Indianapolis 500 fans for the first time "will be able to 'glamp' in the IMS infield during race weekend," according to Dana Hunsinger Benbow of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. "Glamping," short for glamorous camping, is "a trend popping up nationwide for people who want to enjoy the basics of camping without getting down and dirty." IMS is offering "various glamping packages" that include "luxuries like a tent with a tarp floor and windows, queen-sized beds, a private shower area, electronics hookup and access to a glamping lounge." All packages include "four nights and five days." Fans who want to glamp "must have tickets to Coors Light Carb Day on May 23, Legends Day on May 24 and the 500 race on May 25." Guests get an "infield parking pass, preferred check-in location and power source for personal electronics." Other features include "private restroom facilities, a padlock with key and access to cellphone charging stations, ice sales and water refill" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 3/6).
TURBO BOOST: ESPN.com's John Oreovicz wrote the Indy 500 "got a big boost in the last week when programs were announced for former CART and Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve and NASCAR star Kurt Busch." The presence of Villeneuve and Busch will "benefit the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 by attracting national and international attention to the genuinely compelling storyline of a pair of high-profile drivers trying something new or different." For a series "struggling for television viewers and sponsorship dollars, that can only be a positive" (ESPN.com, 3/5). In N.Y., Naila-Jean Meyers noted Busch has a new website that will "allow fans to monitor his workouts and his physical condition and to track his travel back and forth" as he prepares to run the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 in the same day (N.Y. TIMES, 3/5).
