This week INDYCAR announced that it will team up with Disney Junior’s newest hit series Mickey and the Roadster Racers to deliver youth and family entertainment for the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season. As part of the program, Andretti Autosport driver Ryan Hunter-Reay will lead the team’s participation as teammates Marco Andretti, Alexander Rossi and Takuma Sato help share the racing excitement by participating in special “Mickey and the Roadster Racers Pit Stop” events at three INDYCAR races this season – the series’ kickoff at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix on March 12, the Long Beach Grand Prix on April 9 and the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 28.
Mickey Mouse donned his firesuit to greet Michael Andretti at the ESPN World of Sports and kick off the collaboration between Disney Junior, INDYCAR and Andretti Autosport.
The collaboration will include at-track family activations in the Disney Junior Kids’ Zone at all INDYCAR racing events, special surprise appearances at key races, and unique digital content and social experiences for fans, bringing an entirely new level of family fun to the INDYCAR experience.
“We are excited to bring Disney Junior’s Mickey and the Roadster Racers to the Verizon IndyCar Series,” said CJ O’Donnell, INDYCAR’s Chief Marketing Officer. “The collaboration increases our appeal to a younger audience and adds new excitement as we kick off our 2017 season.”
“Mickey Mouse is such an iconic character that has been part of all our lives. He was a big part of my childhood, and now my three sons enjoy Mickey and his friends in Mickey and the Roadster Racers which is entertaining and also includes important lessons for young kids. And with this new show, Mickey and I have a lot in common – we both drive yellow and red race cars and we both carry the number 28,” said Verizon IndyCar Series and Indy 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay.
“I’m really honored to have Andretti Autosport as part of this great Disney Junior activation,” said team owner Michael Andretti. “My youngest children are huge fans of Mickey and the Roadster Racers’and I can’t think of a better way to start the 2017 season than with Mickey by our side.”