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Auto Club Speedway's start/finish line with Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay about to cross the line. This superspeedway holds the records for the fastest qualifying and at race speed records - both are IndyCar series records. Image Credit: Verizon IndyCar Series
Interview With ACS President Dave Allen Ahead Of The #MAVTv500
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We are talking with Dave Allen, who serves as President of Auto Club Speedway in advance of Race 11 Of 16 For The 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Championship - The MAVTv 500.
He was named president of the Speedway in December, 2014. Allen has served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Speedway since 2006.
Allen, 41, a 17-year veteran in the sports marketing industry, is responsible for all operations of Auto Club Speedway and Auto Club Dragway.
With the support of Penske Motorsports he joined then California Speedway as a marketing manager in April 1999 after spending one year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Allen has been the driving force behind the corporate sales department for the last ten years including the ground breaking naming rights partnership with Auto Club of Southern California. This partnership emphasizes the importance of strong working relationships Allen has based his career upon.
From his early childhood karting days at Laguna Seca to Crew Chief of a World of Outlaws Sprint car team to his rise as the Vice President of Auto Club Speedway, Dave Allen has grown up in the motorsports world and is a race fan at heart. Coming from a racing family, Allen has seen the sport grow from both the competition side and the business side and has applied his knowledge and know-how to move up motorsports’ executive ladder.
He is a 1997 Graduate of Colorado State University with a BS in Speech Communication.
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| Racing fan and Auto Club Speedway president Dave Allen looks forward to a fast paced race that will combine elements of safety and speed found at the last racing oval venue at Texas Motor Speedway. Image Credit: ACS |
Welcome, Dave Allen ...
First off, you have been President of Auto Club Speedway since the beginning of the year, you have held several local events and hosted the Auto Club 400 with NASCAR on March 22, has the experience of being able to steer the show measured up to the expectation you felt going in after being at ACS since near its beginning?
Have there been any interesting unanticipated happenings that you can share?
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This is the fourth year of hosting the Verizon IndyCar Series MAVTv 500.
The previous three years had the MAVTv 500 as the last race of the season where the Verizon IndyCar Series Championship was finally decided on the track. How does the change of hosting a race in the middle of a series schedule effect the hosting of a race as big as a Verizon IndyCar Series open-wheel championship?
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There is one more race to be run at Toronto before the IndyCars come to the big oval in Fontana, making this the third oval race of the season after the INDY 500, and Texas Motor Speedway. With the new aerodynamics body kits being applied to the cars, the fly overs on crashes at INDY, and the apparent stability and record speeds shown at Texas Motor Speedway, what are you being told and what do you expect about the racing at Auto Club Speedway?
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The MAVTv 500 schedule begins on Friday June 26 where the infield will open at 9:00 am - Practice sessions are held during two sessions - one between 9:00 to 10;00am and the second from 12:30 to 1:30pm - followed by qualifications to be run from 4:15 to 5:30pm.
What else will be happening at the Auto Club Speedway on Friday ... and what's planned that is new this year?
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(This question did not get asked due to the fact Dave Allen covered the information with the previous answer)
Then on raceday, Saturday June 27, there is scheduled an autograph session at 10:00am, Driver's Story Time with Gabby Chevas and Tony Kanaan being inducted into the Auto Club Speedway's Walk Of Fame saved for winners of the previous year's race - both at 11:00am.
Tell us more about what is planned as fan activity for raceday, Saturday.
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The race is scheduled to be run in the afternoon with the NBCSN broadcast window starting at 1:00pm ... and the race scheduled to start at 1:30pm and run to 4:45pm. What additional challenges are posed moving from a three-year run of a race in the evening and hosting a 500 mile, 200 lap race in the afternoon?
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Thank you, Dave, for your time, we look forward to the second race to be run on a superspeedway this season from the Verizon IndyCar Series open-wheel cars at Fontana during the last weekend in June - any final thoughts?
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ENDS
... notes from The EDJE
TAGS: MAVTv 500, #MAVTv500, Southern California Wine Festival, Yancey’s Fancy Artisan Cheese, Lefty’s 5k Run, Tony Kanaan, Walk of Fame Ceremony, Gabby Chaves, Driver’s Story Time, NBCSN, Will Power, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal, Honda, Chevrolet, Aerodynamics, The EDJE,
