Churchill Downs, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Providing Extra Horsepower for Fans

Apr 05, 2012 Darren Rogers

For the first time, Churchill Downs Racetrack and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will offer special Horsepower vs. Horsepower ticket packages for two of the world’s most legendary sporting events, the Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500.

These special packages include tickets for the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on Saturday, May 5 and the 96th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 27. Also included are tickets to the 138th running of the Kentucky Oaks for 3-year old Thoroughbred fillies on Friday, May 4 and Miller Lite Carb Day on Friday, May 25 at IMS. Miller Lite Carb Day features the final Indianapolis 500 practice, Firestone Freedom 100 Firestone Indy Lights race, the Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge and a concert featuring Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Two Horsepower vs. Horsepower packages are available:

*    Party Pack: The Party Pack features general admission tickets to the Kentucky Oaks, the Kentucky Derby, Miller Lite Carb Day and the Indianapolis 500, and access to the Snake Pit on Race Day at the Indianapolis 500. Among other features, Party Pack ticket holders will have front-row access to a performance by a nationally known DJ/producer on the Snake Pit stage and can watch the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert on Miller Lite Carb Day from a specially designated area near the front of the stage. The Party Pack ticket package is $115 per person.

*    Club Pack: The Club Pack features first-floor reserved grandstand bleacher seating at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby, which includes a lunch buffet in the Infield Club. In addition to other premium features, ticketholders will receive admission to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Brickyard Club, reserved grandstand seats for the Indianapolis 500 and access to a fully catered premium food buffet and complimentary bar. The Club Pack ticket package is $995 per person.

The Club Pack is available while supplies last through Sunday, April 15, while the Party Pack can be purchased through Thursday, May 3. Both packages can be purchased at www.ChurchillDowns.com or  www.imstix.com.

This is the first joint promotion between IMS and Churchill Downs, but there are interesting ties between the two legendary venues.

Ray Harroun won four of nine automobile races conducted July 8, 1910 at Churchill Downs. Less than a year later, Harroun earned racing immortality by winning the inaugural Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1911. 1912 Indianapolis 500 winner Joe Dawson finished second to Harroun in three of the races that day at Churchill Downs.

Only one person has owned a horse in the Kentucky Derby and a car in the Indianapolis 500 – reclusive oil millionaire Howard B. Keck. He made even more history by winning both races.
   
Bill Vukovich drove Keck’s No. 14 Fuel Injection Special to consecutive “500” victories in 1953 and 1954. Bill Shoemaker rode Ferdinand, owned by Keck in his wife’s name, to victory in the 1986 Kentucky Derby.

2012 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks tickets: Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks general admission and tickets and seating for all racing dates and special events for Churchill Downs’ 2012 Spring Meet are available for purchase through the historic track’s online box office at www.churchilldowns.com/tickets. General admission for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 5 is $40 if purchased in advance or $50 at admission gates on the day of the race. Kentucky Oaks general admission is $25 in advance or $30 for walk-ups on the Friday, May 4 event. Fans still looking for a seat at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks rather than the “standing room only” status provided by general admission can still purchase Infield Club seating for both days. That hospitality venue ticket includes a reserved seat for both days in sections 124 or 125 with hospitality and food provided in the Infield Club.

2012 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 96th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday. Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2012 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder. Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 5, 2012, and its Spring Meet is scheduled for April 28-July 1. The track has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships a record eight times. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.