FIM OFFICIALS HAPPY WITH PROGESSS OF IMS MOTORCYCLE COURSE INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007 Officials from the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme were pleased with the progress of construction of the 2.601-mile motorcycle road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during a visit Aug. 22-23. The FIM is the sanctioning body of the MotoGP World Championship. IMS will play host to MotoGP at the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 14, 2008. FIM Safety Director Claude Danis, FIM Race Director Paul Butler and Franco Uncini, the 1982 500cc World Champion and MotoGP rider safety representative, walked the track with IMS engineers and officials Aug. 22. “The goal of this visit was to finalize the last drawing (of the course) we are laying for the race,” Danis said. “The visit before, we had some ideas, but the (existing) fence was wrong, (existing) wall was wrong. It was very difficult to be sure our ideas were good. The circuit is now working (on construction), and they’ve removed the wall, removed the fencing so now we’re sure that when we leave tonight, the layout will be the final one. The next visit, we’ll decide the exact position of the walls, the openings, the curbs, things like that. “More and more I’m coming here, more and more I think the race will be very good because we found (a) good layout.” Danis already has made numerous visits to the Speedway as far back as seven years ago when the idea of motorcycles at the modern IMS facility was in its infancy. This was Butler’s first visit to IMS. The site inspection was successful, he said. With the new circuit, the intensity of the MotoGP riders and the high performance of the 800cc prototype motorcycles, Butler is thrilled about the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP. “We know Indianapolis is the heartland of motorsport,” Butler said. “We are so excited about it because of the tradition of automobile racing, and we’re coming in with a completely new sport to the Speedway, although the first race was a motorcycle race. “Two things, the expertise of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and our exciting show, are going to blend perfectly and make a great day for the fans.” Red Bull Indianapolis GP tickets: Ticket orders are being accepted now for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 14, 2008. Orders can be placed either online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com or by mailing an order form to IMS. The order form is available at the IMS Web site or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or (317) 492-6700 locally. Ticket Office hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. All tickets for this event are three-day tickets, with both reserved and general admission seating available. Ticket orders will be fulfilled at a later date.