Annual Fan Party Returns as New Ad Featuring Strahan Debuts;
Additional Activations Planned at Riley Hospital for Children, Assembly Hall
By: IMS
INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Feb. 14, 2025) – The countdown to the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is shown plenty of love Friday, Feb. 14 with a full day of celebration leading up to the 100 Days Out Fan Party at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“It’s no secret that I love the Indianapolis 500 and the fans of the Indianapolis 500,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “Celebrating the Indy 500 on Valentine’s Day with fans and with our community is a perfect way to kick off the countdown to Race Day.”
To start the day, Penske Entertainment employees and NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers will participate in a Valentine’s Day Party at the Child Life Zone at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. Kids and families have been invited to visit and make Valentine’s Day cards with drivers Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Jack Harvey of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports, Callum Ilott of PREMA Racing and Nolan Siegel of Arrow McLaren. Copies of “ABCs of INDYCAR Racing: My First Guide to INDYCAR Racing” were donated to the Child Life Zone by Red Racer Books.
Fans also will celebrate the milestone of 100 days until “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” during a fan party, scheduled for 7-9:30 p.m., exactly 100 days from the Sunday, May 25, Race Day for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
This free annual fan celebration, which has reached full capacity with no admission available at the door, will feature NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver appearances and autograph sessions, photo opportunities and more. Scheduled to attend include 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, Sting Ray Robb of Juncos Hollinger Racing and Robert Shwartzman of PREMA Racing.
As part of the Valentine’s Day celebration, fans attending the party are invited to write a “Love Letter to May” and place the note in a specially designated mailbox. Fans who can’t join the party are invited to post their love letters to social media to help celebrate. The NTT INDYCAR Series FOX broadcast team of Will Buxton, Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe will post their “Love Letters to May” throughout the day.
During the party, fans also will show their love by helping to pack military hygiene kits with the Services to the Armed Forces division for the American Red Cross. The 500 kits packed during the party will be delivered to Veterans Affairs hospitals throughout Central Indiana.
The 2025 Indy 500 marketing campaign video also will premiere live for fans. Created by IMS Productions, the 30-second spot, voiced by 2025 Indy 500 Pace Car driver Michael Strahan, promotes the “This is May” campaign for this year’s race as fans celebrate what makes May a tradition. Strahan, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, two-time Daytime Emmy Award winner, longtime “FOX NFL Sunday” analyst and “Good Morning America” co-host, uniquely captures in the video the spirit and essence of May at the Racing Capital of the World.
The spot also will be posted on IMS social channels, the IMS YouTube channel and IMS.com shortly after it airs Friday evening, so fans can watch and share. Meanwhile, it will be seen on local broadcast affiliates and cable television throughout Central Indiana in the near future.
While the 100 Days Out Fan Party is underway at IMS, FOX is helping to spread the love during its broadcast of the NCAA men’s basketball game from Bloomington, Indiana. As the Indiana Hoosiers take on the UCLA Bruins, FOX will host a “kiss the bricks” kissing booth for fans in attendance.
The green flag for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge once again will embark on an epic global relay to visit key figures and historic landmarks before returning to Indianapolis for Race Day. Back-to-back and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden kicked off the relay Sunday, Feb. 9 during Super Bowl LIX celebrations in New Orleans. Follow the flag’s adventures throughout the countdown across all IMS social channels.
Tickets are on sale at IMS.com for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, Sonsio Grand Prix and all Month of May activities.
