Wednesday
Sarah Fisher Joining To Celebrate 100th Anniversary Of Indianapolis 500 With Visits To U.S. Troops In Europe And Southwest Asia
Press Release“10-day Tour Departs from Indianapolis International Airport Today”
The tour, which will be departing from New York City on Thursday led by Morale Entertainment Foundation and the Pentagon’s Armed Forces Entertainment agency, is aimed at increasing morale of U.S. troops stationed overseas by bringing the excitement of the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 to more than 10,000 men and women serving our country.
The drivers will give motivational talks to the troops and participate in multiple Q & A sessions, meet and greets, and photo opportunities with military personnel. Some troops will even have the rare opportunity to experience being an IndyCar passenger in the thrill of the Indy Racing Experience two-seater IndyCar.
“The troops serving downrange are always happy to get a taste of home,” said Lt Col USAF Kathleen Weatherspoon, Chief, Armed Forces Entertainment, who is working with Morale Entertainment to finalize the details for the tour. “And nothing says ‘America’ more than bringing these amazing drivers to share their stories and thank our men and women in uniform.” Armed Forces Entertainment is the official Department of Defense agency providing entertainment for American troops stationed around the world.
Tour sponsors include The Pantry Inc., parent of Kangaroo Express, Honda, IZOD, the Indy Racing Experience, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, espnW, Track Chic and the IZOD IndyCar Series.
About Sarah Fisher:
At just 30 years old, Sarah Fisher has competed in nine Indianapolis 500′s, been voted “Most Popular Driver” four times in two separate Series (IndyCar and NASCAR), been awarded “Indy’s Best & Brightest Leaders Under 40″ and enters her fourth season as a team owner in 2011. Fisher is the first woman to qualify fastest for a major North American open-wheel event, the fastest woman to ever qualify for the Indy 500 and is the youngest woman to compete at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Fisher has been a guest or profiled on a variety of national platforms such as, LIVE! With Regis & Kelly, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Glamour, People and Forbes Magazine, to name a few. In 2008, she formed her own race team: Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR), and made her first start as a team owner in the IndyCar Series’ Indy 500. In May 2010, Fisher made her ninth start in the Indy 500, marking the most starts for a woman in the 93-year history of the race.
About the IZOD IndyCar Series:
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier open-wheel series in the United States, competing on a challenging combination of superspeedways, short ovals, scenic road courses and temporary street circuits. In 2011 the IndyCar Series will conduct 13 races in the U.S., one in Canada and one both in Japan and Brazil, all available worldwide through comprehensive, long-term agreements with ABC and VERSUS in high-definition.
The IZOD IndyCar Series continues to the be the fastest, most versatile racing series, attracting a diverse lineup of drivers including Marco Andretti, Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick, Graham Rahal and Dan Wheldon. A leader in motorsports technology, the IZOD IndyCar Series is the first racing series to power its Honda engines on 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol, a renewable and environmentally friendly fuel. For more information on the IZOD IndyCar Series, visit www.indycar.com.
About the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
Established in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long prevailed as an icon of motorsports excellence. It celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 mile race in 2011. The Speedway plays host to annually to three events in three major racing series: the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race (IZOD IndyCar Series), Brickyard 400 (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) and Red Bull Indianapolis GP (MotoGP World Championship). For more information visit www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.
About the Indy Racing Experience:
Their 2-seater Indy Racing Experience provides fans an opportunity to experience the high speeds of IndyCar racing. The ride allows a passenger sitting behind the driver to experience speeds and g-forces otherwise available only to a handful of elite drivers. The 2-seater is a true IndyCar Series Dallara with a racing engine that can reach up to 180 mph. For more information go to www.indyracingexperience.com
About Track Chic:
Track Chic, [www.trackchic.com], is the only online/offline social phenomenon targeted to the 240+ million female motorsport fans worldwide sharing a passion for Speed, Style and Sisterhood. Track Chic’s celebration of the sport’s female fans constitutes an unprecedented trend and true power shift in motorsports marketing. The company is the first to bring together and give voice to all the mothers, wives, sisters, daughters and faithful fans trackside every weekend, win or lose, rain or shine, supporting the sport and the people they love. Created by women for women, Track Chic isn’t circuit specific or driver specific and offers multiple activation channels to extend the fans’ experience beyond the track and cross over to women’s lifestyle.
About espnW:
Founded in July 2009, espnW, [espnw.com], is a new business from ESPN consisting primarily of a digital product suite including pc web, mobile web, mobile applications and social media. espnW’s mission is to serve, inspire and inform today’s female athlete and fan in an engaging environment where active women can talk sports, share stories and find motivation and support for their athletic goals and interests.
About Honda:
Honda began operations in the U.S. in 1959 with the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda’s first overseas subsidiary. Honda began U.S. production of motorcycles in 1979 and automobiles in 1982. With nine U.S. plants, Honda has invested more than $12.7 billion in its U.S. operations. The company employs nearly 25,000 associates and annually purchases $12 billion in parts and materials from more than 530 U.S. suppliers. Honda vehicles are manufactured using domestic and globally-sourced parts. For more information, visit www.honda.com.
About The Pantry:
Headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, The Pantry, Inc. is the leading independently operated convenience store chain in southeastern United States and one of the largest independently operated convenience store chains in the country. As of December 2, 2010, the Company operated 1,672 stores in thirteen states under select banners, including Kangaroo Express®, its primary operating banner. The Pantry’s stores offer a broad selection of merchandise, as well as gasoline and other ancillary services designed to appeal to the convenience needs of its customers.
About IZOD:
IZOD, one of the United States’ best-known and best-selling apparel brands, is known for its sport-inspired, clean designs and colorful product lines. With a history in the United States dating back to the 1930s, the IZOD brand is licensed to 21 companies in the U.S. and 17 other countries. IZOD brand products include apparel and accessories for men, women, and children, soft home goods and men’s fragrance. The IZOD brand offerings include products sold under the IZOD PerformX (technical and performance fabricated sportswear), IZOD Jeans, and IZOD LX (a luxury sportswear collection sold exclusively at Macy’s) sub brands, which are sold in over 6,000 retail venues worldwide, including department, specialty and company-operated stores. Visit www.izod.com.
About Armed Forces Entertainment:
AFE is the Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. personnel overseas, with priority to those in contingency operations and at remote, isolated locations. The Department of the Air Force is the executive agent of AFE. Founded in 1951,AFE brings a touch of home to more than 500,000 troops annually, embracing the best of Americana across all genres of entertainment. Visit www.armedforcesentertainment.com for more information.
About the Morale Entertainment Foundation:
MEF was formed as a labor of love and respect to our fighting men and women by a small group of patriots from entertainment, broadcasting, government and business. They perceived a need to increase entertainment opportunities for U.S. war-fighters deployed abroad. To address this need, the MEF was founded on a vision to bring to troops the “Best of America.” Additionally, by videotaping each event and producing broadcast-quality programming, the MEF envisions bringing families closer to their warriors, and raising awareness of citizens as to
the sacrifices of those who wear the uniform. Visit www.moraleentertainment.org for more information.
- Sarah Fisher Racing Press Release
Article Tags: Al Unser Jr, Cameron Haven, espnW, Honda, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy Racing Experience, IZOD, IZOD IndyCar® Series, Jack Arute, Johnny Rutherford, Kangaroo Express, Kathleen Weatherspoon, Larry Foyt, Mario Andretti, Martin Plowman, Sarah Fisher Racing, SFR, The Pantry Inc, Track Chic
