Indy 500 will host 135,000 fans for May 30 race

One year after COVID-19 protocols delayed the 2020 Indianapolis 500 until August and reduced attendance from 50 percent to 25 percent to no fans at all, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway says it plans to host up to 135,000 fans for the May 30 race. That’s 40 percent of the track’s unofficial capacity.

Officials say that number has been approved by the Marion County (Indiana) Public Health Department.

According to the Indianapolis Star, the 2021 Indy 500 will be the highest-attended sporting event in the U.S. since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic early last year.

“The city and state have worked with us to identify the appropriate health and safety precautions so that we can successfully host a limited but very enthusiastic crowd,” IMS president Doug Boles said in a release. “The health and safety of everyone coming to IMS, along with central Indiana and the Hoosier state, have been paramount throughout this process.”

IMS officials say the track sold 170,000 tickets for the 105th running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” but approximately 33,000 tickets were returned to IMS in exchange for credit.

Boles told the Star that interested fans have been able to submit an application for tickets and a rough estimate of where they’d like to sit. Fans can continue to do so until the track reaches that 135,000 limit, with the understanding that some additional tickets will likely be returned by those who opt for credit towards the 2022 event..

For more information, visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website.