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By Kyle Fairchild, Penske Entertainment
On February 2, Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. As I sat down to compose this article, Indianapolis had single digits temperatures, negative windchills, measurable snowfall, and slick streets and sidewalks. If you’re like me, you have been asking yourself, “when will the wicked winter weather end?” while also looking forward to warmer weather, blooming trees, green grass, and flowers. Yet, as I look outside and see the snowfall, all of those things seem like they may never come this year! Stay positive. Before too long a robust spring/summer event calendar in Indianapolis will be upon us, including the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. In advance of May in Indianapolis, however, do you need a racing event to look forward to that will bring you through the final winter stretch into springtime? Look no further than the Racing Attorney Conference (“TRAC”) being hosted in Indianapolis on April 22-23.
TRAC, first held in 2008, is an annual event that combines education, development and networking for leaders in the motorsports industry. Since TRAC was relaunched in 2023 after a pandemic-related multiple-year pause, the Indianapolis Bar Association Sports and Entertainment Law Section continues to expand TRAC’s attendee base and breadth of educational sessions offered. The TRAC planning committee is excited to continue hosting the conference at race-related venues in 2025 after 2024 was hosted in Austin, Texas at Circuit of the Americas. This year, attendees will get to experience Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park’s Top Eliminator Club and the Dallara IndyCar Factory.
The Sports and Entertainment Law Section, with the support of friends and colleagues from the North Carolina Bar Association and Austin Bar, is thrilled to offer a full and diverse array of educational sessions at this year’s conference for which attendees can earn eight (8) CLE hours. TRAC Planning committee member, Jimmie McMillian, Senior Corporate Counsel at Penske Entertainment, has been attending the conference for years and has this to say about 2025’s version:
“TRAC will be hitting top speed this year as we learn from a full field of top leaders across the motorsports industry. Speakers will dive deep into the legal twists and turns of topics like ‘Private Equity in Sports,’ ‘Cutting Edge Case Law Developments in Motorsports and Entertainment,’ ‘Generative AI and Motorsports,’ ‘Non-Compete Agreements,’ ‘Corporate Sponsorship Asset Allocation,’ and ‘Diverse and Inclusive Opportunities in Motorsports.’ I hope you join us for a chance to trade some paint and connect with others during our networking lunches and receptions. Lap for lap, this promises to be a fun and informative learning experience from start to finish!”
The future vision for TRAC is to rotate the host city of the conference every other year between a new racing-centric location and Indianapolis. By doing this, the goal is to sustain growth while upholding TRAC as the national leader in motorsports legal education for years to come. TRAC is intended to bring attorneys from all facets of the racing and motorsports industry together in one place. But the Sports and Entertainment Law Section welcomes anyone, motorsports attorney or not, to join us at the conference. Do you love racing and want to earn eight (8) CLE hours related to racing? Do you want to see behind the scenes at two important racing venues within the Indianapolis racing community? Do you want to hear from industry experts so you can impress your family, friends, and colleagues by explaining the ins and outs of the important legal aspects of motorsports as you turn on the television and watch the NTT INDYCAR SERIES starting March 2? If the answer to any of these questions is “YES,” TRAC is for you!
You can learn more and register by visiting the TRAC website – racingattorneys.com. The Sports and Entertainment Law Section invites you to consider attending this unique CLE opportunity April 22-23. Let’s all make the turn to spring by registering for TRAC 2025 so we have something to get us through the cold Indianapolis temperatures and snow!•
Kyle Fairchild is Corporate Counsel for Penske Entertainment and serves on the TRAC Executive Planning Committee for IndyBar’s Sports & Entertainment Law Section. Prior to working for Penske Entertainment, Fairchild worked for the Horizon League and in his role oversaw governance, compliance, and legal issues for the organization, including overseeing the governance cabinet, leading the student-athlete development cabinet, managing the Leagues Faculty Athletic Representatives Advisory Group and compliance coordinators peer group, and serving as the staff liaison for multiple sports. Previously, he worked as a compliance intern and the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance for Loyola University. Fairchild earned his undergraduate degree from Xavier University and his J.D. from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
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