The traditional start of summer for Hoosiers usually consists of warm weather and a Memorial Day Weekend packed with high-intensity racing.
The 108th Running of the Indy 500 is set for May 26. The Indy 500 is 200 laps of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the oval layout, totaling 500 miles of racing. The traditional 500 has 11 rows of three cars for the start totaling to 33 cars. Some of the entrants into the race are exclusive drivers only racing in the Indy 500.
The 2023 Indy 500 was a crazy race that proved anything was possible. The race featured numerous high-profile crashes, and the entire grid saw constant changes in positions.
A handful of drivers were still in contention to win the Borg-Warner trophy until the checkered flag was waved. Josef Newgarden won it all against the odds, as he was projected as the 9th most likely winner with 1-14 odds to win.
There are even more cars in contention to win this year as Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, and Josef Newgarden have emerged as the frontrunners in the betting odds.
So far, the Indycar season is four races underway with a very close battle for the championship. The Indycar champion is the driver with the most total points at the end of the season. So far, driver Colton Herta is in the lead with Will Power and Alex Palou trailing closely behind. The Indy 500 will yield the winner a huge boost in points for the driver’s standings.
The race starts at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets range from $45 general admission to $140 premium seating sold on the Indy 500 official website. Although some events, like Colts or Pacers games, may have similar ticket prices, caution at the Indy 500 is still advised. The capacity at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is just over a quarter of a million people, four-times the population of Lucas Oil Stadium where the Colts play.
Traffic will be extreme with lots of visitors in the area, and parking will be expensive in proximity to the Speedway. The gates open at 6 a.m., so as an attendee, it is recommended to arrive early to prevent complications.
