Your Guide to Enjoying the Indy 500

Kirk Stelsel Monday, May 23, 2011 | Kirk Stelsel

In less than one week the “greatest spectacle in racing,” the 100th anniversary of the iconic the Indy 500, will draw hundreds of thousands of diehard fans, casual fans, first-timers and some who may not even be race fans, but just love the experience to our city.

If you haven’t purchased tickets yet, they can still be found online or purchased through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The prices range, depending on where you want to sit, which creates the question: What kind of Indy 500 person are you?

Infield: Are you a party animal? Do you love a good time where you’re not confined to a certain seat? If so, the infield is for you. Sure, you’ll only get a glimpse of the cars as they fly by, but you’ll feel close to the action and are guaranteed to have a blast. Bring your own grill, food and drink and join the giant party in the infamous Indy 500 infield.

Turn: Do you want the best view money can buy? If so, get yourself a seat as high as you can in one of the turns. Sitting here will afford you some of the best views amongst the 200,000-plus seats. You’ll likely see two straightaways and, probably, a crash or two.

Straightaway: Do you want to save a little dough but still want a seat? If so, a straightaway is the perfect location. You won’t see quite as much as you would in a turn, but ticket prices tend to drop a little and you’ll see the drivers jockeying for position before they head into the next turn.

Suite: Do you want the top-notch experience, regardless of cost? You may not be able to get into a suite this year, but for the premium experience the suites are the answer. An air-conditioned room with open-air seats below, views of the straightaway between turns four and one, a kitchen area and more. The suites are truly a treat.

Paddock: Do you absolutely want to see the beginning and end and nothing else matters more? You may not be able to afford a suite to take this in, but sit anywhere in the Paddock. You’ll most likely get the chance to see the cars cross the finish line.

As you can see, there are a wide variety of experience you can have on race day, depending on your budget and your preferences. Each is unique and loads of fun, but only you can decide what’s right for you. So, again I ask: What kind of Indy 500 person are you?

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Tagged: IMS, indianapolis, Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy, Indy 500, infield, Race.
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  • http://www.TheMacCFO.com TheMacCFO

    First paragraph typo – this is not the 100th running of the Indy 500. It is the 100th anniversary of the first running of the Indy 500.

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  • Brad Lenser

    We’re wondering if anyone out there as taken young kids to the race and could describe their experience whether good or bad. My wife won free tickets to the race. The seats are in the paddock near the start/finish line. We have twin 7 year old girls. Were wondering if our girls would be able to enjoy the race. We’ve never been to the race, but have been to pole day and qualifications each year with the girls, but we think that’s a much different environment as we can walk around to different areas of the track and infield without staying in in seats for an extended amount of time. We’d appreciate any comments.

  • Kirk

    Brad,

    I don’t think I’d be the best person to answer that question, as I don’t have kids yet. However, putting myself in the mindset of a 7 year old, I know it would be a long time to sit in one spot. Thinking as a future parent, if they get antsy mid race you could always take a break from the action and go walk around to various food and souvenir vendors and come back to your seats to catch the ending.

    If there are any parents out there that can shed some real-life experience with taking kids to the race, please let Brad know.

  • Kirk

    Also, thank you to the TheMacCFO for pointing out the mistake in the first paragraph. The change has been made and your astute observation is much appreciated! I always strive for 100% accuracy but mistakes do happen.