THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 4, 1995 TAG: 9508040611
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Now that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a NASCAR track, speedway president Tony George is planning changes to make it more in line with what NASCAR fans expect.
``The NASCAR fans are used to seeing all the way around the tracks, for the most part,'' he said. ``We're trying to make plans for the future so that in the next couple of years, we'll get some big-screen TVs - some jumbotron TVs - in place in various spots around the track so the spectators can follow the action all the way around.
``There's nothing we can do about the configuration of the race track to make it more spectator-friendly or to make it what (NASCAR fans) are accustomed to. So we do what we can.''
George said that while there were no serious glitches in staging last year's inaugural race, ``this second year has gone much smoother. We've built and developed good relationships with our five major sponsors, the broadcast ratings far exceeded everybody's expectations, and I think we will continue to try and make improvements to a facility that will now accommodate two races.''
George said the inaugural Brickyard 400 ``certainly lived up to my expectations. I think everybody was uncertain how things would go and maybe had some nervousness about it.
``But I think it went very well.''
It went very well indeed, with a rare 73-degree day supplanting the typical hot and humid Indiana summer weather.
``I was very pleased and relieved when I woke up (last year) to such a glorious morning and felt blessed that we were going to have a perfect day for our first race,'' George said.
``We were blessed with great weather and a pretty good race, and I think we'll be a little bit better prepared this year.''
But George is not expecting the same atmospheric luck this year. The forecast for Saturday's race calls for a chance of showers and thundershowers early in the day with temperatures in the low 80s.
``It's going to be a different set of circumstances this year, so everyone will have to adjust,'' George said. ``Things can get pretty hot and this can be a very demanding track. And it will be a ``survival of the fittest' I am sure.''
George said he sees a long future for the Brickyard 400.
``There are no guarantees in life, but hopefully it will continue to be successful and it will be a race that fans and competitors want to come to. We'll do our best to ensure that.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tony George, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, hopes to
make the action easier to see.
by CNB