THEY PROMOTE ALL YEAR 39 00:04:13.386 --> 00:04:19.559 LONG. >> AS WE WRAP UP YOU TALKED ABOUT NUMBERS, TALK ABOUT THEIR 300,000 PLUS. 40 00:04:19.559 --> 00:04:27.200 >> WE WILL BE THE SECOND LARGEST CITY ON RACE DAY. THE BEST CROWD THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 2016 AND 41 00:04:27.200 --> 00:04:32.005 ALMOST 15 OR 20 YEARS SO IT'S A TRIPLE DIGIT -- IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT CROWD.