What Fans Can Expect at the Indy 500

The Indianapolis 500 is one of the most renowned and historic races in the entire world. The event itself has been running since 1911 and its popularity has only continued to grow as the years have gone on. With the capacity to hold more than 300,000 fans, the Indy 500 is officially known as the single largest sporting event in the entire world. This surpasses the Super Bowl, the Masters, and depending on the race, even surpasses the WEEKEND attendance for a Formula 1 race!

People have been coming back to this race for 30+ years, dedicating their May to supporting their favorite drivers and teams. This event is more than just a race, it’s a tradition that people have embedded into their lives and have passed on to generations. So what can fans expect at this race? What keeps them coming back and how does this experience compare to an average race weekend?

‘Carb’ Day (Friday)

To kick off the infamous race weekend, the Friday before race day, also known as ‘Carb’ day, is one of the most fun events a fan could attend during a sporting weekend. Short for carburetion, Carb day was originally coined this because it used to be the last day when teams could change their carburetor on their engine before the Sunday race. Now, the regulations have changed and the cars no longer have carburetors, but it is still the last time the teams can tune the cars and have them go out on track for the final practice of the race weekend.

Now that the technical part is complete, carb day isn’t just about the final tune ups, but rather about the entire fan experience. The gates open up at 8:00AM and just like that, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), becomes FLOODED with fans! Carb day is renowned for being a day-long party where people come to drink, reunite with old friends, cheer their favorite drivers on in the pit-stop challenge and then head over to the snake pit to watch the live musical guests.

There is no shortage of activity at the track during Carb day. By 8:00AM, the concession stands are open, the merchandise is ready to be sold, and there are live bands and roaming performers mingling around the grounds of IMS. Most of the fans tend to congregate by Gasoline Alley as the teams start to slowly make their way to the track ahead of the final practice. Fans can get a look inside the teams garages and watch closely as they make their last changes to the cars. This is also a great opportunity for fans to see the drivers up close. If you’re lucky, you might even get a fist bump from one!

As the final practice begins on track, most of the attendees have taken their seats in the grandstands and usually have purchased enough alcohol to supply a liquor store. We made the rounds and got the chance to chat with some fans about why they love the Indy 500 and what their favorite part about Carb day is. The general consensus was that it’s such a special event because there really is nothing else like it in the entire world. Most fans use this weekend as an excuse to reunite with old friends and continue their tradition of meeting at IMS year after year. Some fans come for the on track action, but most are there because of the indescribable atmosphere and constant entertainment throughout the day.

Although the final practice only took up a portion of Carb day, fans continued to stay seated in their grandstands as one of the most highly anticipated events was about to take place… The Oscar Mayer Wienie 500.

This was the inaugural Wienie 500 race where six MASSIVE hot dog cars took to the track to complete two laps of IMS. This was hilarious to watch and it had everyone on the edge of their seats. The Wienie race was the fan favorite event of the day and people could not stop talking about how fun it was to watch and cheer these ridiculous cars on!

Next up: The annual pit stop challenge. This was another event that fans look forward to year after year. Select drivers from each team take to the track to compete in a round robin pit stop tournament where the winner receives a $50,000 cash prize and the runner up receives $25,000 along with pit lane equipment from different prize donors. Josef Newgarden claimed the win ahead of his teammate, Will Power. It was a close fight between the two, but ultimately the #2 car took the win and thus received the full prize. 

The pit stop challenge wraps up the on track activities of carb day, but that doesn’t mean the day is over yet! Fans can then make their way over to the snake pit where the Miller Lite Carb Day concert takes place. This year, the All-American Rejects headlined the concert alongside country artist, Bret Michaels. 

Carb day alone should be a reason that fans come to the Indianapolis 500 as it is one of the most action packed days they’ll ever experience!

Legends’ Day (Saturday)

Following Carb day, Legends’ day is definitely a more lowkey day for the fans and drivers at IMS. The gates, once again, open up at 8:00AM and fans come bursting in for the Drivers’ autograph session that begins at 9:00AM. 

This is such a special opportunity for fans to get a chance to meet their favorite drivers and share a moment with them, not to mention receive some signed memorabilia. Autograph sessions are something that you never get within Formula 1 and it’s pretty rare at other sporting events too. For the drivers to dedicate an hour of their time to their fans at the largest single day sporting event in the world, is quite special and it shouldn’t be missed! We had the chance to watch the fans interact with their idols and it was such a heartwarming thing to witness.

Keep in mind that the lines do get extremely long for these as fans come as soon as the gates open. The drivers are organized by their grid positions so they’re all in groups of three. To make sure you don’t miss your favorite, you’d want to get in the line for them first as it’s not guaranteed you’ll get to the front of more than one line. 

Once the autograph session concluded, the drivers head to the track where they have the public drivers meeting and then get escorted to trucks to take them downtown Indianapolis for the annual Driver’s parade. Most of the drivers bring their loved ones on the trucks too, so it’s amazing to see them with their personal support systems while being cheered on as they make their way down the streets of Indy.

Accessibility to Drivers & Teams

Like many of the other IndyCar races, fans get an unprecedented amount of access to seeing their favorite drivers and teams over the course of the race weekend. Unlike Formula 1, IndyCar keeps things quite open for the fans so that they can get an inside look at the cars, garages, and have opportunities to see and meet the drivers they support.

Although there is a surplus of fans at the Indy 500, they treated this no differently to any other IndyCar race. Fans were able to explore the garage area and walk down Gasoline Alley. 

Fan Zones

Despite there being non-stop on track action, there are also countless fan areas to explore. In the main area, located behind the Pagoda, fans can expect to see a variety of official merchandise stores situated along The Rule the Road Fan Midway as well as countless food and beverage options. Not only was there official Indianapolis Motor Speedway merchandise, but visitors would be able to find official team and driver merchandise as well as some unique, smaller business products that had options for unique graphic T-Shirts or other accessories.

Behind the main grandstand, near the entrance to Gasoline alley, fans would be able to see other merchandise pop up stands located in what look to be make-shift garages. There was no shortage of things to buy!!

For the families attending the event, there is a Kid zone to entertain people of all ages. Here, fans can expect their kids to be occupied with different coloring activities, bracelet making stations, building race car activations and lastly, there was even a balance bike inflatable racetrack providing fun for the whole family.

It is important to note that although this is a very family friendly event, the crowds can be overwhelming and with all the people, it can sometimes be hard to manage those who may be enjoying themselves under the influence. This shouldn’t discourage anyone from attending, but it is just an important thing to keep in mind!

Seating

For the first time in almost a decade, the grandstands were completely sold out for the 109th running of the Indy 500. With the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS)  being the largest sporting facility in the world, having the capacity to fit over 300,000 guests, the grandstands were definitely overwhelming. There genuinely is not a bad seat in all of IMS. Sure, there are perks to certain areas of the track, but with the grand scale of the place, you can see more than you think from nearly any vantage point. 

When choosing your seats for the Indy 500, it is important to note a few different things. Firstly, because the venue is so big, it's good to consider how close you want to be to certain things. For example, if you’re mainly interested in going because of the snake pit, it would be ideal to try and find a seat in the N.E Vista Grandstand. If you’re looking to get a view into the pits, it would be good to check ticket availability in Grandstand C, Paddock, Tower Terrace or A. 

Just like any other sporting event, ticket prices vary based on the location and seating option chosen. Despite this being such a high demand event, the ticket prices are very reasonable and honestly worth every penny spent. Prices range from $50 - 300 USD for the three day weekend. Purchasing tickets for the qualifying weekend would be separate to this but they are slightly cheaper than the race weekend options.

One unique thing with purchasing tickets for the Indianapolis 500 is that once the weekend has concluded, there are options to renew your tickets for the next year. This continues to encourage people to come back year after year, which definitely contributed to the large number of people we met who have been coming for 30+ years. Once you’ve purchased tickets, you will get reminders post-race to renew your tickets for the following season. It is usually a cheaper deal as well in comparison to buying the tickets for the first time.

If you’re looking for more information on the best places to sit for the Indy 500, check out our seating guide! (coming soon)

For more information on ticket prices and availability, check out the official website. 

Concession

One thing I can promise is that you will NOT go hungry at the Indy 500! There are food vendors at every corner, with a variety of different options and catering to all dietary needs. Well… maybe not if you’re looking for a super healthy option.

All along The Rule the Road Fan Midway you’ll be able to find food stands with varying options such as hot dogs, chicken fingers, burgers, kebabs, fries, and so much more. There are lemonade stands and other places you can get water or soft drinks to keep you hydrated throughout the weekend.

If you aren’t finding anything that floats your boat, you are allowed to bring your own refreshments into the venue as well. Guests were bringing in their own coolers, jello shots, snacks and more.

The other option is to leave the track and venture out into the different Lots to assess the food options. There are a ton of street food vendors along Georgetown Road, which is located on the West side of IMS. We ended up trying one vendor and got a funnel cake to share after exploring Lot 1A (Coca Cola Lot). It was delicious and there were hardly any lines, so the wait time was very manageable.The prices for everything ranged for $5 - 20 USD per item, so it was all quite affordable.

Never worry about starving at IMS as it seems there are almost too many options to choose from!

Parties / Tailgating

Something that the Indianapolis 500 is known for would be the infamous parties all throughout the race week. With so many of the attendees parking and camping out in the Lots, it’s almost inevitable that there will be some tailgating and mingling with your neighbours. Besides the party on the inside of the circuit, there were also numerous things going on outside of the circuit as well.

The Coca Cola Lot (Lot 1A), had one of the most extravagant parties I’ve ever witnessed. Here, fans can expect to find what seems to be an unassuming Tiki Bar set up, welcoming anyone and everyone. But as they actually enter the vicinity, it quickly becomes clear that there is so much more going on.

Fowling, a mix between Football and Bowling, was invented here in the Coca Cola Lot. For the past 30 years, there has been a Fowling tournament taking place on the Saturday of the Indy 500 race weekend. Fans come from all over, just to participate in this event, in the hopes of winning the $3,000 cash prize. But it’s more than just the prize. It’s a chance for fans to come back and reunite with people they only get to see at this particular event. It’s one of the most social days of the entire year. People share snacks and drink beer and the Tiki bar is by donation only, so it really is just out of the kindness of everyone’s hearts.

We chatted with Chris, the founder of the Fowling tournament, and he explained to us how each year, they also try to help different groups of people with certain financial requests. For example, this year a group of girls were looking to go on a service trip, so a portion of the $50 entry fee went towards helping them reach their goal. This place became more of a community, rather than just a party zone. Besides the Coca Cola Lot, fans can expect to find sporadic parties all throughout the RV lots as gracious race attendees open up their spaces for people to come and engage in fun activities.

If you’re looking for places downtown, Tin Roof was one of the most fun bars. We went there after the race on Sunday, which also happened to be right after a Pacers game, so the vicinity was packed. The cover fee was only $8 USD and there was a live DJ and tons of dancing room. Although we only checked out Tin Roof, there were a plethora of other bars all along Pennsylvania Street. 

The Indianapolis 500 is, for a reason, the greatest spectacle of racing on earth. This is no exaggeration and it was an honor to be able to participate in the 109th running of this race. Hopefully this guide provides some clarity on what you can expect when attending the Indy 500, and be sure to check out our other articles for more information!

Looking for more on the Indy 500?

Check out my experience at the 2025 Indianapolis 500!

Curious on where to sit? Check out our seating guide for details on the best places to view the greatest spectacle in racing! (coming soon)