Trouble at IMS?

The news reports just keep coming.

It seems that Tony George is still the CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but his tenure may be in trouble.

According to the Associated Press yesterday, track officials denied a report that the board of directors voted to oust the 49-year-old CEO.

However, it's said that George has been asked to create a more efficient plan for spending time running the family's businesses.

Sounds to this Indianapolis Observer like there's dissension in the Hulman family (and, not for the first time).

The Greatest Spectacle in Racing

And, they're off! While the Indy 500 is running, check out the action here.

UPDATE:

Helio Castroneves is the winner!

How the Indianapolis Brickyard Fell Into Place

(IMS Photo)

"Racing fans watching the Indianapolis 500 over Memorial Day weekend are sure to hear dozens of references to 'the Brickyard'. Spectators who have not connected that name with the pioneering racetrack surface of Indy’s past need only look as far as a strip of red blocks at the start-finish line for a visual explanation.

"But when race cars first roared off the starting line at the just-finished Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August 1909, the track was not yet paved with the 3.2 million bricks that were the source of its nickname. Instead, it was a packed and oiled stone racecourse that came apart quickly, a parallel to what modern drivers contend with on rough public roads in their holiday weekend travels."

Read the rest of it here.

Dario Franchitti Is Roaring Back at Indy

"A reinvigorated Dario Franchitti is back in the front row at the Indianapolis 500 after a lost year in Nascar racing, and it seems as if he was never gone. That could be because his face smiled out from last year’s race tickets — the honor reserved for the defending champion — even as he was off chasing a Nascar dream that didn’t win him anything."

Read the rest of it here.

Tribute To America's Veterans at IMS

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will continue its longstanding tradition of honoring America's military veterans during the pre-race ceremonies for the Indianapolis 500 with an expanded variety of tributes, including special recognition of a unique group of American heroes and a dramatic flyover, reports the IMS.

Pre-race ceremonies for the Indianapolis 500 are scheduled to start at noon 24 May, with "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" starting at 1 p.m.

Among the veterans of America's armed forces to be honored will be nine members of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.

The Tuskegee Airmen enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II to become America's first African-American military airmen. They trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Ala., and compiled an exemplary record in combat service despite numerous acts of bigotry and racism committed against them at home and overseas.

Marion County Summer Youth Programs to Get Boost

Indianapolis is is awarding more than $100,000 in community block grants to 12 local agencies through the Summer Youth Program Fund, reports Inside INdiana Business.

The funds will provide opportunities for nearly 1,500 youth to participate in recreational, cultural and educational activities. The Summer Youth Program Fund was established in Marion County in 1995 by the Indianapolis Foundation and Lilly Endowment Inc.

The recipients are:
Community Alliance of the Far Eastside, Young Audiences of Indiana, La Plaza, Edna Martin Christian Center, Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center, Fay B. Glick Neighborhood Center, Coburn Place Safe Haven, Concord Neighborhood Center, Forest Manor Multi-Service Center, John H. Boner Center, Flanner House and East 10th United Methodist Children & Youth Center.

CIB Chief Paid More Than Mayor and Governor...Combined!

"For 18 years, Barney Levengood has held one of the toughest and most important jobs in the city.

"He oversees the operation of the Indiana Convention Center, Conseco Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium as executive director of the Capital Improvement Board.

"He’s also become one of the state’s highest-paid public employees. Levengood, 54, earns a salary of $221,325—more than the governor and the mayor combined. He also gets a $500-per-month car allowance."

Read the rest of Cory Schouten's excellent article in Indianapolis Business Journal.