ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) IndyCar driver Pato OWard and series officials were shocked by a social media post from the Department of Homeland Security that touts plans for an immigration detention center in Indiana dubbed Speedway Slammer, and includes a car with the same number as the only Mexican driver in the series.
It caught a lot of people off guard. Definitely caught me off guard, OWard said Wednesday. I was just a little bit shocked at the coincidences of that and, you know, of what it means. ... I dont think it made a lot of people proud, to say the least.
The post Tuesday included an image of a IndyCar-style vehicle with the No. 5 that had ICE imposed on it multiple times similar to the display of a sponsor. It appeared to be a computer-created image, with the car on a track and a prison-like building in the background.
Indiana is home to Indianapolis Motor Speedway , and is where the IndyCar Series is based.
We were unaware of plans to incorporate our imagery as part of yesterdays announcement, IndyCar said in a statement Wednesday. Consistent with our approach to public policy and political issues, we are communicating our preference that our IP not be utilized moving forward in relation to this matter.
OWard said he didnt see the post until a friend texted him about it.
I havent really read into it too much because I dont think I want to, he said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a separate post used SpeedwaySlammer when announcing the new partnership with the state of Indiana to expand detention space by 1,000 beds.
OWard, who is second in points in IndyCar this season, was in Texas to promote next years inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington.
That race on March 15 will be on a 2.7-mile layout that goes around the home stadiums of the NFLs Dallas Cowboys and MLBs Texas Rangers. OWard threw a ceremonial first pitch before the Rangers game against the New York Yankees.
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AP auto racing:
美联社得克萨斯州阿灵顿电 —— 印地赛车手帕托·奥沃德（Pato O'Ward）及赛事官员对国土安全部一则社交媒体帖文感到震惊。该帖文宣传了印第安纳州一座名为“高速路牢笼”（Speedway Slammer）的移民拘留中心计划，并配有一辆与印地系列赛中唯一墨西哥籍车手编号相同的赛车。
“这令许多人措手不及，当然也包括我，”奥沃德周三表示。“我对这种巧合及其背后的含义感到有些震惊……至少可以说，我认为这不会让很多人感到自豪。”
周二发布的帖子中包含一张印有5号标识的印地赛车风格车辆图片，车身上多次出现类似赞助商展示的“ICE”字样。该图片似乎是电脑合成的，画面中赛车位于赛道上，背景可见一座监狱风格的建筑。
印第安纳州是印第安纳波利斯赛车场的所在地，也是印地赛车系列赛的总部。
印地赛车系列赛（IndyCar）周三发表声明称："我们此前并不知晓将我方形象纳入昨日公告的计划。""基于我们一贯对公共政策及政治议题的处理原则，我们已明确表示希望未来在此类事件中不再使用我们的知识产权。"
奥沃德表示，他起初并未看到那条帖子，直到有位朋友发短信告知他。
“我并没有深入了解这件事，因为我觉得没必要。”他说道。
国土安全部长克里斯蒂·诺姆（Kristi Noem）在另一篇帖子中使用了“SpeedwaySlammer”一词，宣布与印第安纳州建立新的合作伙伴关系，将拘留空间扩大1000个床位。
本赛季印地赛车积分榜排名第二的奥瓦德（O'Ward）日前现身得克萨斯州，为明年即将举行的阿灵顿大奖赛（Grand Prix of Arlington）揭幕战进行宣传。
3月15日的比赛将在一条环绕NFL达拉斯牛仔队和MLB德州游骑兵队主场体育馆的2.7英里赛道上举行。奥沃德在游骑兵队对阵纽约扬基队的比赛前投出了象征性的第一球。
美联社赛车新闻频道：