2006 MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden turned the first laps by a motorcycle on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s recently reconfigured road course, riding a restored 1909 Indian motorcycle that competed in the Speedway’s first race on August 14, 1909. After the historic first lap on the Indian, Hayden made several laps on a Honda production bike before speaking to the media. The event was staged in preparation for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP, to be held September 14, 2008.   read more »

Jim Haines / IRL

Graham Rahal, the 19 year-old IndyCar rookie and son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, became the youngest driver ever to win a major open-wheel race, the first driver from the former Champ Car World Series to win in the unified IndyCar Series, and just the fourth driver ever to win in his first IndyCar Series event. Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan rounded out the top three in an event-filled race that began under heavy rain showers.   read more »

Bobby East is pushed out of pit lane to start the Premier Racing Association Banjo 100 at O’Reilly Raceway Park on September 14, 2007. East went on to dominate the event and take home the victory in what would be the final race run by the PRA.   read more »

Jim Haines / IRL

The road to this year’s Indy 500 began at Homestead-Miami Speedway in a fashion very similar to that of years past, with a driver from Target Chip Ganassi Racing pulling into Victory Lane. But this year was different—despite a strong charge from Ganassi driver and three-time Homestead winner Dan Wheldon, it was teammate Scott Dixon who finished first in this year’s race, the Gainsco Insurance 300. Andretti Green Racing driver Marco Andretti, the victim of some horrendous luck at Homestead in previous years finished second, and Wheldon finished third after starting the race from last place. Andretti teammate Tony Kanaan led the race with just seven laps to go, but was forced out after making contact with the spinning car of Ernesto Viso.   read more »

The singing group “Something Good” from Canton, OH performed the US National Anthem on Opening Day for the 2007 Indianapolis 500 (includes audio).   read more »