1. GoPro Video Offers 360-Degree View of Golden Gate Bridge Crossing
2. Grand Prix of Boston Adds LogMeIn as Presenting Sponsor
3. Julia Wilson to Ride in Honor of Justin
4. No. 55 Rosè from Foyt Family Wines Honors Town of Speedway
5. 2017 SCCA Runoffs Set for IMS Road Course
6. Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Tickets Available Oct. 19
1. GoPro Video Offers 360-Degree View of Golden Gate Bridge Crossing: Fans now have the opportunity to sense what it was like when Indy cars drove across the Golden Gate Bridge in August, thanks to a collaborative effort from INDYCAR and GoPro.
The landmark event included four competition Indy cars and the INDYCAR Experience two-seater traveling over the iconic San Francisco span Aug. 27 as a tribute to the late Justin Wilson and to bring the Astor Cup presented annually to the Verizon IndyCar Series champion to Sonoma Raceway, site of the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma, the 2015 season finale.
Marco Andretti led the procession in the No. 25 Andretti Autosport Honda driven in six 2015 races by Wilson, who died Aug. 24 from injuries sustained in a race the day before. Other Indy cars were driven across the bridge by Will Power, Josef Newgarden and Graham Rahal. James Hinchcliffe piloted the two-seater, carrying the Astor Cup securely in the rear passenger seat.
GoPro positioned hundreds of cameras on the cars, the bridge and around the location to capture the event. The San Francisco-based action camera company produced a video from the 360-degree spherical cameras aboard Newgarden’s car and the two-seater that provides a scintillating, interactive view of the journey. Viewers using select Internet browsers (Chrome, Firefox and Opera) can manipulate the video by clicking on the screen while the video is playing and dragging the cursor to different points to show various camera angles.
To watch the video, visit http://www.indycar.com/News/
2. Grand Prix of Boston Adds LogMeIn as Presenting Sponsor: Boston-based LogMeIn will serve as the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Verizon IndyCar Series race on city streets in 2016.
The Grand Prix of Boston Powered by LogMeIn will be held Sept. 2-4 in the South Boston waterfront area – where the company’s headquarters are located. LogMeIn plans to leverage its Internet of Things platform and bring IoT technology to the grand prix to enhance the fan experience.
“This is a great win for the city of Boston – we’re expecting an influx of tourism and support for local businesses, and residents will be able to see one of America’s greatest sports featured right here in our city,” Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said. “The Grand Prix of Boston represents the latest success on the South Boston waterfront, and we’re excited to work with INDYCAR and companies like LogMeIn to give the best sports fans in the world one more thing to cheer about.”
LogMeIn, founded in 2003 and employing about 500 in Boston and more than 1,000 worldwide, is the largest tech company with headquarters in the city’s Innovation District. It offers cloud-based solutions to individuals and companies.
“LogMeIn has always been committed to investing in our Boston community and having a positive economic impact on the city and the Fort Point neighborhood,” said W. Sean Ford, LogMeIn’s CMO. “The grand prix represents an opportunity to continue to solidify Boston as the hub of innovation for the Internet of Things, and showcase Xively, our award-winning Internet of Things platform and application solution. We are extremely honored to be the presenting sponsor of the first-ever Indy car race in Boston.”
3. Julia Wilson to Ride in Honor of Justin: Julia Wilson will honor her late husband Justin at The Dempsey Challenge charity bike ride Oct. 17 and 18 in Maine.
The event raises funds for The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing in Lewiston, Maine, and was a cause Justin Wilson took up in 2013. Wilson, who knew Dempsey through the actor’s involvement in motorsports, carried The Dempsey Challenge on his Verizon IndyCar Series car in the 2013 Grand Prix of Baltimore and later participated in the 100-mile charity ride despite recovering from a broken pelvis.
Julia planned to ride a 50-mile version of the challenge alongside Justin this year before he died from injuries sustained in a racing accident in August. Julia decided to go ahead with plans to ride and asked Justin’s younger brother, Stefan, to team with her, family friend Barry Waddell and Dempsey Racing executive Jim Jordan, to compete under the #Riding4JWill banner.
To date, the team has raised nearly $6,000 for the Dempsey Center, which provides free support, education and integrative medicine to anyone impacted by cancer.
4. No. 55 Rosè from Foyt Family Wines Honors Town of Speedway: Foyt Family Wines is honoring the town of Speedway, Ind., with the introduction of Speedway Rosè. In keeping with the tradition of using numbers to designate its wines, Foyt Family Wines officially lists this varietal’s release as No. 55 Rosè of Pinot Noir from Sonoma County. The number refers to the year that A.J. Foyt watched his first Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
A launch party slated for 6 p.m. ET Oct. 22 at the Foyt Wine Vault on Main Street in Speedway, Ind., will be open to the public.
5. 2017 SCCA Runoffs Set for IMS Road Course: Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Sports Car Club of America announced that the IMS road course will be the site of the 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs.
The Indianapolis 500 and SCCA history are intrinsically linked. Many SCCA graduates have competed in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” with Mark Donohue and Bobby Rahal earning both a Runoffs title and an Indy 500 win in their careers. Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice also competed in the Runoffs; current Verizon IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal is the youngest Runoffs champion and still has a chance to add his name to the Borg-Warner Trophy.
6. Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Tickets Available Oct. 19: Tickets for the 42nd annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, set for April 15-17, 2016, go on sale at 1 p.m. ET Oct. 19. The race weekend is highlighted by the Verizon IndyCar Series race, along with the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Pirelli World Challenge. Tickets may be purchased online at gplb.com or by calling (888) 827-7333.
