The Indianapolis 500 will host fans up to 40% of capacity, equaling about 135,000 spectators, Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced Wednesday, April 21.
Track officials collaborated with Marion County Public Health Department to estimate the amount of fans allowed in the venue.
“This event and this place means so much to everybody we see every day and we hear from every day, whether they are Hoosiers or race fans from around the world,” Mark Miles, president and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp., told The Associated Press.
“We feel a real responsibility to protect that legacy and to grow it and to have the race,” Miles said. “We’re ready to take the next step in bringing back the economy and a lot of that in this city and state is driven by sports events which has been shut down for so many months. March Madness was incredibly successful, this is the next step and it just so happens this will probably be the biggest sporting event of the year.”
No fans will be allowed in the infield; as a result, the Pit Stop Challenge, Carb Day, Legends Day and Snake Pit concerts were all canceled. Fans may still attend Carb Day featuring the final Indy 500 practice session.
There will be a distance between seats, and masks or cloth coverings will be required. Fans will have their temperatures checked. According to the AP, IMS will extend vaccination clinics through the end of May, allowing those attending to get the vaccination on site.
May is right around the corner, and we're ready for fans to be ‘Back Home Again’ for this year’s #Indy500.
Up to 40 percent of venue capacity will be welcomed to #IMS on Race Day with additional Month of May details available on https://t.co/OLvD4AEN8L.
#INDYCAR | #IsItMayYet pic.twitter.com/gaZsMSI8RU— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) April 21, 2021
The 105th running of the Indy 500 is set to begin on Sunday, May 30 at 11 a.m. ET on NBC.
About the author
Joy joined Frontstretch in 2019 as a NASCAR DraftKings writer, expanding to news and iRacing coverage in 2020. She's currently an assistant editor and involved with photos, social media and news editing. A California native, Joy was raised watching motorsports and started watching NASCAR extensively in 2001. She earned her B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University Bakersfield in 2010.
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Looking forward to being back home again for my 24th Indy 500