This could be you!  The 2013 Brickyard 400 is coming up quickly, secure your ticket early and leave the drama on the race track.  Answer our trivia question and you will be entered to win this dream package.

Here’s how you enter to win:

1. Visit our official Brickyard 400 page OR Check out our Facebook page.
2. Fill out the form with your name, number, birthday, and answer to our question.
3. If you are correct, you will be entered to win!

What is the Trivia Question?

Who is the only driver to win the Brickyard 400 twice in a row?

Act quickly this contest ends July 28^th.  Don’t miss out on the chance of a lifetime and a chance to be able to say, “I was there”.

The contest took nominations of people nationwide and a committee narrowed it down to the final 5 heroes:

Curtiss Shaver lives in Troy, Alabama.  Curtis is a firefighter lieutenant and EMT. He lost his left leg in a farming accident when he was 18.  He says that experience makes him appreciate even more the job firefighters do on a day to day basis.

John Thomas currently serves in Sarasota, Florida.  John served 9 years in the U.S. Army and followed that by serving as Sarasota County Police Chief.   From 2003 to 2004 John served on the front lines fighting in Iraq.

Dale Beatty is from Statesville, North Carolina.  Dale is an Iraq veteran and has a long list of credentials including being a Purple Heart recipient and Freedom Foundation award winner.  Dale lost both his legs as a result of an explosion in 2004 while he was serving in Iraq.

Lindsey Marquez is from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Lindsey served in the Air Force as an ICU nurse for seven months in Afghanistan.  She was nominated by her husband David for her dedication to help severely burned and injured soldiers through the Keep a Soldier Warm project.

Brandon Veatch now resides in Bloomfield, Indiana.  Brandon served eight years in the U.S. Army Special Forces and served in both Baghdad and northern Iraq.  He was awarded a Purple Heart for his efforts.  He now works as an acquisitions management specialist at the Navy at Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center.

All five of these hero’s receive a trip to the Brickyard for the race, but only one collects the grand prize.   The winner not only gets the naming rights for the “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400, but they also get to wave the green flag to start the race and present the trophy to the winner in Victory Lane.

The Crown Royal “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 at the Brickyard puts the unsung heroes on one of the biggest stages in racing.  The results of the Grand Prize will be released in early July.   None of these finalists consider themselves heroes, but the impact they have had on their friends, family, community, and country speaks for itself.  Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and these five are true heroes.

Your original tickets will be honored at Conseco Fieldhouse the night of the show. Conseco Fieldhouse has stated that you will be given seats in a “comparable location”.

Please be aware of the following:

1) Should you decide to keep your tickets and attend the show at Conseco Fieldhouse;
Your seat location may be somewhat better or worse than your original seat location. We will not be able to make any adjustments to your original purchase price based on your seat location at Conseco Fieldhouse. We suggest arriving as early as possible. The box office has stated that the doors will open at 6:00 PM. They may allocate tickets by section rather than by exact seats, so arriving early may be helpful in receiving the best seat location.

2) If you decide not to attend this concert at Conseco Fieldhouse, please return your tickets to us by 12:00 noon tomorrow (August 18) for a full refund (less shipping). We must receive your tickets back in order to provide a refund.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Circle City Tickets

Canceled Shows

Sugarland Aug. 13 Indiana State Fair
Janet Jackson Aug. 17 Indiana State Fair
Stevie Nicks Aug. 17 Verizon Wireless Music Center
Lady Antebellum Aug. 19 Indiana State FairSee More

Circle City Tickets realizes that consumers today have many choices when it comes to buying tickets to sporting events, concerts and theater. Circle City Tickets, with it’s announcement of “No Fees” on all purchases, makes it a industry leader and easier for customers to see what the true cost of their purchase is without waiting to get to the end of a internet transaction, as is necessary on most competitor sites.

“We want our clients to know exactly what they are paying for when they see the price listed next to the seat locations” commented Angelo Peduto of Circle City Tickets. “The customer should not be surprised at the end of the transaction when the they see an additional fee added on that is labeled a service charge” “We tell you the price from the start and that is what you pay” “No Surprises”

Circle City Tickets has been filling ticket orders for over twenty five years, and is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers, The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, and The Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association.
Circle City Tickets has two office locations in Indianapolis:

North
8301 North Keystone Ave.
Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46240

Downtown
12 West Maryland
Indianapolis, IN 46204

The application, which is available for free at most mobile app stores, allows customers to buy tickets, view venue information, including seating charts, and utilizes GPS to recommend “Hot Events” in the user’s area. When it comes time to order, tickets can be purchased with a single touch of the screen.

“The technology is amazing, and so convenient for our customers,” commented Angelo Peduto of Circle City Tickets. “And ultimately, customers can be confident that they are still dealing with the same people at Circle City who have been in business for 25 years.”

Circle City Tickets has been filling ticket orders for over twenty five years, and is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers, The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, and The Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association.
Circle City Tickets has two office locations in Indianapolis:
North
8301 North Keystone Ave.
Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46240

Downtown
12 West Maryland
Indianapolis, IN 46204

CIRCLE CITY GIFT CARDS TO THE RESCUE!!!

Circle City has gift cards in any amount that you choose and the “have everything” guy or gal can use them for the hottest summer concerts, baseball, basketball, or football tickets in-town or out-of-town.
Quit stressing over what gift to buy and let Circle City Tickets

“This new office puts us right in the heart of 4 major Indianapolis venues – Conseco Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium, White River State Park, and Victory Field,” explained Angelo Peduto, partner at Circle City Tickets.

The downtown office will be open weekdays 10:30 – 5:00, with extended hours on days of events including all Colts home games. Customers can buy, sell and pick up tickets at the new office, just as they can at the original location – at 8301 North Keystone Avenue on the north side.

“Our service is what puts us a notch above ordinary ticket sellers. We have a reputation for finding the tough, high-demand tickets, meeting short deadlines, maintaining fair prices, and generally taking great care of our customers,” added Peduto. “This new location is just another huge convenience for our customers.”

Circle City Tickets has been filling ticket orders for over twenty years, and is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers, The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, and The Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association.

Even though they put a stage extention and eliminated a number a seats, I feel my wife and I had the best seats in the house. They were right there at the end of the runway. We could not have been any closer. Because of the seat we had, those added seats to section B, we were chosen by one of the cameramen to have our picture on the big screens during one of the songs.

Thanks again.
Dale S.

Call Circle City Tickets when you want to sit in the “best seat in the house” for your event. All of our representatives want to make your event experience a great one!

Summer 2010 promises to be one full of opportunities for you to enjoy time together with friends and family. Starting with The Greatest Spectacle in Racing on May 30 to The Kings of Leon concert on September 30, there is something for everyone!

For those that love classic rock, it’s hard to beat Eric Clapton ( Verizon – July 2) or Chicago & The Doobie Brothers ( Verizon – July 22). Or how about Santana with Steve Winwood (Verizon – July 7)? Foreigner & Styx with Kansas (Verizon – June 25), Lynyrd Skynyrd (Verizon – June 27), Moody Blues (White River State Park – June 23) and Crosby, Stills & Nash (White River State Park – Aug 23) are also big favorites.

Country fans can call their friends to arrange a group outing to Verizon to see Brad Paisley (June 5), Tim McGraw (June 17), Brooks & Dunn (July 16) or Toby Keith ( Aug 28). Or grab a group and head out to the State Fair to see Rascal Flatts (Aug 7) or Keith Urban (Aug 14). Be sure to have a funnel cake while you’re there!

Of course race fans will want to see The Indianapolis 500 as well as the Brickyard 400 and Moto GP. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts many a group year after year with traditions and memories abounding.

Rihanna, Them Crooked Vultures, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Phish, John Mayer, Selena Gomez all add to the diverse offerings this summer. We have many more artists to choose from.

This is the summer to connect or reconnect – choose an event, call your friends and make a memory! Circle city Tickets is here to help you with all you ticket needs. Feel free to stop in our office at 8301 N Keystone Ave, Indianapolis. We love to see you, and are always glad to help you find what you need!

Jimmy Buffett Saturday May 15
Nickelback Saturday May 22
Country Throwdown Tour with Montgomery Gentry Sunday May 23
Puddle of Mudd Saturday May 29

When you are looking for the best entertainment in the Midwest or nationwide make sure you visit CircleCityTickets.com. We are your source all summer long for great shows and sporting events as well.

The Conseco Fieldhouse is the number one venue in the NDA for three years running.  It is the home of the Indianapolis Pacers and the Indiana Fever.  The tickets for this venue include some of the best NBA tickets in the country as they are for the Indiana Pacers.  You don’t have to miss the experience of being inside this stunning venue even if you are not a basketball fan as it also has some of the biggest music and entertainment acts from around the world, other world profession and amateur sporting events and concerts.

Since 1909 the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has seen some of the worlds best drivers and fastest automobiles.  It houses over 650,000 spectators making it the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in history.  Currently, races at the Speedway include the Indianapolis 500, Red Bull Indianapolis GP and the Allstate 400.  Inside the venue fans will also find the Hall of Fame Museum and campsites located in the infield and around the over 500 acres.

Indianapolis Raceway Park, recently renamed O’Reilly Raceway Park is another venue to see NASCAR events.  It is home to NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing, NASCAR Busch Series racing, some drag racing and sprint car racing.  Fans can enjoy year round events in this venue with seating for 30,000.

The new home of the Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium opened September 7, 2008.  It is one of the best stadiums in the NFL with a high tech retractable roof and the largest video board in the League.  The stadium will host NFL football games, NCAA basketball’s March Madness Tournament and will be the permanent backup for the Final Four Tournament.  The biggest event will be the XLVI Super Bowl held on February 5, 2012.  This is an event that is sure to sell out early so contact an Indianapolis ticket broker to find a seat.  Other events will include the DCI World Championships, Bands of America Grand National Championship, The Indiana Marching Band State Finals as well as some well known music acts.

The Murat Theater is the home of world class concerts and theater performances.  Tickets for events at the Murat have been in high demand since its opening in 1910.  The facility had to expand just twelve years after opening due to the overwhelming response for tickets by the community.  Events include concerts, family shows, Broadway shows and comedy shows.

Indianapolis ticket brokers can be the best resource in finding tickets for the sold out events fans want to attend.  With these venues and the events scheduled for the upcoming year some tickets are sure to be in high demand so buy early.

This racing facility has a remarkable history, which begins 100 years ago.  It was the first track to use the word ‘Speedway’ and was host to a 7-race motorcycle event on August 14, 1909. The first weekend for automobile races there was August 19-21 of the same year. Sixteen races, enacted by the American Automobile Association, led to 5 fatalities and a final race unfinished. Most of this was due to a terrible road surface. Thanks to track investor Carl Fisher, the speedway was overhauled completely, using 3.2 million paving bricks. This is why IMS is called The Brickyard. Since then, it has been paved over with high-grade asphalt, but a yard of bricks remain at the starting line.

In 1910, the Speedway reopened with 66 automobile races during Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day weekends. Each race, either 100 or 200-mile distance, had its own winner with its own trophy. This seemed a bit overextended and chaotic, so in 1911, the focus was switched to one race per year. The first 500 mile race was held on Memorial Day, May 30, 1911 to 80,000 spectators paying $1 each for admission. Ray Harrou, who averaged nearly 75 miles per hour, won the inaugural race, now referred to as the Indianapolis 500.

The 1910s through the 1920s were an interesting time for the race and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For instance, the 1916 race was shortened to 300 miles as a solemn reminder of World War I. In September of that year, the IMS hosted the Harvest Classic, a three race event of 20, 50, and 100-mile distances. One racer won all three races. As the US was now involved in the great war, racing was halted in 1917-1918 and the track became a center for military vehicle repairs. As racing returned, the speed of the vehicles had dramatically increased. The 1925 race, for instance, had an average track speed of 100 miles per hour.

The 30s and 40s were a hectic, nearly tragic time for the Speedway. During the Great Depression, the winnings for the race dropped dramatically. In addition, the rules were changed to encourage a wider range of automobile manufacturers to participate. But as increased cars were racing at increased speeds, the Brickyard became a treacherous track. So, another paving commenced, replacing the bricks in parts of the track with tarmac. This was mostly in response to 15 deaths in 4 years. In 1941, half of the garage area burned before the race. And, since the US was involved in World War II, the 1942 race was canceled. Later that year, the US government banned auto racing to conserve fuel, leaving the Indianapolis Motor Speedway an abandoned wreck. In 1946, in lieu of becoming a housing development, the track was sold to Tony Hulman, who kept it open as a public racing venue. Hastily, the track was repaired in time for the race that year.

The Speedway has continued to grow to this day.  It is now home to the Red Bull Indianapolis GP Motorcycle race being held August 30.  Get your MotoGP tickets today before they sell out.

The next race in the series is the Toyota/Savemart 350 at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA on June 21.

NExt up is the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH on June 28.

Two other races leading up to the Allstate 400 at the Indianapolis Brickyard on July 26 are the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4  and the Lifelock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 11.

Allstate 400 tickets are still available, but you’ll need to get them soon, as Indianapolis is a sure sellout every year.  The Speedway is centrally located in the nation, so fans from all over the country can easily descend on the Circle City for one of the most exciting races in NASCAR.

The venue first came to life in 1909 as a gravel track kept in place with tar. The first major race event occurred in August of that year, a series of motorcycle races followed shortly by an automobile race sanctioned by the American Automobile Association. Due to poor track conditions the surface was replaced in 1910 with over 3 million bricks and the first 500-mile race took place in 1911. The annual Memorial Day weekend race has been held every year since 1911 with the exception of two years during World War I and four years during World War II.

Perhaps the greatest turning point in the Indianapolis Motor Speedways history took place at the end of 1944. Largely abandoned during the war, IMS fell into a state of general disrepair. A former Indianapolis 500 winner, on site to test tires for Firestone on behalf of the US Government, found the conditions deplorable and working with other fans of the race found a new owner in Indiana businessman Tony Hulman. Under Hulman’s ownership the facility was restored to its former glory, the 500-mile race resumed in 1946, and the modern era of the track started.

Tony Hulman’s grandson, Tony George, continued in the footsteps of Hulman when he became president of the facility in 1989 and introduced the NASCAR race, FI race, and motorcycle events to the track. Widely questioned for altering what had become the home to just one race a year, the Indianapolis 500, George’s decisions have proven to be good to the facility and under George’s oversight the facilities have continued to expand and evolve.

Not just a venue for racing, The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is also home to a world-class 18-hole golf course and the Speedway Hall of Fame Museum making it a tourist destination for race fans and others alike. The golf course has been home to many tournaments and the museum is a pantheon of racing legend and history. Visitors to the museum can also, at certain times of the year, take a trip around the famous 2.5 mile track via tour bus and walk the grounds.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has a direct impact on the town in which it is located: Speedway, Indiana. Incorporated in 1926, Speedway is an enclave, or separate town, within Indianapolis and sees its population of less than 15,000 expand to more than 300,000 persons on race day events. Speedway was conceived as a city of the future and was intentionally designed for automobiles during its planning stages. As the Mecca of open-wheel racing, Speedway is proud to be associated with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and serves as a wonderful guest to race fans throughout the year.

Whether you’re a race fan or not (I’m not), Indy 500 traditions seem to be a part of your DNA if you happen to call Indianapolis home. I grew up listening to the race every year with drivers like Johnny Rutherford and AJ Foyt and Rick Mears as the standout stars. Now you’ll find Danica Patrick and Dario Franchitti leading the sports report on the evening news. But long before Danica and Dario there was a little-known unsung hero named Jigger Sirois – a man who could’ve taken the poll but, ironically, never qualified for the race.

Amongst the true Indy fans Jigger’s story is probably well-known: In 1969, Jigger managed to achieve a speed of 161.535 mph on Pole Day before his qualifying attempt was waved in by his car owner, who thought the speed wouldn’t be fast enough to qualify. Soon after that it began to rain and qualifying was washed out. If Jigger had actually completed that qualification attempt he would have won the pole; two more attempts to qualify for that year’s race were unsuccessful. In fact, Sirois came out for qualifications every year through 1975 but never managed to make it into the race. Today his story is honored every year at the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association’s breakfast, where an annual “Jigger Award” is handed out to an individual who falls upon some hard luck during the month of May.

Every story you’ll find about Jigger never fails to mention that, despite the error that cost him an Indy run, Sirois was and has remained a class act about it. “I don’t believe in being bitter,” Sirois told Dick Mittman in a 2005 interview for indy500.com. “A lot of people have a lot worse things happen to them. I was upset, but life is too short to be bitter.”

But I didn’t know any of Jigger’s storied history until after I met him. Even so, I knew he was a hero.

Plowing through my voice mails one day at work, I came across a curious message from a gentleman calling from Virginia. As I work as a speech pathologist for a children’s hospital in Indianapolis, I’m not accustomed to getting callers from Virginia – certainly not callers who indicate an interest in supporting our department and its patients. I quickly returned to call, half expecting to hear that I was mistaken, or that he had reached the wrong department. But I soon discovered that he had indeed called me and did indeed want to help us by helping our patients.

Jigger shared his reasons for calling, and his personal interest in the work that speech pathologists do. He was thoughtful and kind-hearted, and genuinely appreciative of me, merely because of my dedication to this profession. “I’m not a wealthy man,” he said, “but I’d really like to be able to help some of the kids up there.” He mentioned that he’s in Indy every year for the race – not uncommon, as thousands of racing enthusiasts make annual treks to my hometown each year – and I commented that he must be quite a fan. “Well, I actually tried to qualify for the race a time or two.” And that was it. He continued to share his story and his admiration for speech pathologists, and never mentioned again his special place in 500 history.

And now, thanks to Jigger, I guess I’m finally a race fan too — or at least I’m a fan of Leon Jigger Sirois, the kind-hearted hero who never ran in the Indy 500.

If you don’t have Indianapolis 500 tickets yet, you’d better get them today.

The 52nd annual Indianapolis 500 Parade will get underway at noon on Saturday 23 May, just 24 hours before the big race.  The streets of downtown Indianapolis are already lined with bleachers and flags and banks of portable bathrooms are arriving this week in anticipation of more than 300,000 spectators.

All 33 starting drivers will serve as honorary grand marshalls while the legendary basketball hall of famer and college basketball analyst Dick Vitale will be the 2009 Grand Marshall.  This year’s pole position sitter, Helio Castroneves, will certainly be a favorite in the parade, as will SpongeBob Squarepants.

Finding a place to stand and watch the parade for free is difficult along the route, as the bleacher seats use up almost every inch of sidewalk space.  It is adviseable to purchase a ticket for the bleacher seats which are very reasonably priced.  Indianapolis 500 parade tickets can be purchased through CircleCityTickets.com until they are sold out.

My last check at CircleCityTickets.com showed ony 92 tickets left, so HURRY!!!! Those tickets will not last.

What DOES matter is knowing that the Indianapolis 500 is not the only event that takes place at the track.  There are also all of the events leading up to the Indy 500 that create quite a following.  Qualifications, Pole Day, 5 practice days, Bump day, CARB day, and Community Day.

Naturally, these events are going to require Indianapolis Motor Speedway tickets.  I get my tickets through CircleCityTickets.com and choose my seat right there online.

The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard is the second most popular event here.  This Nascar event takes place later in the summer, July 26, to be exact for this year.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has a number of great places to sit, all of which require some sort of ticket. So, where do you sit?

There is nowhere to sit at IMS to see the entire track. The closest you can get to that is by sitting in a corner and seeing about half the track. For instance, sitting in turn 4 you could see the cars coming in and out of turn 3, around the corner, and back up the main straightaway. Broadly speaking, though, the higher up you can get the better the view. The wall around the track may block your view if your seats are too low. Sitting up higher allows you to easily see over the fence, depending on what section your seat is in. This lets you get a broader view of the track. Stand E is very popular, but the high seats up there have many obstacles in your line of sight: support beams, camera cages, and a roof.

All of these obstructions are because of the upper decks in those stands (A, E, Paddock).

Despite the drawbacks I mentioned it is good to remember this rule of thumb for Indianapolis 500 tickets: There are no bad seats. Unfortunately, there are no best seats, either. It all depends on what it is you want to see. There are great seats for any possible view, whether the pits, the front straight, the front line, the first turn, the winner’s circle, or the crowds in the infield is your spectacle of choice. Maps of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are readily available. So, pick a place where you can get the view you most want. Once you’ve done that then think about comfort.

Most of the stands are typical bench-style seats like you’d find in most sports park seating, from little leagues to arena football. Stand B has folding chairs, if you’d prefer a more supportive seat. The Penthouse (those upper decks in A, E, and Paddock we mentioned earlier) have benches with backs. The Paddock sections have backs as well, but the box seats in that area do not. The Tower Terrace has aluminum benches with backs, too. Of course, you could grab some general admission tickets and sit on one of the grassy viewing hills in the infield.

Besides general seat comfort, another thing to consider is weather. Indiana weather is as fickle as can be. One year the weather might be 95 degrees and high humidity, the next rainy, in the 40s, and windy. The top row of most of the stands tend to be the most vulnerable to wind and rain.

An Indianapolis 500 ticket is a ticket to a great time. Good weather or bad, it’s a blast! And the only bad seat is the one not at the track.

Frankly, when I was looking for tickets I used the term “Allstate” and got more insurance information than I ever cared to know.  That was after I spent a good couple of hours trying to remember what the heck the darned race was called.

When I typed “Brickyard 400 Tickets” into the search I got a mix of “Brickyard ” and “Allstate” returns and several “Allstate Brickyard” returns.  This tells me it really doesn’t matter what you call it (in the privacy of your own home). There will be some folks who’ll never change and only use the word “Brickyard”, while others will insist that the “Allstate” be referenced every time.

As Rhett Butler said, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn”, and I don’t either.

So, if you want to know where to find the best Brickyard 400 tickets or Allstate 400 tickets, just go to circlecitytickets.com and give the search engines a rest.

This site shows a map of the racetrack and I know precisely what I’m purchasing and where I’ll be sitting.  I’ve been in the infield before, but it’s just too rowdy.  OK, so I’ve mellowed in my advancing years.  But I’m really interested in seeing the race and not not so interested in the “party” atmosphere found in the infield.

If I could just get a helicopter to fly me in over the traffic, I’ll be set.

I highly recommend circlecitytickets.com as the best place to purchase Indy 500 tickets online.