IndyCar Series Returning To Las Vegas For First Time In Six Years

The Izod IndyCar Series today will announce that it will "return to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this fall after a six-year hiatus," according to Jeff Wolf of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. IndyCar officials and several drivers are expected to attend today's 11:00am PT news conference at Crystals in CityCenter "to announce details of a new race Oct. 16 at the speedway." The race will be the IndyCar Series' season finale and "part of a three-day event that will include the 15th annual Smith's 350k NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Saturday night and the Las Vegas debut of IndyCar's developmental Firestone Lights Series on Sunday" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/22). Meanwhile, IndyCar officials yesterday revealed that the Indianapolis 500 on May 29 will start at noon ET. The race has started at 1:00pm since '06, when Indiana began observing Daylight Savings Time (IndyCar).

ALL IN THE FAMILY: In Indianapolis, Curt Cavin reported former IMS Corp. CEO Tony George's return to the Hulman & Co. BOD "was a compromise." George "wanted back in the mix, and members of the family that supported that thought that letting him back on the Hulman & Co. board was OK." The Hulman & Co. BOD reportedly "will decide who serves on the IMS Corp. board, and the thing to remember is that there is now three new non-family votes on the Hulman & Co. board." Cavin added, "That’s the part of last week’s change that most people skipped over. I find it interesting because Tony George always seemed against new voices in the family business until he was forced out. Now he supports it. How those men vote will be interesting. We’ll see if it changes the dynamics of the sport" (INDYSTAR.com, 2/21).