VisionAire 500K
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| Venue | Charlotte Motor Speedway |
|---|---|
| Corporate sponsor | VisionAire HVAC |
| First race | 1997 |
| First INDYCAR race | 1997 |
| Last race | 1999 |
| Distance | 502.115 km (312.000 mi) |
| Laps | 208 |
| Previous names | VisionAire 500 (1997) |
The VisionAire 500K was an Indy Racing League race held at Charlotte Motor Speedway from 1997 to 1999. During the 1999 event, three spectators were killed when debris from a crash on the track went into the grandstands. The race was stopped and canceled, and the event was removed from the Indy Racing League schedule.
The first open wheel race was at the first Charlotte Speedway built in Pineville in 1924. This is where indy races were held.
In 1980, USAC announced plans for a 500 km event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the first Indy car event at the facility. The plans, however, were scrapped when USAC entered into a joint sanctioning effort with CART, and the 1980 calendar was reorganized.
In 1996, the upstart Indy Racing League tested at the facility, with plans to add it to the schedule in 1997. The first test saw speeds in the 207 mph range, already an unofficial track record. Soon after the test, a night race was added to the IRL schedule starting in 1997.
The first two runnings were considered largely successful with Buddy Lazier and Kenny Bräck winning the mid-summer Saturday night 500 kilometer (208 lap) races. Crowds were strong, and CBS carried the race on tape delay. At the time, the IRL was attempting to expand its schedule geographically, particularly in traditional "NASCAR Country." The initial success of the event was seen as opportunity to expand the league's presence in the South, and also validated that the IRL machines were suited for the fast, high-banked "Intermediate" oval tracks.
In 1999, the race was moved from July to the first weekend in May, the last race before the Indianapolis 500. On the 61st lap, a crash led to a car losing a tire, which was then propelled into the stands by another car. Three spectators were killed and eight others were injured in the incident.
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