WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.105 >> IT WAS STUNNING---BUT NOT UNEXPECTED NEWS---THE MONTH OF MAY AT THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY SHIFTING GEARS, WITH A 2 00:00:05.105 --> 00:00:11.277 MOVE TO AUGUST. IT WAS A DECISION THAT INVOLVED MANY CONSIDERATIONS, INCLUDING SCHEDULES, TELEVISION, FANS AND, 3 00:00:11.277 --> 00:00:17.117 OF COURSE, TRADITION. INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY PRESIDENT DOUG BOLES JOINS US VIA SKYPE WITH MORE ON THE 4 00:00:17.117 --> 00:00:23.656 DECISION AND WHAT IT MEANS, INCLUDING FOR THE JULY 4TH WEEKEND AT IMS. DOUG, 5 00:00:23.656 --> 00:00:29.696 GOOD TO SEE YOU! >> GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> OKAY. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DECISION, OBVIOUSLY A LOT WENT 6 00:00:29.696 --> 00:00:41.174 INTO THIS, THE TWO WEEKS BETWEEN THE SAINT PETE SITUATION, NO RACE THERE, OF COURSE, THE SAINT PETE SITUATION AND THE 7 00:00:41.174 --> 00:00:49.282 ANNOUNCEMENT. TALK ABOUT WHAT THE VIBE WAS LIKE, IF YOU WILL, AND ALL THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT NEEDED TO COME INTO PLAY. 8 00:00:49.282 --> 00:00:57.624 >> WELL CERTAINLY WE WANTED TO DO EVERYTHING WE COULD TO KEEP THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 ON THE ORIGINAL MAY 24 DATE. AFTER 9 00:00:57.624 --> 00:01:04.097 SAINT PETE HAPPENED, AND WE STARTED SEEING WHAT WAS GOING ON AROUND US, WE REALIZED IT WAS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE. AND 10 00:01:04.097 --> 00:01:11.237 WHEN THE GOVERNOR SAID IT WAS PROBABLY APPROPRIATE TO SHELTER IN PLACE. WE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW LONG IT TAKES TO PREPARE FOR 11 00:01:11.237 --> 00:01:16.176 300,000 PEOPLE TO PREPARE TO COME TO THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY. THE BEST THING FOR US TO DO WAS TO MOVE THE SPEEDWAY 12 00:01:16.176 --> 00:01:23.049 AND THE INDY 500 TO SOME OTHER DATE IN ORDER TO GIVE US TIME TO REALLY PREPARE PROPERLY. SO IT REALLY CAME DOWN TO THE 13 00:01:23.049 --> 00:01:29.823 PREPARATION TIME, AND WE WERE STILL HOPEFUL THAT BY MAY 24, WE COULD GET OUTSIDE AGAIN. FOR US, WE CAN'T PACK THAT PREPARATION 14 00:01:29.823 --> 00:01:35.728 TIME IN A SMALL WINDOW. SO THE BEST THING TO DO WAS MOVE IT DOWN TO AUGUST. >> I KNOW ONE OF THE CHALLENGES 15 00:01:35.728 --> 00:01:41.434 IN RESCHEDULING WAS FINDING THREE WEEKENDS BASICALLY TOGETHER WITH ALL OF THE RESCHEDULING GOING ON WITH OTHER 16 00:01:41.434 --> 00:01:48.308 SPORTING EVENTS AND TELEVISION AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. >> THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES, WE REALLY FOCUSED ON 17 00:01:48.308 --> 00:01:54.514 WE WANT THE INDY 500 WHEREVER WE PUT IT TO FEEL LIKE THE INDY 500, WE FELT LIKE IT NEEDED AT LEAST THAT QUALIFYING WEEKEND 18 00:01:54.514 --> 00:02:01.621 AND PRACTICE LEADING UP TO IT AHEAD OF THE RACE WEEKEND ITSELF, WHICH THEN CAUSED US TO LOOK AT THE INDYCAR GRAND PRIX, 19 00:02:01.621 --> 00:02:14.300 THE GMR GRAND, AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT LANDING THAT, AS A DOUBLEHEADER XFINITY CARS. >> THAT DOES REALLY BEEF UP THAT 20 00:02:14.300 --> 00:02:21.574 JULY 4 WEEKEND AT IMS. YOU SEE THAT AS A REAL POSITIVE FOR THAT WEEKEND TO HAVE BOTH THE INDYCARS, AND THE NASCAR GUYS 21 00:02:21.574 --> 00:02:29.182 OUT ON THE TRACK. >> YEAH, WE'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED THAT. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT A DOUBLE WITH 22 00:02:29.182 --> 00:02:37.657 INDYCAR AND NASCAR ON THE SAME TRACK AT SOME TRACK AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE DIDN'T KNOW IT WOULD BE THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR 23 00:02:37.657 --> 00:02:45.398 SPEEDWAY. JAY FRY IS EXCITED ABOUT IT AS WELL. I THINK IT'S GREAT FOR OUR FANS. I THINK THE CUP DRIVERS AND THE INDYCAR 24 00:02:45.398 --> 00:02:52.705 DRIVERS ARE GOING TO HAVE FUN INTERACTING. >> DOUG, TRADITION IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE 25 00:02:52.705 --> 00:03:02.181 INDIANAPOLIS 500, OBVIOUSLY THE RACE IS NOT GOING TO BE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND SHIFTING TO AUGUST. WILL TRADITIONS STILL BE A PART 26 00:03:02.181 --> 00:03:08.621 OF THE RACE EXPERIENCE? >> YOU KNOW, I TELL FOLKS MY FAVORITE 30 MINUTES OF THE YEAR, THE 30 MINUTES LEADING UP TO THE 27 00:03:08.621 --> 00:03:15.028 INDYCAR 500, I'M CERTAINLY NOT ALONE, I THINK A LOT OF THOSE TRADITIONS WILL CONTINUE. WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME TO THE INDY 28 00:03:15.028 --> 00:03:23.603 500 AND FEEL LIKE IT'S THE INDY 500 THEY'VE COME BACK TO YEAR AFTER YEAR. THEY CAN COUNT ON THE CONDITIONS BEING PART OF 29 00:03:23.603 --> 00:03:30.743 PRERACE. >> FINAL QUESTION, ROGER PENSKE, THE NEW OWNER CERTAINLY INVOLVED AND ENGAGED VERY MUCH IN THAT 30 00:03:30.743 --> 00:03:38.585 DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, HE OBVIOUSLY WANTED TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE SPORT. BUT ALSO WHAT'S RIGHT 31 00:03:38.585 --> 00:03:45.592 FOR INDIANAPOLIS AND THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. DID THAT FACTOR INTO THE DECISION-MAKING? >> 100%, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING 32 00:03:45.592 --> 00:03:51.130 WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE IN NOVEMBER TO THE TIME THAT HE ACTUALLY OFFICIALLY TOOK OVER CONTROL OF THE SPEEDWAY IN 33 00:03:51.130 --> 00:03:56.869 JANUARY. HE SAID HE WANTS TO BE A GREAT CORPORATE CITIZEN IN THE STATE OF INDIANA, AND HE HAS PROVEN THAT AS WE'VE GONE 34 00:03:56.869 --> 00:04:01.975 THROUGH THIS, MANY TIMES A DAY I'M HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH HIM, MARK MILES ON THE PHONE WITH HIM QUITE A BIT, HE'S 35 00:04:01.975 --> 00:04:08.047 TALKED TO OUR MARCH, GOVERNOR, HE'S REALLY PLUGGED IN. HE WANTS THIS TO BE THE INDIANA INSTITUTION THAT IT IS. AND HE'S 36 00:04:08.047 --> 00:04:14.821 COMMITTED TO INVESTING IN IT TO MAKE IT THE HOOSIER RACETRACK THAT WE HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH. HE'S GOING TO BE A GREAT 37 00:04:14.821 --> 00:04:19.459 CORPORATE PARTNER FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND STATE. >> LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RESCHEDULED INDIANAPOLIS 500 AND 38 00:04:19.459 --> 00:04:20.460 THE INDY GRAND PRIX AS WELL.