Crews race to transform track at IMS

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – On Saturday, the Angie’s List Grand Prix ended at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Now, there’s a new race at the race track.

Sunday was missing the sounds of race cars speeding around the track. Instead, there were sounds of forklifts, cutting, drilling and painting that filled the IMS as crews worked to transform the track.

The Grand Prix used a road course for the race and it needs to be an oval course for the Indianapolis 500 later this month.

IMS President Doug Boles said, “I don’t think people really realize what a huge undertaking it is.”

There are nearly two miles of walls that must be re-painted and about two million pounds of barriers that have to be moved from one location to another. The markings on the track have to also be removed and the course has to be striped again before race car drivers begin practice on Monday.

Boles said, “The piece of work that takes the longest, really, is all of the concrete moving and the temporary fence removal.” He added, “There are a lot of little details that go into getting the track ready in a way that our fans expect.”

It takes roughly 60 workers a day and a half to completely change the track.

Boles said, “It’s just a lot of little things, but that’s what makes the Indianapolis Speedway so special.”

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