Inside INdiana Business Television Podcast

In this edition of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick, the business of motorsports is in full throttle as Business at the Brickyard continues. From Gasoline Alley to global headquarters for brands, we explore why Indiana is one of the top three motorsports hubs in the world. Veteran executive Rollie Helmling breaks down the industry’s $1 billion impact, and why Indy’s brand is key to future growth.

Plus:

• The hidden economic engine inside IndyCar: $100 million in cars, $350K chassis, $1M engines, and elite STEM careers.

• An Italian racing school plants roots in Indianapolis, training the next generation of mechanics and engineers—including a Hamilton Southeastern grad.

• IMS revs up sustainability: composting, recycling, and new initiatives to reduce waste from 300,000 race day fans.

• Eli Lilly breaks ground on its $4.5 billion Lebanon Medicine Foundry, creating 400 jobs in the LEAP Innovation District.

• Aer Lingus launches a transatlantic connection from Indianapolis to Dublin.

• Anne Frank trees grown in Jackson County head to schools across the U.S.

• Kyle Cummins keeps Hoosier dirt track tradition alive with a sprint car career rooted in small-town Indiana grit.



The Month of May is just heating up. We’ll be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway all month with exclusive coverage of Indiana’s most iconic economic driver.

In this Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick special edition, the month of May roars to life at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the kickoff of Business at the Brickyard. As the 109th running of the Indy 500 approaches, we explore how motorsports is fueling Indiana’s economy to the tune of more than $1 billion annually. From Victory Circle to the new IMS Museum, the Speedway is more than just a race—it’s an economic engine.

Plus:


IMS President Doug Boles discusses record-breaking ticket sales, and the potential for a grandstand sellout.

The $60M IMS Museum reopens with inclusive, accessible features for all fans.

Inside the 500 Festival’s $50M impact on Indianapolis and the cultural power of race month traditions.

The University of Evansville hosts the first Innovate Indianaevent of 2025 as excitement builds around I-69’s final bridge link to Kentucky.

Hoosier farmers weigh in as tariffs once again shake the global trade landscape.

Warsaw’s Slate Electric Trucks lands a new production site and Bezos-backed momentum.

McCutcheon High School in Lafayette takes home a robotics world title as Indiana FIRST programs surge in student participation.

Doug Boles returns to break down venue upgrades, Snake Pit strategy, and yes—Gronk’s controversial turn as Grand Marshal.


From dirt tracks to Victory Lane, Inside INdiana Business will be on-site all month long with stories from every corner of Indiana motorsports.

 

In this episode of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick, global innovation arrives in a bigger way in Indiana. Silicon Valley-based Plug and Play is expanding to the new IU Launch Accelerator at 16 Tech, aiming to recruit and grow life sciences startups in Indianapolis and connect them with Warsaw’s growing medtech hub. CEO Saeed Amidi says Indiana’s combination of university talent and global companies like Eli Lilly makes it a powerful new frontier for innovation.

Plus:



How the new IU Health incubator at 16 Tech could transform Indianapolis into a national player in biosciences.




Roche Diagnostics and Eli Lilly announce major U.S. manufacturing expansions, with the potential for Indiana to land more investment.




Community Health Network opens the first phase of its Westfield campus, featuring AI-assisted patient care.




A new Ronald McDonald Care Mobile rolls out in Evansville to combat Indiana’s high infant and maternal mortality rates.




Also in this episode:



Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon launches a new railroad to drive economic development.




Terre Haute’s Hulman Field Air Base plans a new $13 million small arms training range.




Fort Wayne breaks ground on an 8,400-seat soccer stadium ahead of joining USL League One.




A Noble County fire department auctions off a pumper truck to fund new equipment.




Gaylor Electric becomes the first company to twice win National Contractor of the Year honors.




IU Indianapolis expands STEM research space with a new lab building at 16 Tech.




Ball State completes a $60 million renovation of Cooper Science Building.




Indiana Tech launches a new advanced manufacturing innovation center at Electric Works in Fort Wayne.




And:



Hud Mellencamp and Hard Truth Distilling launch a new whiskey celebrating Indiana farmers and the Mellencamp legacy.




The Pacers surge ahead in the NBA Playoffs as Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever prepare for a historic season.




Inside INdiana Business previews next week's kickoff of Business at the Brickyard coverage at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In this episode of Inside INdiana Business with Gary Dick, military might meets rural transformation. A $600 million private investment is on the horizon near the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana, as 16 companies commit to a new munitions campus in Bloomfield. The project could bring thousands of jobs to southern Indiana and redefine economic growth in the region.
Plus:

A deeper look at how Crane is anchoring a national security innovation hub.

Why the town of Bloomfield may be Indiana’s next economic development boomtown.

Guardian Bikes goes big: The Seymour-based company launches large-scale U.S. frame manufacturing to reduce reliance on overseas suppliers.

Fort Wayne’s L3Harris opens a $125M payload facility to support the future of missile defense.

River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville hits $3B in economic impact.

Notre Dame opens the tap—alcohol sales now allowed in general seating at football games.

Also in this episode:

Yelp’s Brittany Smith shares the top budget-friendly bites across Indiana, from cinnamon rolls in Nashville to burgers in Anderson.

Fisher’s native Vince Dixon returns home to premiere a powerful short film based on his family’s battle with addiction.

Caitlin Clark teams up with Gainbridge in a new national ad as Fever tickets officially sell out for the season.

 

In this episode of Inside INdiana Business with Gary Dick, we take off with big news in Indiana aviation: Carmel-based Republic Airways is merging with Mesa Air Group to form the second-largest regional airline in the U.S. The deal brings a major boost to Republic’s Carmel headquarters, a massive training center in Indianapolis, and continued momentum for Indiana’s aviation sector.

Plus:

How the $200 million Republic campus in Carmel is shaping the future of pilot training.

Why Mayor Sue Finkam says U.S. 31 is becoming a top destination for corporate HQs.

Terre Haute’s $100 million casino impact: new housing, downtown investment, and a revitalized Wabash Valley.

The future of Oregon-based Entek’s $1.5 billion EV battery plant—and what Mayor Brandon Sakbun wants from Washington.


Also in this episode:

New $40M distribution center headed to Gary’s lakefront.

Western Governors University opens a state-of-the-art simulation center in Indianapolis to train 1,000 new nurses.

A Ball State student with muscular dystrophy conducts an orchestra using assistive technology—and changes what’s possible in performance arts.

Meet Indiana’s newest world food champion: Collin Hilton of Cunningham Restaurant Group wins big at the World Food Championships.

Why a small satellite company in Upland is putting Taylor University engineering students on a path to outer space.

Oliver Winery in Bloomington rises into the top 30 in the nation—and brings Midwest flavor to the wine world.