{"id":62995,"date":"2025-05-24T07:13:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T11:13:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=62995"},"modified":"2025-05-24T07:13:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T11:13:47","slug":"memorial-day-weekend-last-chance-to-snare-the-indy-500-special-event-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/memorial-day-weekend-last-chance-to-snare-the-indy-500-special-event-station\/","title":{"rendered":"Memorial Day Weekend: Last Chance to Snare the Indy 500 Special Event Station"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>By Brian D. Smith, W9IND<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you still haven\u2019t caught the W9IMS Indy 500 special event, your final opportunity to earn the latest QSL card and certificate comes this weekend.<\/p>\n

As announced earlier this month, the second special event of the year by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club \u2013 honoring the 109th running of the venerable race \u2013 is on the air from now through the end of Race Day \u2026 otherwise known as 11:59 p.m. Sunday, May 25 (Indy time) or 0359 UTC Monday, May 26.<\/p>\n

For hams and shortwave listeners, working or tuning in W9IMS this week stakes your claim on a collectible QSL card that\u2019s redesigned each year.<\/p>\n

And if you happened to bag the first W9IMS special event during the week of the IndyCar Grand Prix (May 4-10), a contact with the Indy 500 station will put you two-thirds of the way toward achieving the 2025 version of the Checkered Flag Award.<\/p>\n

But take note: You\u2019ll have to wait 2 months for the third special event (July 21-27), which will commemorate the NASCAR Brickyard 400.<\/p>\n

Tips on finding W9IMS:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Check DX Summit (www.dxsummit.fi<\/a>) for spots listing the current frequency or frequencies of W9IMS. You can customize your search by typing \u201cW9IMS\u201d in the box at upper right.<\/li>\n
  2. Go to the W9IMS web page (www.w9ims.org<\/a>) and look for the heading, \u201c2025 Operating Schedule.\u201d Click on the Indianapolis 500 link, which opens into a weeklong schedule of individual operators and their reserved time slots. Although the special event can be activated at any time throughout Race Week, your odds of snaring the station improve dramatically during hours with a listed op.<\/li>\n
  3. Look for the Indy 500 station on 20 and 40 meters \u2013 on or near 14.245 and 7.245 MHz \u2013 and there\u2019s a bonus band if you plan to attend the race or be in the Indianapolis area on Race Day. Each year on the morning of the 500, W9IMS operates simplex FM on 146.52 MHz, working hams situated in the grandstands and the infield of the track, as well as those en route or residing in the local area.<\/li>\n
  4. Remember that the published schedule can be shortened by adverse circumstances, such as local thunderstorms, solar flares, and a lack of calling stations. Don\u2019t wait till the final hour to hunt W9IMS!<\/li>\n
  5. However, hams who still haven\u2019t worked W9IMS by Sunday may benefit from the policy changes that usually kick in at the end of Race Week. W9IMS ops tend begin calling for \u201conly stations that haven\u2019t worked this event\u201d and often switch to contest-style operations, exchanging only signal reports to put more contacts in the log.<\/li>\n
  6. Keep in mind that both radio amateurs and SWLs are eligible for QSL cards and the certificate. So if your ham station isn\u2019t able to work W9IMS by Sunday night, you can create an SWL report by copying down details of other contacts \u2013 such as date, frequency, UTC, and the callsigns of a few stations you heard W9IMS working. SWL reports count as credits too, but the certificate will likely feature your name instead of your call.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If you succeed in your W9IMS chase, congratulations! The station website (www.w9ims.org<\/a>) contains everything you\u2019ll need to know about obtaining QSL cards and the certificate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Brian D. Smith, W9IND If you still haven\u2019t caught the W9IMS Indy 500 special event, your final opportunity to earn the latest QSL card and certificate comes this weekend. As announced earlier this month, the second special event of the year by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club \u2013 honoring the 109th running […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[545,3,43],"tags":[3963,6168],"class_list":["post-62995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ham-radio","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-brian-smith","tag-w9ims"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-go3","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":49022,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/05\/indy-500-week-marks-the-second-w9ims-special-event-of-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":62995,"position":0},"title":"Indy 500 Week Marks the Second W9IMS Special Event of 2021","author":"Thomas","date":"May 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Indy 500 Week Marks the Second W9IMS Special Event of 2021 By Brian D. Smith, W9IND If you\u2019re looking to add a 2021 Indy 500 QSL card to your collection, and perhaps a certificate as well, your odds of success just accelerated. From now through the end of Sunday, May\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-2020-e1621895386130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-2020-e1621895386130.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-2020-e1621895386130.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/w9ims-qsl-2020-e1621895386130.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52823,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/w9ims-a-radio-run-at-the-indy-500\/","url_meta":{"origin":62995,"position":1},"title":"W9IMS: A Radio Run at the Indy 500","author":"Thomas","date":"May 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"W9IMS: A Radio Run at the Indy 500 By Brian D. Smith, W9IND You can\u2019t win the Indianapolis 500 until they wave the checkered flag \u2013 and you can\u2019t win a W9IMS Checkered Flag Award unless you contact the Indy 500 special event. You\u2019ll have that opportunity from now through\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2021-Grand-Prix-Front-QSL.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2021-Grand-Prix-Front-QSL.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2021-Grand-Prix-Front-QSL.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2021-Grand-Prix-Front-QSL.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2021-Grand-Prix-Front-QSL.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44854,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/08\/w9ims-chance-for-a-commemorative-certificate-and-qsl-card\/","url_meta":{"origin":62995,"position":2},"title":"W9IMS: Chance for a Commemorative Certificate and QSL Card","author":"Thomas","date":"August 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Indy 500 Week Offers the Chance for a Commemorative W9IMS Certificate and\/or QSL Card By Brian D. Smith, W9IND Your chance to obtain the 2020 W9IMS Checkered Flag Award \u2013 or at least a QSL card commemorating this year\u2019s Indianapolis 500 \u2013 unfolds in the coming week. And both amateur\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-QSL-Card-2018-e1556279998830.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-QSL-Card-2018-e1556279998830.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-QSL-Card-2018-e1556279998830.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-QSL-Card-2018-e1556279998830.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52667,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/2022-w9ims-special-event-station-details\/","url_meta":{"origin":62995,"position":3},"title":"2022 W9IMS Special Event Station Details!","author":"Thomas","date":"May 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"W9IMS Special Event No. 1:\u00a0The 2022 Certificate Chase Begins By Brian D. Smith, W9IND A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, as the proverb goes, and the road to a 2022 W9IMS Checkered Flag Award begins with a single QSO \u2013 or a single SWL reception.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2021-Indy-500-Front-QSL.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2021-Indy-500-Front-QSL.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2021-Indy-500-Front-QSL.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2021-Indy-500-Front-QSL.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/2021-Indy-500-Front-QSL.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56923,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2023\/05\/w9ims-indy-500-special-event-details\/","url_meta":{"origin":62995,"position":4},"title":"W9IMS: Indy 500 Special Event Details","author":"Thomas","date":"May 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Indy 500 Special Event: The Greatest Spectacle in Radio!\u00a0 By Brian D. Smith, W9IND Like the race cars that made Indy famous, your opportunity for another W9IMS QSL card is coming around again. This time it\u2019s the venerable Indianapolis 500 that will take center stage from now through 11:59 p.m.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-GP-Front-W9IMS.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44103,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/w9ims-a-delayed-start-for-the-indianapolis-motor-speedway-special-event-station\/","url_meta":{"origin":62995,"position":5},"title":"W9IMS: A delayed start for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway special event station\u00a0","author":"Thomas","date":"July 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian D. Smith (W9IND), who shares the following announcement: W9IMS: A delayed start for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway special event station by Brian D. Smith, W9IND It\u2019s a late start for auto racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as the amateur radio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Guest Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Guest Posts","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/guest-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-2018-QSL-Card-Indy-e1556280126932.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-2018-QSL-Card-Indy-e1556280126932.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-2018-QSL-Card-Indy-e1556280126932.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W9IMS-2018-QSL-Card-Indy-e1556280126932.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62995"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62995\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62997,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62995\/revisions\/62997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}