Discussion
belleair302 said:
How long are you over for, what is your budget and are you alone or with friends etc? Hospitality is well worth the expense if you have the budget but there are better races than the Indy 500 over here in the USA.
This would be part of a coast to coast roadtrip, and i'd only be there for the Saturday and Sunday. I would say the budget is restricted to standard tickets only (eg. unto a few hundred £), and i will be on my own.Matt.. said:
This would be part of a coast to coast roadtrip, and i'd only be there for the Saturday and Sunday. I would say the budget is restricted to standard tickets only (eg. unto a few hundred £), and i will be on my own.
Unless you want hospitality that sort of money will get you almost any ticket. I'm going to the 500 this year for the first time and will be sitting at about the mid point of turn 4. I've done the Brickyard 400 in the past but this is my first trip to the real Indy. Its going to be epic. Plan is to got to the Hoosier 100 Late Model race on the 1 mile dirt track at the Fairgronds, the Night Before the 500 Midget race at IRP and the World of Outlaw Sprint Cars as well whilst there.A handy website with lots of info is http://www.indymotorspeedway.com/
realjv said:
Unless you want hospitality that sort of money will get you almost any ticket. I'm going to the 500 this year for the first time and will be sitting at about the mid point of turn 4. I've done the Brickyard 400 in the past but this is my first trip to the real Indy. Its going to be epic. Plan is to got to the Hoosier 100 Late Model race on the 1 mile dirt track at the Fairgronds, the Night Before the 500 Midget race at IRP and the World of Outlaw Sprint Cars as well whilst there.
A handy website with lots of info is http://www.indymotorspeedway.com/
A lot of the tickets (eg. Penthouse) aren't available on the main Indy site now. I can gt them at stub hub though, but at several times cost price!A handy website with lots of info is http://www.indymotorspeedway.com/
I was thinking of the seats opposite the pits, or somewhere in turn one.
I've been to the 500 more times than I care to remember - and it certainly does have a real sense of occasion, but it is very different to the incredible and kind of scary turbo-methanol era.
It has a kind of gladatorial atmosphere about the place, probably enhanced by the risks created by so many of the current field, who's lack of experience (and talent, in some cases) means they have no business duking it out at 180-200mph race pace at the Brickyard.
The first time I went (in the mid-80's) we just bought general $15 infield tickets, which were pretty useless for spectating the early part of the race, but gave a lot of scary insight into US culture. The 'snake-pit' was particularly worrisome, given the sheer number of Warlocks, Satans Slaves, Mongols and Hells Angels, or whatever else these losers and social drop-outs like to label themselves. No murders or serious assaults however.
The party out on W 16th and Georgetown Road on the Saturday night preceding the race is utterly mindboggling and pretty much the only time you can ever flout Indiana's open container laws, without being rewarded with a visit to the slammer.
With hindight, my favorite spot to watch the race is at the exit of turn 4, there is a lot of passing attempts here and some skill and commitment is required to get a good run at the front stretch, particularly toward the end of the race. I have seen some heroic passes here over the years (and one or two terrifying accidents, sadly).
My company is Indy-based and we used to have a suite in the Tower Terrace for corp hospitality. It was great fro the pre-race festivities, but not particularly good for watching the race, as all you get to see is the front straightaway and the yard of bricks.
My all-time, most favorite Indy experience was the Little Al/Scott Goodyear 1992 final laps shoot-out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6z5m_MKj3E
The worst was Stan Fox's accident, when he collided with Eddie Cheever at the start of the 95 race, and the unconcious and badly injured Fox came to rest right in front of us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muCveDtBdew
In summary it is still a great event - just not as awesome as it once was. The fact that you can buy Vista tickets on raceday, demonstrates that the allure isn't quite the same since the Izod Indycar clowns took over the series.
3 final things to remember - a visit to the IMS museum is essential - if it rains, there's no race - and you can't buy alcohol in Indiana on a Sunday.
It has a kind of gladatorial atmosphere about the place, probably enhanced by the risks created by so many of the current field, who's lack of experience (and talent, in some cases) means they have no business duking it out at 180-200mph race pace at the Brickyard.
The first time I went (in the mid-80's) we just bought general $15 infield tickets, which were pretty useless for spectating the early part of the race, but gave a lot of scary insight into US culture. The 'snake-pit' was particularly worrisome, given the sheer number of Warlocks, Satans Slaves, Mongols and Hells Angels, or whatever else these losers and social drop-outs like to label themselves. No murders or serious assaults however.
The party out on W 16th and Georgetown Road on the Saturday night preceding the race is utterly mindboggling and pretty much the only time you can ever flout Indiana's open container laws, without being rewarded with a visit to the slammer.
With hindight, my favorite spot to watch the race is at the exit of turn 4, there is a lot of passing attempts here and some skill and commitment is required to get a good run at the front stretch, particularly toward the end of the race. I have seen some heroic passes here over the years (and one or two terrifying accidents, sadly).
My company is Indy-based and we used to have a suite in the Tower Terrace for corp hospitality. It was great fro the pre-race festivities, but not particularly good for watching the race, as all you get to see is the front straightaway and the yard of bricks.
My all-time, most favorite Indy experience was the Little Al/Scott Goodyear 1992 final laps shoot-out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6z5m_MKj3E
The worst was Stan Fox's accident, when he collided with Eddie Cheever at the start of the 95 race, and the unconcious and badly injured Fox came to rest right in front of us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muCveDtBdew
In summary it is still a great event - just not as awesome as it once was. The fact that you can buy Vista tickets on raceday, demonstrates that the allure isn't quite the same since the Izod Indycar clowns took over the series.
3 final things to remember - a visit to the IMS museum is essential - if it rains, there's no race - and you can't buy alcohol in Indiana on a Sunday.
You should have a great time there, and there's loads of other racing to see close by too. The Hoosier 100 at the fairgrounds is good (it's a USAC Silver Crown race though, not late models). On the Saturday night you've got a choice of Indianapolis Raceway Park for the Night Before The 500 USAC midget race or Anderson Speedway (about an hour northeast of Indy) for the Little 500. The Little 500 is awesome - 33 non-wing sprint cars on a 1/3 mile high banked pavement track for 500 laps - a unique event you have to see to believe.
Also, on the Saturday lunchtime, don't forget the Indy Lights race at Indianapolis Speedway.
I'd go for the grandstand at the exit of turn 4. It's a great view of the short chute and right down the front straight, plus there's a big screen you can watch the rest of the action on. Enjoy!
Also, on the Saturday lunchtime, don't forget the Indy Lights race at Indianapolis Speedway.
I'd go for the grandstand at the exit of turn 4. It's a great view of the short chute and right down the front straight, plus there's a big screen you can watch the rest of the action on. Enjoy!
I now know i'm going and it's obviously late for ticket buying and the best ones are gone. Therefore, does anyone have any thoughts based on what's now available?
I want to see the pits, so need to be on the start/finish straight side of the track.
Options seem to be, high on Tower Terrace, low on paddock box, a, b, or c stands.
I want to see the pits, so need to be on the start/finish straight side of the track.
Options seem to be, high on Tower Terrace, low on paddock box, a, b, or c stands.
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