*BROOK*) NOW AT FIVE - AN
ICON OF INDIANAPOLIS SPORTS..
NOW UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP. A
HOUSEHOLD NAME IN
MOTORSPORTS.. ROGER PENSKE..
BUYS THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR
SPEEDWAY. WE'VE GOT TEAM
COVERAGE OF TODAY'S MAJOR
ANNOUNCEMENT.
*MIK*) HERE'S A LIVE LOOK
AT THE TRACK.. RAIN IS FALLING
IN SOME AREAS OF CENTRAL
INDIANA. WE'RE TRACKING WHEN
THE SHOWERS MOVE OUT.. AND
WHEN ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVES
IN.
*BROOK*) PLUS - THE COLTS
COULD BE DOWN ANOTHER
QUARTERBACK. OUR SPORTS TEAM
IS LIVE TONIGHT.. THEY'VE GOT
THE LATEST UPDATE ON JACOBY
BRISSETT'S KNEE INJURY.. AND
WHAT'S NEXT FOR HIM.
*BROOK*) THANKS FOR
JOINING US. FIRST AT FIVE -
ITS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
TRANSACTION IN THE HISTORY OF
MOTORSPORTS. ROGER PENSKE..
INTRODUCED AS THE NEW OWNER OF
THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR
SPEEDWAY TODAY. *MIK*) THE
HULMAN FAMILY SOLD THE TRACK
AFTER MORE THAN 70 YEARS OF
OWNERSHIP. NEWS 8'S SIERRA
HIGNITE, DAVID WILLIAMS AND
CHARLIE CLIFFORD ARE ALL
COVERING THIS STORY FOR YOU
TONIGHT. FIRST.. LET'S GET TO
RICHARD ESSEX.. HE SPOKE TO
PENSKE ABOUT THE SALE TODAY..
RICHARD?
**) ROGER PENSKE IS KNOWN
AROUND THE RACING WORLD AS THE
CAPTIAN....HE AND HIS TEAMS
HAVE 14 WINS OUT HERE,,,THE
FIRST IN 1972...WHEN I ASKED
HIM THIS MORNING ABOUT
TRADITIONS....HE SAID AS THE
NEW STEWART OF THE TRACK...HE
INTENDS TO PROTECT THE LONG
AND RICH HERTIAGE OF THIS
FACILITY
*REPORTIN*) THE RUMBLINGS
OF ROGER PENSKE BUIYING THE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
HAVE BEEN REVERBERATING AOUND
THE RACING WORLD FOR A FEW
WEEKS. PENSKE AND TONY GEORGE
REVEALED THIS MORNING THAT
DISCUSSIONS BEGAN AT THE END
OF THE RACING SEASON ((/ 01 58
03 THEY CAME TO ME IT WASN'T
SOMETHING THAT I WAS KNOCKING
ON THEIR DOOR, BUT UH YA KNOW
I LOOK FOR GOOD OPPORTUNITIES
ESPECAILLY SOMETHING WE KNOW
SOMETHING ABOUT WE ARE TRACK
OWNERS WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY RUN
RACES... I THINK OUR DOMAIN
KNOWLWDGE PUTS US IN THE RIGHT
POSITION..WE HAVE THE
FINANCIAL WHEREWITHALL TO DO
THE TRANSACTION WE ARE HERE
LONG TERM, THIS IS NOT BUY IT
FIX IT UP AND SELL IT :)) THE
ONE QUESTION THAT NEITHER
PENSKE OR GEORGE WOULD ANSWER
IS NOW MUCH..BOTH COMPANIES
ARE PRIVATE AND THE SALE
PRICE, THE CONDITIONS OF THE
SALE ARE NOT PUBLIC. WHAT WAS
MADE PUBLIC TONY GEORGE
CHOKING UP WHEN ASKED WHY THE
TRACK WAS BEING SOLD... ((/ 01
23 08 IT IS OBVIOUSLY
EMONTIONALLY DIFFICULT...HENCE
THE CHOCKING UP ...NUT UH YA
KNMOW WE ALL LOVE IT AND WE
ALL CARE DEEPLY FOR IT YA KNOW
BUT WE ALL REALIZE AS A FAMILY
AND ORGANIZATION WE HAVE
PROBABLY TAKEN IT AS FAR AS WE
CAN :)) ROGER PENSKE IS VERY
AWARE OF WHAT THE INDIANAPOLIS
MOTOR SPEEDWAY MEANS TO
INDIANAPOLIS AND TO SPEEDWAY.
HE ALSO HAS SOME VISION FOR
THE TRACK ((/ 12 19 36 AND WE
LOOK AROUND THIS 1000 ACRES
AND SAY CAN THIS BE THE
ENTERTAINMENT CAPITAL, NOT
ONLY THE RACING CAPITAL OF THE
WORLD BUT THE ENTERTAINMENT
CAPITOL OF THE WORLD IN
INDIANA... :)) IN 1972 A TEAM
PENSKE DRIVER BY THE NAME OF
MARK DONOHUE WON THE TEAMS
FIRST RACE HERE AT
INDIANAPOLIS. ALMOST FIFTY
YEARS LATER PENSKE IS TALKING
ABOUT HIS PLAN THE NEXT 75
YEARS.. IN= OUT= ((/ 12 57 17
IN THE UNITED STATE OF AMERICA
YA KNOW HARD WORK COMMITTMENT
TO A GOOD TEAM PAYS OFF AND I
GUESS THATS ONE OF THE
BENEFITS OG WJHY I'M HERE
TODAY :))
**) ROGER PENSKE SAID HE
WILL WALK THE PROPERTY
TOMORROW AND START HOLDING
MEETINGS WITH STAFF RIGHT
AWAY....SHOULD WE EXPECT MAJOR
CHANGES RIGHT AWAY.....LIKE
LIGHTS AROUND THE
TRACK....PROBABLY NOT RIGHT
AWAY PENSKE DID TALK ABOUT
KEEPING NASCAR AND F1 COMING
COMING BACK ...AT THE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
RICHARD ESSEX WISH TV NEWS 8
*MIK*) THANKS RICHARD.
LET'S GET TO SIERRA HIGNITE
NOW. *BROOK*) SHE'S ALSO
AT THE TRACK WITH MORE ON THE
FAMILY HISTORY LEADING UP TO
TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT. SIERRA?
*SIERRA*) BROOKE AND
MIKE.. THERE WERE A LOT OF
EMOTIONS IN THAT PRESS
CONFERENCE TODAY AS MANY
PEOPLE REFLECTED ON THE
HULMAN- GEORGE ERA HERE AT THE
TRACK... AND WHILE THERE WAS A
LOT OF EXCITEMENT LOOKING
TOWARDS THE FUTURE.. EVEN
PENSKE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE
WAS A LOT OF WORK TO GET THIS
TRACK TO WHERE IT IS TODAY.
*SIERRA HIGNITE
REPORTIN*) WHAT WE KNOW AS
THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR
SPEEDWAY WAS BUILT IN 1909 AS
A TESTING FACILITY FOR THE
GROWING AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY.
THE FIRST RACE ON THIS TRACK..
WAS A MOTORCYCLE RACE.. THAT
SAME YEAR. THEN.. THEY HAD NO
IDEA WHAT THIS "MOTOR PARKWAY"
WOULD BECOME. ((JACOB BLASDEL/
TOWN MANAGER, SPEEDWAY: "THE
HISTORY GOES BACK TO THE SAME
PEOPLE THAT FOUNDED THIS
FACILITY ARE FOUNDERS OF OUR
COMMUNITY AND SO THAT HISTORY
IS REALLY STRONGLY TIED IN AND
WE ARE GOING TO SEE THAT
CONTINUE I THINK.")) IN
1927..EDDIE RICKENBACKER
PURCHASED I-M-S FOR 750
THOUSAND DOLLARS... BUT THE
SPEEDWAY WOULD FALL ON HARD
TIMES.. DURING WORLD WAR II..
CLOSING 1942. THEN.. ENTER
TONY HULMAN. ((JACOB BLASDEL/
TOWN MANAGER, SPEEDWAY: "YOU
LOOK AT HOW IT STARTED AFTER
WORLD WAR II, I MEAN TONY
HULMAN SAVED BASICALLY THE
MOTOR SPEEDWAY. IT WAS
STRUGGLING AFTER NOT RUNNING
DURING WWII.")) IN 1945.. THE
HULMAN-GEORGE FAMILY PURCHASED
I-M-S FOR 750 THOUSAND
DOLLARS.. STARTING THE LONGEST
PERIOD OF OWNERSHIP IN THE
TRACK'S HISTORY. ((JACOB
BLASDEL/ TOWN MANAGER,
SPEEDWAY: "THE HULMAN FAMILY
HAS BEEN GREAT PARTNERS TO THE
TOWN OF SPEEDWAY.")) HULMAN
AND COMPANY HAS BEEN AROUND
FOR NEARLY 170 YEARS... IN THE
COMPANY'S TIME.. THEY HAVE
WORN A LOT OF DIFFERENT HATS.
((TONY HULMAN/ HULMAN AND
COMPANY: "WE HAVE BEEN
DISTILLERS, WE HAVE BEEN
BREWERS, WE HAVE BEEN GROCERS,
WE HAVE BEEN PRODUCE, CANNED
GOODS, JUST ABOUT
EVERYTHING.")) BUT THERE WAS
AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
INVOLVED IN THIS DEAL. ((TONY
HULMAN/ HULMAN AND COMPANY:
"NANCY AND I ANYWAY WE CAME
HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL TO A
HOME JUST RIGHT DOWN THE
STREET HERE SO WE HAVE
LITERALLY GROWN UP AROUND IT.
OUR KIDS AND GRAND KIDS HAVE
DONE THE SAME.")) A TRACK THAT
ORIGINALLY WAS BUILT TO TEST
CARS.. HAS BECOME HOME TO MANY
DIFFERENT STYLES OF RACING..
AND HAS CREATED A CULTURE TO
ACCOMPANY IT. ((JACOB BLASDEL/
TOWN MANAGER, SPEEDWAY: "THE
TOWN HAS CHANGED SO MUCH OVER
THE YEARS AND THIS FACILITY
HAS CHANGED SO MUCH OVER THOSE
YEARS FOR THE POSITIVE."))
*SIERRA*) PENSKE WILL ONLY
BE THE FOURTH OWNER TO EVER
HAVE STEWARDSHIP OF THE
TRACK.. IN IT'S MORE THAN 100
YEAR EXISTENCE. LIVE AT I-M-S
I'M SIERRA HIGNITE WISH TV
NEWS 8.
**) I SPOKE TO NEIGHBORS
WHO HAVE LIVED IN SPEEDWAY FOR
DECADES...AND CAN SEE THE
PAGODA FROM THEIR DOORSTEP.
YOU COULD DESCRIBE THE MOOD IN
THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS MIXED.
SOME PEOPLE WERE NOT
SURPRISED. OTHERS FEEL LIKE
PENSKE'S COMPANY OWNING THE
ICONIC SPEEDWAY IS A VERY GOOD
FIT. ANOTHER PERSON SAID THEY
FELT SAD...BECAUSE THEY SEE
THIS AS THE END OF A
DECADES-LONG ERA.
REGARDLESS...IN THE TIGHT-KNIT
COMMUNITY OF SPEEDWAY....WORD
TRAVELED QUICKLY TODAY
((ANDREW NELSON/50+ YEAR
SPEEDWAY RESIDENT: 2:00:44
"PENSKE, IN VERY REAL TERMS,
IS A GOOD FIT. IT'S NOT JUST
HIS HISTORY HERE, BUT HE CARES
ENOUGH ABOUT THE RACE TO KEEP
THINGS GOING. I THINK THAT'S
WHAT A PLACE LIKE THIS
NEEDS.")) ((DANNY WILSON/LIVED
HEAR IMS SINCE 1973: 2:05:35
"I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH
THAT. PENSKE, HE'S KNOWN TO BE
INTO RACING ALL HIS LIFE."))
COMING UP ALL NEW AT 6
O'CLOCK....I'LL INTRODUCE YOU
TO A SUPERFAN WHO MADE A HUGE
LIFE PURCHASE BASED ON THE
SPEEDWAY. **) YOU DON'T
WANT TO MISS THAT IN LESS THAN
AN HOUR. I'M DAVID
WILLIAMS..WISH-TV NEWS EIGHT.
*MIK*) IN THE LAST HALF
HOUR - IMS PRESIDENT DOUG
BOLES TWEETED ABOUT THE SALE.
HE SAID "THE PROFESSIONALISM,
INTEGRITY & VALUES OF PENSKE
CORPORATION MATCH PERFECTLY
WITH THOSE OF THE INDIANAPOLIS
MOTOR SPEEDWAY. WE'RE
CONFIDENT PENSKE CORPORATION
WILL BE A FAITHFUL, VIBRANT
STEWARD OF THIS GREAT FACILITY
AND ITS EVENTS, ENSURING A
BRIGHT, SUCCESSFUL FUTURE."
*BROOK*) WE'RE ALSO
HEARING FROM GOVERNOR HOLCOMB
ON THE SALE.. IN A STATEMENT..
HE SAID IN PART: "THE BIGGEST
SINGLE DAY SPORTING EVENT ON
PLANET EARTH IS ABOUT TO GET
EVEN BIGGER AND BETTER. I
COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT
THE FUTURE OF THE INDIANAPOLIS
MOTOR SPEEDWAY WITH 'THE
CAPTAIN' ROGER PENSKE AT THE
HELM."
*BROOK*) MAYOR JOE HOGSETT
ALSO SENT NEWS 8 A STATEMENT..
IT SAYS IT PART: "I KNOW ROGER
PENSKE AND THE PENSKE
CORPORATION WILL CONTINUE THIS
LEGACY, ACTING AS AMBASSADORS
FOR INDIANAPOLIS AND PRESIDING
OVER ANOTHER CENTURY OF
PROGRESS, INNOVATION, AND
SPORTING EXCELLENCE AT THE
WORLD'S GREATEST RACETRACK."
*BROOK*) DRIVERS.. ALSO
REACTING TO TODAY'S NEWS. AND
MANY ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE
FUTURE OF INDYCAR. *MIK*)
OUR CHARLIE CLIFFORD IS JOINED
BY WISH-TV'S RACING ANALYST
TYCE CARLSON NOW.. WITH WHAT
COULD CHANGE AT THE TRACK.
*CHARLIE/TYC*) ROGER
PENSKE: "YOU WON'T SEE ME
AROUND THE GARAGE ON RACE
DAY." NOT AN UNFAIR
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE