This message was edited on
January 15, 2023 at
11:28:50 PM by ColtanW
Reply to:
Posted By: YungWun24 on January 12 2023 at 01:54:37 PM
So I guess I'm going to the Indy 500 next year.
Questions:
Where did you stay? thinking Air BNB
Did you catch a wingless race Saturday night, if so where?
Things to know before arriving at IMS?
Thank you in advance.
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I'm a seven year Indy 500 attendee (went to my first two with the Bryan Clauson Indiana Double group). The where to stay question depends on what you're planning to do prior to the Indy 500 and where you plan to sit at the Indy 500. I usually grab an AirBnb north/northeast of Indy as I can usually find a bargain and it puts me in a good location for the Little 500 in Anderson on the Saturday night before the Indy 500 and then BC's Indiana Double in Kokomo on Sunday night. Plus my seats are in Turn 3, so coming in from the north makes it easier to park on the north side of the track.
Saturday Night
There's typically two races you can go to on the Saturday night before the Indy 500, the Little 500 in Anderson or the MSCS non-wing sprint car show at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville. Anderson is 40 miles away from IMS, while Putnamville is 45 miles from IMS. My recommendation is the Little 500 because you will NEVER see any other sprint car race like it. Get this, it's a paved, high-banked, tight quarter mile track. Earlier in the week they hold Little 500 qualifying and qualify the cars just like the Indy 500: average speed over 4 laps and there is bumping, which sets a field of 33 cars.
On Saturday night, those 33 cars lineup in 11 rows of 3 and start the race just like the Indy 500. And then they race for 500 laps WITH green flag pitstops. There's about 10 to 15 push trucks that can come through the infield to refire the cars while the race is still going on. Some of the teams have airjacks like an IndyCar, while some just use a standard floor jack. Some teams have professional fueling rigs, while some teams just have a 55 gallon barrel of fuel on a ladder with a hose running from it. It's the God damndest thing you'll ever see. Lincoln Park will give you a hell of a non-wing show, but you'll have to sit through several classes of doorbanger heat races, so I think a race fan would be better off seeing the spectacle of the Little 500.
Have you put any thoughts into selecting your seat for the Indy 500 yet?
The main thing I always tell first timers is to thoroughly research the seating options. You can ask individuals where they like to sit and you'll get a different answer from every person you talk to. Each section has its own merits and characteristics. You'll definitely want to determine what kind of view you want to have while watching the race (while taking other factors such as shade and video screen placement into consideration), but there truly isn't a bad seat in the house because just being in the vicinity on race day is like a religious experience.
When researching your seats, I recommend using the following links:
Tips on where to sit: http://indymotorspeedway.com/500sit.html
A full seating chart with tips on individual sections and photos from different sections: http://indymotorspeedway.com/idx-standmap.html
3D Seat Map with virtual views from different sections: https://www.seats3d.com/racetracks/indianapolis_motor_speedway/1/#/
Things To Know Before Race Day
IMS allows fans to bring in their own food and drink into the Speedway. You can bring in alcohol (as long as it's not glass) as well. I'm not much of a alcohol guy, so I always bring in two soft sided coolers that fit in my backpack, one cooler has my lunch (I typically grab some sort of a deli wrap from a local grocery store on Saturday with some additional snacks) and the other cooler is packed with frozen water bottles. The frozen water bottles will melt and allow you to have a constantly cool beverage on a hot May Sunday.
You also need to figure out parking well before you head to the track on Sunday. If you're capable of a walk, it's actually better to park further away from the track because traffic gets gridlocked the closer you get to the Speedway both on the way to the race and when trying to leave the race. I park two miles north of the track and make the hike back and forth each year. I can walk faster than the traffic moves out of the speedway and by the time I reach my car, the roads are fairly clear and I can get my ass to Kokomo for BC's Indiana Double. There will be plenty of yards to park in on the roads leading into the track, pricing generally starts at $10 and will become more expensive as you get closer to the facility.
How many days will you be in Indy?
From Wednesday through Monday night, a person can attend a race every night. As of 2023, USAC sprint cars will race at Terre Haute (if they can find a promoter...) on Wednesday night and at Circle City Raceway on Thursday night. USAC has had some schedule changes for their Wednesday and Thursday shows over the past couple of years, so it's hard to tell what races they will have in 2024.
Friday night has a couple of racing options. The Carb Night Classic at IRP includes the USF Pro Championships (formerly known as the Road To Indy), Pavement Midgets, and the USAC Silver Crown Series. The other Friday night race is the Josh Burton Memorial down in Bloomington, which features the MSCS non-wing sprints. Saturday night has the aformentioned Little 500 in Anderon and the MSCS in Putnamville. After the Indy 500 on Sunday, you can head north to Kokomo for BC's Indiana Double (named after Bryan Clauson) for their local sprint car show. Kokomo is one of the raciest tracks in the nation and is well worth the trip. And then depending on what way is home, a guy can head 100 miles southeast of Indy on Monday to watch the World of Outlaws race at Lawrenceburg Speedway, which is an amazing facility and a hell of a racey track.
Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be glad to give you some more info/advice.
One last thing, going to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is a MUST while you're in town. It has some of the most important cars in the history of auto racing and is an absolute joy to explore.
Ask Frank
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