The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, house of the Indianapolis 500, performed host to an surprising occasion on Friday that captured the eye of followers each on the observe and throughout social media platforms as six large Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles circled the legendary oval.
While eyes flip to the race on Sunday, Could 25, thought to be one of many three Triple Crown races in motorsport, followers needed to do a double tackle Friday when the “Wienie 500” too place.
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This light-hearted competitors was a part of a advertising and marketing collaboration between Oscar Mayer and Fox Sports activities, injecting humor and novelty right into a weekend usually reserved for very critical, high-speed, high-stakes racing.
Though these outsized scorching dog-shaped autos solely reached speeds of roughly 60 miles per hour, removed from the blistering 230+ mph typical of IndyCar racers, the occasion thrilled the gang and generated a surge of enthusiasm on-line.
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Customers eagerly shared clips and commentary concerning the Wienermobile race, with many impressed by the shut end because the whimsical contest amused followers, highlighting Mayer’s advertising and marketing savvy.
The 2024 Indianapolis 500 qualifying noticed Robert Schwartzman impressively safe the pole place for Prema, clocking a mean velocity of 232.790 mph as each the rookie driver and rookie group surprised audiences.
In the meantime, defending champion and present factors chief Alex Palou will begin from the sixth place, on the surface of the second row. Palou‘s quest for his first oval victory continues to be a focal storyline for the race weekend.
Penske overshadows Indy500 build-up
Because the 109th Indianapolis 500 approaches, the mixture of on-track drama, historic rivalries, and surprising off-track occasions just like the Wienermobile race has created a singular narrative.
Nevertheless, a darkish shadow looms over the fabled run to the yard of bricks on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway following Penske’s disqualification for falling shy of technical guidelines.
Simply days earlier than the race, each of Penske’s automobiles had been disqualified from qualifying outcomes because of unlawful modifications made to a crucial component-the attenuator.
The attenuator, which serves as a crash security gadget and rear wing help, is topic to strict technical rules and should be equipped solely by IndyCar. It’s not allowed to be modified.
In wake of accusations of intentionally dishonest, Roger Penske, the legendary 88-year-old proprietor of the group, responded decisively by dismissing three group executives implicated within the incident earlier than defending his honor.
“We had an organizational failure,” Penske admitted to FOX Sports activities. “There’s a specific amount of credibility you must have.
“We let folks down. We’ll transfer on and our aim is to win the race.”
The invention additionally revealed that the 2024 race-winning Penske automobile, now on show on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, featured the identical prohibited modification, including one other layer of controversy.