Detailed May Calendar : Saturday, May 6, 2006 7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. - The Indy 500 Mini-marathon (The month of May will begin with a roar when up to 25,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes cross the start line at the Indianapolis Life 500 Festival Mini-Marathon at 7:30 a.m. The nation's largest half-marathon takes participants on a scenic 13.1-mile tour of downtown Indianapolis and a unique lap around the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. To register, go to 500 Festival) 5:45 pm - Lions Club Balloon Race (The Speedway Lions Club hosts the hot-air balloon races in honor of the very first races held at the speedway in 1909. This occurs around 24th and Lyndhurst. Car show, concerts and other events Saturday afternoon.). Sunday-Monday, May 7-8, 2006 - ROOKIE ORIENTATION 9 a.m - Gates open, $5 admission, Gates close at 6 p.m. 11 a.m. - Andrettis interview at Coke Stage Noon - 5 p.m. - Track open for rookie practice 1 p.m. - Interviews with Pancho Carter, Robbie McGehee and Larry Rice (Plaza) 2 p.m. - Autographs with former Indy 500 Rookie of the Year winners (Plaza) 2-5 p.m. - Dark House Sweet band on Coke stage. Drivers new to the Indy 500 must pass driving test. This consists of the drivers successfully running at various speeds in three sets. Michael Andretti and Al Unser Jr are also going to be driving as a "refresher course" - Ha! Tuesday-Thursday, May 9-11, 2006 - PRACTICE FOR ALL DRIVERS 9 a.m - Gates open, $5 admission. Noon - 5 p.m. - Track open for practice Friday, May 12, 2006 - FAST FRDIAY 8 a.m. - Gates open, $5 admission 10-11 a.m. - Josh Holmes band on Coke Stage noon- 5 p.m. - IRL Practice 2:30-5 p.m. - Radio 93.1 show from Coke Stage Saturday, May 13, 2006 - POLE QUALIFYING Whoever puts together the fastest 4 laps, is on the pole. Racers try to qualify for the first 11 positions on the grid. Note: 1 racer on the track at a time during qualifications. Note: The qualifying action generally "heats up" later in the day as temperatures cool, so if you can only come out for two hours, its better to arrive at 4 pm than noon, if you want to watch the cars qualify. Gates open 7 a.m., $10 admission, children under 5 free. 9-11 a.m. - IRL Practice 9:30-10:30 a.m. - Live music by Helio Tokyo at Coke Stage Noon - 6 p.m. - Qualifying 3-4:15 p.m. - Cheap Trick concert in Turn 3. Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 2nd DAY OF QUALIFYING Racers try to qualify for the middle 11 positions on the grid. 8 am - Gates open, $10 admission. 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. - Practice Noon - 6 p.m. - Qualifying 2-4 p.m. - Live music by Psycho Dots at Coke Lot 2-3 p.m. - Lyn St James interview and book signing May 15-16, 2006 - No Track Activity Gates open 9 a.m., Free Admission May 17-19, 2006 - PRACTICE Gates open 9 a.m., $5 admission Noon - 6 p.m. - Track open for practice Saturday, May 20, 2006 - 3rd DAY OF QUALIFYING Racers try to qualify for the last 11 positions on the grid. Gates open 8 a.m., $10 admission 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. - Practice Noon - 6 p.m. - Qualifying 8-10 a.m. - Mayors Breakfast - Join all the mayors from Indiana for breakfast. Tickets get you in for the 500 Festival Queen Coronation, a lap around the famed oval in your own vehicle and a tour of the garages. To purchase tickets, call the 500 Festival at (317) 614-6400 or toll free at 1-800-638-4296 Sunday, May 21, 2006 - BUMP DAY & ARMED FORCES DAY (Last day of qualifying - where racers may get bumped off of the grid by faster competitors - generally starts happening in a fury about 5 pm.) Gates open 8 a.m., $10 admission - Veterans get in free! 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. - Practice Noon - 6 p.m. - Qualifying Chase 500 Festival Kid's Day Meet Rupert at the Rupert's Kid's Exhibit 2 - 4 p.m. - Autograph and Pictures May 22-23, 2006 No Track Activity Gates open 9:00 a.m., Free Admission Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - COMMUNITY DAY Gates open at 11:00am. Admission $7. Children under 6 free. Pits and garages open to the public! 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. - Take a lap around the speedway in your own car! Thursday, May 25, 2006 - Infiniti Pro Series Practice & Quals Gates open 8 a.m. Or, you can go to the Indy 500 Fashion Show downtown which has drivers, wives, friends and local dignitaries who walk the runway as models. It is held downtown at the very nice Westin Hotel more then 1,000 attendees and sponsors raise valuable funds for local and national children’s charities, including the CARA/Shirley Bettenhausen Children’s Fund at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. The fund helped build a two-story child recreation area in the hospital atrium and provides holiday parties and gifts for children. Social hour at 11 a.m., noon luncheon and the show begins at 1 p.m. 2006 marks the 25th year for the show. Tickets are priced at $75 per person. Contact the CARA Charities headquarters at (317) 299-2277 or via e-mail at carachar@aol.com or visit Cara Charity for more info. Friday, May 26, 2006 - CARBURATION DAY Gates open at 8 a.m., $10 admission 11 a.m. - noon - Final IndyCar Practice 12:30 - 1 p.m. - IPS Race 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. - Pit Stop Competition 3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. B-52 and Third Eye Blind Concert 5:30 p.m. - Last Row party at Brickyard Crossing Inn (outside Turn 2) features the drivers who qualified on the last row. Auction, beer and food. For reservations ($33), contact Debbie Ford at (317) 472-3952 Saturday, May 27, 2006 - Public Drivers Meeting 11:00 a.m. Tower Terrace Gates open 9 a.m., Free Admission 11 a.m. - Drivers Meeting in front of the Tower. The 500 Festival Parade - Held in downtown Indianapolis - the nation's largest motor racing parade featuring floats, marching bands, giant balloons, special entertainment groups, and the entire field of qualified drivers of the Indy 500. Join more than 300,0000 people. Reserved seats cost $12-25. Get them from TicketMaster. The Snakepit Ball - blacktie affair held downtown at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Guests this year include Morgan Freeman, Jane Pauley, Patrick Dempsy, Melissa Joan Hart and Jim Caviezel. Music by The Spinners. For tickets call (317) 614-6400 Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 90th INDIANAPOLIS 500 MILE RACE, 1 p.m. Eastern Time (Noon Central) Gates open 6 a.m., $20 general admission 12:30 p.m. - Driver Introductions 1 p.m. - Race start 4 p.m. - Race over Monday, May 29, 2006 - INDIANAPOLIS 500 VICTORY BANQUET You must purchase tickets to this in advance. The Victory Celebration starts at 7 p.m. with cocktails. The program starts at 8 p.m., followed by a party at 10 p.m. Tickets are available for the public to attend the event. Tickets cost $75 each and can be purchased by contacting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ticket office at (317) 484-6708. It is televised. See my Things To Do Page for a further list of activities. 500 TV Broadcast schedule: *** 90th INDIANAPOLIS 500 TELEVISION SCHEDULE (All times EDT except where noted – Indianapolis local time is one hour behind) (Schedule subject to change.) The ABC broadcast of the Indianpolis 500 is blacked out in Indianapolis, and broadcast later around 7 p.m. However for those within the confines of the Speedway, they broadcast a low-power tv signal of the race for those who bring small portable tv's. Live Indycar Race Timing: Indycar Complete Stats Speedway Radio Network The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network and its affiliates will provide extensive coverage from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway throughout the month of May leading up to and including the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race on Sunday. More than 400 affiliate IMS Radio Network radio stations located throughout the United States and Canada - plus the LeSea Broadcasting network, which provides worldwide shortwave radio coverage, and the American Forces Radio Network, which broadcasts to United States military installations and ships around the world - will broadcast live Race Day coverage of the Indianapolis 500 at noon (EDT) with a pre-race show, followed by the Indianapolis 500 broadcast at 1 p.m. The Speedway also broadcast a low-power radio signal so that those inside the Speedway can pick up the broadcasts, since it can be difficult to hear the P.A. system with the roar of the cars. The P.A. system is broadcast on the radio at 100.1 FM. Local radio station WIBC 1070 AM also broadcasts the race in central Indiana.