Indianapolis Motor Speedway welcomes OKC Thunder fans

As the Oklahoma City Thunder compete in the NBA Finals, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway embraces fans, highlighting a shared sports culture between the two cities

As the Oklahoma City Thunder compete in the NBA Finals, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway embraces fans, highlighting a shared sports culture between the two cities

As the Oklahoma City Thunder compete in the NBA Finals, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway embraces fans, highlighting a shared sports culture between the two cities

As the Oklahoma City Thunder race toward the NBA Championship, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is embracing the excitement and welcoming fans from both cities.

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"It's loud here, but that's how we like it here in Indy," said Michael Kaltenmark, senior director of marketing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

KOCO 5 stopped by the racing capital of the world ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway welcomed 350,000 people this past May, and with the finals now in town, the Pacers are riding the wave as the Oklahoma City Thunder try to gun it for the win.

"Of course, the Thunder is no slouch. They’re a formidable opponent. So, it’s going to be a great series. It already has been so far, but I think we feel a little bit of a kinship or brotherhood with Oklahoma City. I mean, it’s a city much like Indianapolis with people who value that sports culture and rally around each other," Kaltenmark said.

While it’s still a close race right between the Thunder and the Pacers, the Speedway says there’s always a seat in the stands for Oklahomans.

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"We’re excited for what it’s doing for middle America here in our cities, and frankly, we hope a lot of people are Indy-bound from Oklahoma City. We’d love to host you all, both for the NBA Finals and the Indy 500," Kaltenmark said.

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