Indianapolis 500 Archives

Takuma Sato Returns to RLL for the 109th Running of the Indy 500

Indiana Chronicle — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 20:07:17 +0000

ZIONSVILLE, IN – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, Takuma Sato, will return to the team for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500. AMADA AMERICA, Inc., a leading global machine tool manufacturer and supplier in the sheet metal industry, will again be the primary sponsor for 2017 and 2020 Indy 500 winner Sato’s No. 75 Honda-powered entry in the May 25 event as they were in 2024.

Sato competed for RLL in 2012 and from 2018-2021 as well as last year’s Indy 500 with primary sponsorship from AMADA. He has earned six NTT INDYCAR SERIES wins, four of which have come with RLL, including the team’s second Indy 500 win in 2020. Sato competed in oval races with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023 and returned to RLL in 2024 for the Indy 500. He set the second fastest qualifying speed of Honda-powered drivers in 2024, his 15th time to participate in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing and sixth with RLL.

The team’s relationship with AMADA goes back to 2023 when the manufacturer was the primary sponsor of the team’s No. 30 entry at the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park on April 30, 2023. In addition to being the primary sponsor of Sato’s entry in the 2024 Indianapolis 500, they were also a major associate sponsor of the team’s No. 30 entry at the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, near their Buena Park, Calif. Headquarters and primary sponsor at Portland.

Sato, a native of Tokyo, Japan, has made 221 starts in the INDYCAR SERIES since his rookie season in 2010, which is seventh among active drivers and 22nd all-time. His Indy car highlights include wins in the 2017 and 2020 Indianapolis 500, 2013 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, 2018 Portland Grand Prix, 2019 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama and Bommarito 500 at WWT Raceway, with four of the six coming with RLL. Of his 14 podium finishes to date, 10 have come with RLL as have three of his 10 Indy car poles. Prior to joining the INDYCAR SERIES, he competed in 90 Formula One races between 2002-2008 with his highest finish of third at the 2004 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

SOURCE: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

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BC39 Returns to The Dirt Track at IMS on July 1-2

Indiana Chronicle — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 21:42:42 +0000

Indianapolis, IN – One of the most prestigious events in dirt racing is set to return this summer as the BC39 presented by Avanti Windows & Doors heads back to The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for its seventh running on a new date, July 1-2.

The United States Auto Club (USAC) NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship will once again take center stage as drivers race for victory on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 of IMS. This is the first time the BC39 has taken place in early July, as four of the previous events occurred in September and the other two in August.

Action among the top Midget racers in the country will open Tuesday, July 1, with the 39-lap feature race set for Wednesday night, July 2. The event honors the memory of Bryan Clauson, a three-time Indianapolis 500 starter and four-time USAC national driving champion.

Ticket renewals and applications will be open from Feb. 11-21, with tickets going on sale to the general public on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Visit IMS.com for complete details and to renew, apply for, or buy tickets.

Cannon McIntosh took the lead with slightly more than one lap remaining to win the BC39 last September in an unforgettable finish. He joins a list of BC39 winners that includes NASCAR Cup Series champion and Brickyard 400 presented by PPG winner Kyle Larson and short-track stars Justin Grant, Buddy Kofoid, Zeb Wise, and Brady Bacon. No driver has ever won this coveted race more than once.

SOURCE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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DETER Barriers Deployed at the Indy 500

Indiana Chronicle — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 19:58:54 +0000

DETER is a fully portable vehicle barrier that can stop a box truck moving at 30 miles per hour and then be lowered in seconds to allow first responders or other important vehicles to pass through. Two DETER barriers were set up covering both of the northbound lanes. Most of the day they remained in the down position, with continuous traffic of all kinds driving over them—from golf carts transporting security guards, to full sized semi-trucks, even a Lamborghini and a couple of Ferraris. This provided important real-world data on the durability and usability of the barrier. Photo credit: S&T.

On May 27, CISA OBP partnered with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and DHS’ S&T Directorate to demonstrate the DETER vehicle barrier at the 108th running of the Indy 500.

The DETER is a quickly deployable barrier designed to protect critical assets and soft targets from vehicular attacks. It’s adaptable to various lane widths, road surfaces and environmental conditions. At the Indy 500, the barrier was deployed multiple times and used as a temporary road closure, enhancing the safety of more than 300,000 fans in attendance over the Memorial Day weekend.

“CISA is excited we were able to help deploy the DETER barrier at the Indy 500. Our partnership with ERDC, DHS S&T and our colleagues in CISA Region 5 continue to set the standard for collaboration, innovation and collective security,” said Darrin Flick, Technical Assistance Branch Chief.

To read more about DETER and our partnership with DHS S&T and ERDC, click the links below:

SOURCE: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

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