The 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be celebrated at the 2016 Arizona Concours d’Elegance, scheduled for January 23-24 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix. The third annual event will show significant Indy race cars from the past, a display of historic artifacts and public event, all of which preview the 100th running of America’s greatest motorsports spectacle.
The Arizona Concours 2016 will feature a number of historic race cars from the Hall of Fame Museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as the actual Borg-Warner Trophy with the portraits of Indy winners sculpted on its surface.
But the Indy 500 tribute will come alive on Saturday, January 23rd, when a panel of winning drivers will lead a discussion about racing at Indy and their own victories in the annual 500-mile competition. Ticket holders will have the opportunity to meet the drivers, and an autograph session is planned following the seminar. Among the drivers slated to appear are Tom Sneva, the 1983 Indy 500 winner, and Arie Luyendyk, a two-time Indy victor who won in 1990 and 1997. The moderator of the panel will be another famed race driver, Lyn St. James, who competed seven times in the Indy 500.
The Indy drivers’ event will be held at the Arizona Biltmore from noon to 1:30 pm, along with two other discussions:
- The Phoenix Automotive Press Association auction-week preview, 10 to 11:30 am, featuring representatives from the major collector car auctions that take place during Arizona Classic Car Week.
- Seminar on automotive design, 2 to 3:30 pm, featuring two of the world’s leading designers: Andrea Zagato, the third generation of his family to lead Carrozzeria Zagato of Italy, and J Mays, the former head of global design for Ford Motor Company.
Tickets for the three events on Saturday, January 23, are priced at $60, which allow the bearer to attend any or all of the discussions. seating is limited and tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
The celebration of the Indy 500 takes on special relevance next year because on May 29, 2016, Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host the 100th running of the 500. The speedway opened in 1909 and held the inaugural 500-mile race in 1911, which then took place every year except during wartime.
The Arizona Concours d’Elegance benefits Make-A-Wish Arizona, the founding chapter of the national foundation that grants wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Tickets for the Arizona Concours 2016 are priced at $80 in advance or $100 at the door. For tickets and information about the Concours and the three Saturday seminars, visit ArizonaConcours.com.
[Source: Arizona Concours]
