TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES PLAN POLICE SALUTES FOR ‘BACK THE BLUE NIGHT’ AT NEXT WEEK’S FIRESTONE 600

• Indy Cars To Feature “Back The Blue” Decals, Drivers To Wear Ball Caps Of Local, National Law Enforcement Agencies To Exhibit Support Of Officers Nationwide
• Indy 500 Champ Rossi Visiting Dallas And Fort Worth Police Departments Today To Provide Firestone 600 Tickets For Officers, Personally Thank Them For Their Service

FORT WORTH, Texas (August 17, 2016) – Texas Motor Speedway, in partnership with the Verizon IndyCar Series, has special salutes planned to honor the dedicated and heroic service of police officers for its “Back The Blue Night” at the Firestone 600 on Saturday, Aug. 27.

In addition to Texas Motor Speedway providing free admission for police officers and a companion to the Verizon IndyCar Series race, the speedway and sanctioning body also will honor officers with the following tributes:

• Each team will adhere a “Back The Blue” decal on their car competing in the Firestone 600. All Texas Motor Speedway-branded vehicles also will carry the decal.
• Each driver will receive a ball cap representing a local police department or national law enforcement agency to wear for pre-race activities and on the grid. They also will autograph the hats and return them to the participating agencies as a gesture of gratitude.
• Fort Worth police officer Matt Pearce, who survived being shot seven times during a manhunt on March 16, will return as race Grand Marshal and give the command for the drivers to start their engines. Officer Pearce also will address the drivers during their pre-race meeting and personally thank them for their support.

Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi officially will kick off the “Back The Blue” salutes today by visiting the headquarters of the Dallas Police Department and Fort Worth Police Department. Rossi, the native Californian who drives for Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian, will be joined by Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage to provide 200 Firestone 600 tickets to each department for the officers and their families as well as personally thank the officers for their service.

SMI Properties, the speedway’s official merchandiser, will be providing a limited supply of Texas Motor Speedway polo shirts, ball caps and die-cast cars for the officers and Levy Restaurants, the speedway’s official concessionaire, will be bringing trays of cookies for each department.

“Back The Blue Night” will honor police officers near and far by providing them and a companion free admission to the Firestone 600. Police personnel will be required to show their badge or proper identification at Gate 4 for admittance to the event that will have general admission seating. Texas Motor Speedway also will extend this offer to all first responders that show proper identification at the gate.

The Firestone 600 will begin at 8 p.m. CT and be televised live on NBCSN. The race also will be available live on the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network as well as locally on 95.9 The Ranch.

The Firestone 600 is the resumption of the race that was postponed Saturday, June 11, due to weather and rescheduled for the following day. A total of 71 of the scheduled 248 laps were run June 12 before the race was suspended due to inclement weather. The race, which now is in the championship stretch of the season as the third-to-last race, will resume on Lap 72 with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver James Hinchcliffe leading.

The “Restart Your Engines” schedule begins with gates opening to the public at 4 p.m. CT. Race activities start with a Verizon IndyCar Series practice from 4:30-5 p.m. and an autograph session featuring the entire driver field from 5:30-6:15 p.m. on the main concourse.

Texas Motor Speedway will be offering fans attending the one-day event some additional perks including $1 hot dogs and Coca-Cola beverages from Levy Restaurants and the first 3,000 fans receiving a free vintage Indy-car t-shirt compliments of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Properties. SMIP also will provide fans with free souvenir race programs from the original June event while supplies last.

All frontstretch seating, including premium sections, will be general admission and priced at $28 with children 12 and under at $10.

For more information, please contact the speedway ticket office at 817.215.8500 or visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com.