The Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) first came to life in 1959 when four local businessmen, Tom Binford, Frank Dickie, Roger Ward, and Howard Fieger, had a vision for a complex focused entirely on automobile racing.
The owners originally built two separate tracks, a 15-turn road course and a drag strip that was incorporated into the main straightaway. A paved oval was then added later in 1961 that is regularly used by midget, sprint, and stock cars today. The very first IRP race was held later on during that same year and the track began to generate interest beyond any initial expectations.
IRP’s drag strip has hosted the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) U.S. Nationals since 1961. This year, IRP will host the 70th annual running from August 28 – September 2, the largest professional drag racing event in the world. The NHRA U.S. Nationals draws over 150,000 spectators and 1,000 racing teams each year, all competing for top prizes.
The NHRA purchased the Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1979, and over the last three decades has invested heavily into renovations of the track helping to improve surfaces and spectator experiences. In 2011, the track announced a new entitlement sponsorship with Lucas Oil Products and is now named Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
IRP continues to hold a number of different events at their facility, including the NMCA Muscle Car Nationals, ARCA Menards Series, and Rusty Wallace Racing Experience. The road course at the track throughout the years has been used by a number of sport cars, go-carts, and motorcycles. The drag strip has been used by cars and motorcycles in both amateur and professional competitions.
For more information visit https://raceirp.com/
