INDIANAPOLIS, The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indy Racing League are donating the $100,000 purse from the 2008 McDonalds Pit Stop Challenge, canceled May 23 due to rain, to Belle Isle Park and Hole in the Wall Camps.
Belle Isle Park, located in Detroit, and Hole in the Wall Camps each will receive $50,000.
The McDonalds Pit Stop Challenge is an annual contest to determine the fastest pit crew in the Indianapolis 500. It took place annually from 1977-2007 during May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This years event, scheduled for May 23, was the first to be canceled due to weather.
While it was disappointing that rain washed out the Pit Stop Challenge for the first time, were grateful that theres a positive outcome through these donations, said Tony George, IMS chief executive officer and IRL founder and chief executive officer. Belle Isle is a wonderful place for Detroit-area residents to enjoy throughout the year, and the Hole in the Wall Camps provide hope and happiness for children with serious illnesses. Were pleased to help both entities.
When the merger between the IndyCar Series and the Champ Car World Series was announced in February, longtime team owners Roger Penske and Paul Newman wrote a personal letter to Indianapolis 500 ticket holders inviting them back to the event this May. Demonstrating his thanks to these pioneers of racing, Indy Racing League Founder and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chief Executive Officer Tony George offered to split the $100,000 pit stop competition purse between two charitable organizations close to the heart of each team owner.
Belle Isle was identified as a beneficiary of the donation as Penske helped bring Grand Prix auto racing back to Detroit in 2007 with an IndyCar Series race on the Belle Isle street circuit, and he remains dedicated to the preservation of the public island park located on the Detroit River. The 2008 Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will be held Aug. 29-31.
On behalf of the Grand Prix, the City of Detroit and the Belle Isle Womens Committee, we want to thank Tony George, the Hulman-George family and everyone at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for this generous donation, said Bud Denker, event chairman of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. Hundreds of thousands of people enjoy Belle Isle every year, and this donation will certainly help with the continued maintenance and enhancement projects at this beautiful island park.
Founded by Paul Newman, the legendary award-winning actor, the family of Hole in the Wall Camps are places where children living with serious illnesses and life-threatening conditions can rediscover the joys of childhood. Campers who have been isolated by their treatments or too sick to participate in ordinary childhood activities have the opportunity to engage in all sorts of fun at camp. The camps provide children from throughout the U.S. and around the world with endless days filled with laughter, cheering and singing.
"We are delighted to be a recipient of this generous donation and honored to be an official charity of the IRL and the IMS, said Ray Empson, president and CEO of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps. On behalf of the thousands of children we serve, our sincerest thanks. Because of generous supporters like Tony George, the Hulman-George family and everyone at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, we can do what we do best enable children with serious illnesses to enjoy the simple pleasures of childhood.
***
2008 IMS tickets: Tickets for the two remaining world-class events in 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the 15th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP are on sale.
|
