Latest news with #Foyt
Indianapolis Star
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Casey Foyt will wave the green flag at the 2025 Indy 500. Here's who else has done it
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced on May 23 that the honorary starter for the 109th running of the Indianapolis is Casey Foyt, the daughter of late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay and the wife of A.J. Foyt IV. Let's take a look back at a few of the celebrities who have been honorary starters and waved the green flag over the years. Casey Foyt, Irsay's middle daughter, joined the Colts in 2007 after a stint in London working for the NFL in London. She works in marketing and community relations for the Colts. IMS officials said they chose Foyt for the honor to commemorate the legacy of her father, who died May 21. An Indiana University graduate, Foyt lives in Carmel with her husband and their five children. 🏁: We're counting down to the 2025 Indy 500. What's happening at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Casey Irsay Foyt, daughter of late Colts owner Jim Irsay, named honorary starter for Indy 500
A few days after the death of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is honoring his legacy. The IndyCar series announced Friday that Casey Irsay Foyt, one of Jim Irsay's daughters, will serve as the honorary starter at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. As Irsay's daughter, Foyt will represent the Colts and the Irsay family at the marquee event, waving the checkered flag to start the race. "As Indianapolis prepares for a special weekend that showcases our city's unmatched ability to successfully host massive global sporting events, it's incredibly appropriate and especially meaningful to celebrate Jim's contributions to our city and state," Mark Miles, the Penske Entertainment President and CEO and INDYCAR CEO, said in a statement. "Put simply, the Indianapolis we know and love would not be remotely possible without Jim." "We're honored to have Casey on the flag stand representing her family, our friends at the Colts organization and Hoosiers everywhere who cherish our unique sports scene. Our organizations have a deep history together, and our fans cherish the familiar sight of players at the racetrack and drivers at the stadium," added J. Douglas Boles, the president of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), in the statement. In honor the irreplaceable and impactful legacy of Jim IrsayCasey Irsay Foyt, who represents the next generation of @Colts ownership along with her sisters Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Kalen Jackson, will serve as honorary starter for Sunday's #Indy500 presented by @GainbridgeSport. — Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 23, 2025 Foyt also has a connection to autoracing as she's married to Anthony J. Foyt IV, a former IndyCar driver and grandson of four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt. The Colts announced Wednesday that Jim Irsay had "passed away peacefully in his sleep" at the age of 65. The longtime Colts owner passed down ownership of the team to his three daughters, including Foyt. As two of Indianapolis' strongest sports institutions, the Colts and IMS have been connected over the years. Per the IndyCar statement, the two organizations worked together to plan the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Foyt is also related to legendary racer A.J. Foyt, a four-time winner of the Indy 500, by marriage. Casey Irsay Foyt married A.J. Foyt's grandson, A.J. Foyt IV, in 2009. The honorary starter is a relatively recent tradition in the Indy 500's storied history and serves as a ceremonial start to the race. Peyton Manning, the longtime Colts quarterback, waved the checkered flag in 2007. More recently, the honorary starter role has been taken by famous actors: Austin Butler and Jodie Comer served in the role in 2024. Additionally in recent years, the green flag has been waved by workers or patients from Indiana University's hospital. The Indy 500 will take place at 12:45 p.m. ET Sunday.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Casey Irsay Foyt, daughter of late Colts owner Jim Irsay, named honorary starter for Indy 500
A few days after the death of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is honoring his legacy. The IndyCar series announced Friday that Casey Irsay Foyt, one of Jim Irsay's daughters, will serve as the honorary starter at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. As Irsay's daughter, Foyt will represent the Colts and the Irsay family at the marquee event, waving the checkered flag to start the race. "As Indianapolis prepares for a special weekend that showcases our city's unmatched ability to successfully host massive global sporting events, it's incredibly appropriate and especially meaningful to celebrate Jim's contributions to our city and state," Mark Miles, the Penske Entertainment President and CEO and INDYCAR CEO, said in a statement. "Put simply, the Indianapolis we know and love would not be remotely possible without Jim." "We're honored to have Casey on the flag stand representing her family, our friends at the Colts organization and Hoosiers everywhere who cherish our unique sports scene. Our organizations have a deep history together, and our fans cherish the familiar sight of players at the racetrack and drivers at the stadium," added J. Douglas Boles, the president of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), in the statement. In honor the irreplaceable and impactful legacy of Jim IrsayCasey Irsay Foyt, who represents the next generation of @Colts ownership along with her sisters Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Kalen Jackson, will serve as honorary starter for Sunday's #Indy500 presented by @GainbridgeSport. — Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 23, 2025 Foyt also has a connection to autoracing as she's married to Anthony J. Foyt IV, a former IndyCar driver and grandson of four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt. The Colts announced Wednesday that Jim Irsay had "passed away peacefully in his sleep" at the age of 65. The longtime Colts owner passed down ownership of the team to his three daughters, including Foyt. As two of Indianapolis' strongest sports institutions, the Colts and IMS have been connected over the years. Per the IndyCar statement, the two organizations worked together to plan the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Foyt is also related to legendary racer A.J. Foyt, a four-time winner of the Indy 500, by marriage. Casey Irsay Foyt married A.J. Foyt's grandson, A.J. Foyt IV, in 2009. The honorary starter is a relatively recent tradition in the Indy 500's storied history and serves as a ceremonial start to the race. Peyton Manning, the longtime Colts quarterback, waved the checkered flag in 2007. More recently, the honorary starter role has been taken by famous actors: Austin Butler and Jodie Comer served in the role in 2024. Additionally in recent years, the green flag has been waved by workers or patients from Indiana University's hospital. The Indy 500 will take place at 12:45 p.m. ET Sunday.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Casey Irsay Foyt, daughter of late Colts owner Jim Irsay, named honorary starter for Indy 500
A few days after the death of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is honoring his legacy. The IndyCar series announced Friday that Casey Irsay Foyt, one of Jim Irsay's daughters, will serve as the honorary starter at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. As Irsay's daughter, Foyt will represent the Colts and the Irsay family at the marquee event, waving the checkered flag to start the race. "As Indianapolis prepares for a special weekend that showcases our city's unmatched ability to successfully host massive global sporting events, it's incredibly appropriate and especially meaningful to celebrate Jim's contributions to our city and state," Mark Miles, the Penske Entertainment President and CEO and INDYCAR CEO, said in a statement. "Put simply, the Indianapolis we know and love would not be remotely possible without Jim." "We're honored to have Casey on the flag stand representing her family, our friends at the Colts organization and Hoosiers everywhere who cherish our unique sports scene. Our organizations have a deep history together, and our fans cherish the familiar sight of players at the racetrack and drivers at the stadium," added J. Douglas Boles, the president of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), in the statement. The team announced Wednesday that Jim Irsay had "passed away peacefully in his sleep" at the age of 65. The longtime Colts owner passed down ownership of the team to his three daughters, including Foyt. Advertisement As two of Indianapolis' strongest sports institutions, the Colts and IMS have been connected over the years. Per the IndyCar statement, the two organizations worked together to plan the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Foyt is also related to legendary racer A.J. Foyt, a four-time winner of the Indy 500, by marriage. Casey Irsay Foyt married A.J. Foyt's grandson, A.J. Foyt IV, in 2009. The honorary starter is a relatively recent tradition in the Indy 500's storied history and serves as a ceremonial start to the race. Peyton Manning, the longtime Colts quarterback, waved the checkered flag in 2007. More recently, the honorary starter role has been taken by famous actors: Austin Butler and Jodie Comer served in the role in 2024. Additionally in recent years, the green flag has been waved by workers or patients from Indiana University's hospital. The Indy 500 will take place at 12:45 p.m. ET Sunday.
Fox News
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
Alex Palou happy with Ganassi-Shank alliance as INDYCAR sees teams collaborate
When Pato O'Ward was comparing the strength of the Arrow McLaren organization to others on the INDYCAR grid last month at Thermal, he made a little quip: "Four Ganassis are always at the front," he said. "I know there's only right now two Ganassis that are usually at the front, but the Shanks count." The power of the new Chip Ganassi Racing-Meyer Shank Racing relationship could continue to grow. And it could be on display this weekend at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. INDYCAR has two prominent alliances: The Ganassi-Shank relationship, which started this year after Shank ended an alliance with Andretti Global, and the Team Penske-A.J. Foyt Racing alliance that started in August 2023. Both of those relationships turn the three-car programs of Ganassi and Penske into potentially five-car programs when it comes to the sharing of information. When Ganassi went from five cars to three this season (veterans Scott Dixon and Alex Palou and second-year driver Kyffin Simpson remained), some of the group that worked with Marcus Armstrong went with Armstrong — who is still under contract with Ganassi — to Shank. Foyt newcomer David Malukas has a Penske engineer assigned to his car, and while he has said he has a multi-year contract with Foyt, the prevailing undercurrent is that if he succeeds, he could be a Penske driver in the future. The Foyt-Penske relationship was a big talking point last May when both organizations were strong. "We have had good cars here at Foyt, and part of our alliance for us is we struggled on road and street [but] we were good in the speedway," Foyt driver Santino Ferrucci said last May. "That's where Penske kind of wanted to make up some ground. … It was a very helpful relationship for us." The Ganassi-Shank relationship this year had the ingredients to be strong because Felix Rosenqvist had also previously driven for Ganassi, so both Shank drivers are familiar with Ganassi processes and key personnel. "They're very consistent with their race engineering, which is what I interact with the most," Rosenqvist said. "The fundamental core of the team is the same ... I know most of them so it seems pretty seamless." The biggest advantage can come in testing. Meyer Shank drivers did the test last month at Barber Motorsports Park and then Ganassi did the test at the Indianapolis road course. Both Foyt and Penske teams did the test at Barber, but then only Foyt teams did the test on the Indianapolis road course. "For sure, it's something that we want to use," Rosenqvist said about making sure they have all the tests covered. "The fact that we can split up is clever usage of our test days. We do everything together, but if we can split up the test, it is a good way to go. Hopefully we learn something from them from Indy GP [test]." The Ganassi-Shank relationship also made for a convenient relationship when it comes to Michael Shank's sports car teams. Both Palou and Dixon drove for Shank at the Rolex 24 at Daytona with Dixon — a teammate on the same car where Rosenqvist was one of the drivers. The drivers have good chemistry and that adds to the engineering information share. "It helps to have a technical partnership where you can share and you can talk," Palou said. "It's a different team but the engineering side is very supported by CGR. So we are free to share data, information and everything. "Unfortunately, they had a terrible taste at Barber [where Rosenqvist crashed] so there was not much to learn. Being able to continue the relationship with Armstrong — I know if something works for him, I can trust it and I can follow and for Felix as well." Technical relationships are not rare in motorsports, and Ganassi had experience with them in NASCAR. "When you say a technical alliance, that's like saying, 'I have a relationship with somebody.' Just saying you have a relationship with somebody could mean 1,000 things," Ganassi said. "So a technical relationship is the same thing. It's not a cookie-cutter thing. It's different for everyone. So I think Mike Shank is happy with it. … It goes both ways. The information flows not all this way or all that way. We'll see. Maybe we will be both good or both bad." Ganassi said that matter-of-factly, indicating that sometimes too much information or too much collaboration isn't always the best thing. Andretti driver Kyle Kirkwood said his team has not felt the loss of the alliance with Shank over the first couple weeks of the season. He said when they split tests last year, the Meyer Shank car information was difficult to make relevant to the Andretti cars and drivers. "I would say more often than not, having so many cars under one umbrella confused us," Kirkwood said. "Even though you have so much information from running that many cars, sometimes it gets a little too confusing, especially when you have as many different dynamics among the drivers in how they want to have things." The key would be to use the additional data from another team if a driver from a different team is struggling. "We don't feel like we're missing anything is the simple answer," Kirkwood said. "But at the same time, it is nice to have that information, especially if you're running out of information to look at. But I don't think that is the case at the moment." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
