Indianapolis is the epicenter of not only the IndyCar world, but also for sprint and midget cars.
And yet, for as much racing history as the Circle City has, Saturday night provided a historic first: indoor dirt racing at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Less than 24 hours after the NBA’s Pacers hosted the visiting Miami Heat, the first annual Bad Boy Indy Invitational dirt midget race was held on a makeshift track in place of the more traditional basketball court.
And while the inaugural event had a few glitches that made for a longer-than-anticipated night, in the end the event was deemed a success by many that competed and attended.
Kyle Schuett won the race and the $10,000 first place prize.
The 40 entrants included some of the top dirt track racers in the business. A number of NASCAR drivers also competed in the event, including Kyle Larson and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Also on hand to watch was Michael Waltrip and injured sprint car driver Kevin Swindell.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s niece, Karsyn Elledge (daughter of Junior’s sister Kelley), flipped in the race, which was caught on video by Speed51.com. Karsyn was able to continue on.
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VIDEO: On-board with @KarsynElledge3 as she flips at @indyindoors - https://t.co/QtrDyfp3xZ pic.twitter.com/Mb1HyGO5fj
— Racing America (@RacingAmerica) December 14, 2015
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On the undercard was an Outlaw Kart race, with $5,000 going to the winner.
The temporary track was constructed from 50 truckloads of premium dirt and 800 feet of steel barrier and fencing, according to the event’s official web site, IndyIndoors.com.
Check out some of the more interesting posts on social media about the event:
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#IndyIndoors: Kyle Schuett wins at @TheFieldhouse. pic.twitter.com/FwPdXbzFdC
— Racing America (@RacingAmerica) December 13, 2015
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One thing I guarantee you'll never see at #IndyIndoors
— Michael Waltrip (@MW55) December 12, 2015
A debris caution.
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Just wanna say thank you to @indyindoors and @loudpedaltv for the tribute. Meant a lot. Enjoyed being there tonight.
— Kevin Swindell (@KevinSwindell) December 13, 2015
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Long night @indyindoors I appreciate their work on it just didn't go as smooth as needed. thank you too all the fans for coming & supporting
— Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (@StenhouseJr) December 13, 2015
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Got both cars locked in the feature tonight @indyindoors #DirtToDaytona
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) December 13, 2015
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I'm a redneck but I'm sophisticated. #IndyIndoors @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse https://t.co/PWC3QguCPV
— Michael Waltrip (@MW55) December 13, 2015
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The day is finally here! Who's excited for @IndyIndoors Bad Boy Indy Invitational? Tix: https://t.co/JD6QS77WxU pic.twitter.com/sf4IH2kOQO
— Gainbridge Fieldhouse (@GainbridgeFH) December 12, 2015
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Can't believe we're racing in here tomorrow! Gonna be fun @indyindoors #DirtToDaytona pic.twitter.com/9UbpsTizc4
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) December 12, 2015
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