Entertainment district springs up in Speedway

“It’s been remarkable with all the different things, the breweries and Sarah Fisher’s go- kart place.” Anthony Foyt, co- founder of Foyt Family Wines and the Foyt Wine Vault on Main Street in Speedway, Ind.

It took 100 years, but there finally are things to do in the town of Speedway beyond going to the speedway.

Seemingly overnight, a small entertainment district has sprouted just a short walk from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with more development in the works. Now, instead of just driving in for the race and leaving, racing fans have other reasons to stick around, just as baseball fans do in the neighborhoods near Wrigley Field or Fenway Park.

And two racing names are leading the way in Speedway: Foyt and Fisher. The Foyts have opened a wine bar to promote the family’s wine label, and former driver Sarah Fisher has opened a large indoor go- kart racing facility that includes a restaurant and bar. Fisher says she’s all- in for redevelopment efforts near the track.

“I feel like it’s such a vibrant community in Indy. And everything that IMS is doing to improve their experience here, it just really made sense to continue to develop,” Fisher told USA TODAY Sports. “The town of Speedway put together a whole redevelopment commission to try to grow the area as well. I think we have a really great fan base and a really great interest and people that are interested in our track and in our sport, our community.”

It might be working, if the crowd May 14 for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis is any indication. On the night before the race, there was a line outside Fisher’s kart track, while two nearby breweries, Daredevil and Big Woods, were packed. Main Street was closed to regular traffic for a vintage car show.

But can Speedway’s Main Street become a destination the rest of the year, even when there aren’t marquee events at the 2.5- mile venue? Fisher thinks Main Street can build by attracting a portion of the significant convention business that comes to Indianapolis every year.

“When you come to Indianapolis, you think Indy 500,” Fisher says. “So the Indy 500 needs the support of the community to have something other than, ‘ OK you come to the track. There aren’t cars racing. What do you do?’ ”

Fisher has a suggestion — grab some buddies and go go- karting.

STEERING FANS TO AREA

Fisher and her husband, Andy O’Gara, opened Speedway Indoor Karting and the 1911 Grill, named after the year of the first Indy 500, in April.

“Andy and I have always wanted to do this,” Fisher says. “This has kind of been floating around in the back of our mind for a long time.” Business has been good. “It’s been really steady,” Fisher says. “We’ve learned a lot. It’s a totally different business model, and there’s different business models within it, from the corporate side where you come in with big groups on to the walkon, walk- off, one- at- a- time party. Just learning how to best handle that, and it’s really exciting and it’s been very well received.”

While the facility is geared more toward recreational racers than those who are considering making a career of racing, Fisher still went out of her way to get high- performance karts from Italian manufacturer CRG.

“The customer that we have, whether it’s a true racer or the general public, we really want them to have a good experience,” Fisher says.

Fisher sees her track as an extension of the Verizon IndyCar Series’ efforts to connect with fans.

“I think this sport is really good at that,” Fisher says. “The IndyCar Series and the people in this town do a good job of that. So this is just one other thing that I think helps add value to who we are as a community.”

But if you’d prefer to hoist a glass instead of a trophy, that’s an option as well.

ICONIC NAME, NEW GAME

Even A. J. Foyt acknowledges fine wine doesn’t exactly fit with his legendary tough- as- nails persona.

“I’m not much of a wine drinker,” he tells USA TODAY Sports.

But when son Larry and grandson Anthony came to him with the idea of lending the family name to a wine label, Foyt’s competitive nature took over.

“I said, ‘ You’ve got one condition: As long as it’s better than Andretti’s wine,’ ” Foyt said.

Adds Anthony: “Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t think of Foyt and wine back in the day. A. J.’ s always been a big supporter. He’s not a big wine lover. He supported me and Larry in this business venture, and it’s been fun. It’s been fun for our family, too. It’s always fun during the holidays drinking our wine and to give it to friends and have other friends enjoy it.”

Today, Foyt Family Wines produces varietals that cost as much as $ 170 a bottle. Most are more affordable. “That’s one thing we’ve definitely stayed consistent on from the start,” Anthony says. “Since we put our name on it, we’ve made sure to keep the quality up, no matter if it costs more. The profit margin might not be as big, but we wanted to make sure when people drink it they enjoy it.”

Fans can do that on Main Street at the Foyt Wine Vault, which mixes modern decor with vintage Foyt racing memorabilia, including one of A. J.’ s old race cars. It opened on Indy 500 weekend last year.

And it’s not the only option on Main Street. Craft beer fans can visit Daredevil’s industrialchic warehouse setting and then wander over to Big Woods, right across the street.

“We feel lucky to kind of get in when we did a year ago,” Anthony Foyt said. “Since then, it’s been remarkable with all the different things, the breweries and Sarah Fisher’s go- kart place. They’ve made some really cool things on that street, and it’s fun.

“Hopefully it draws in a lot of people to show what Main Street is, what it’s going to turn out to be.”

With more new businesses planned in the area for the near future, Foyt and Fisher both see Main Street growing from here.

“It’s just exciting,” Fisher says. “It’s going to grow. We had our toes in the water at the start, and so it’s neat to see it develop into what it is. ( I) have a lot of pride in the community that we have here, being kind of a hometown girl.”