Speedway, Indiana – A crowd of over 300,000 people is anticipated to swarm Speedway this weekend in anticipation of the 107th Indianapolis 500.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway authorities predict that this year’s crowd will be among the largest in the past 25 years.
“It will feel like an Indianapolis 500 is supposed to feel like,” IMS President Doug Boles said. “It’s going to be that amazing energy that we all expect and love to see.”
The “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is just three days away, according to Boles, and only 5,000 reserved seats are still available at IMS.
“I can tell you that this year’s crowd is going to be the best crowd that we’ve had in the last 25 years, with the exception of 2016,” said Boles.
The increase in attendance has also been noted by certain fans.
“It is amazing how well it has come back,” said camper David Meyer.
For Meyer and Jacob Moore, the 500 has been a family tradition since 1968.
“Nothing is better than the granddaddy of the Indy 500,” Moore said. “We are here to represent that and put on our city and to put on our family.”
Others claimed that after being dragged by their companions to their first 500, they were unable to resist returning.
“Because of all the fans and how big it is and being the greatest spectacle in racing,” said camper John Sullivan. “That is why I keep coming back.”
With his friends, Sullivan traveled a 17-hour distance to attend the race, which was the 33rd time he had run it.
“The people in of itself, we’ve got people from New Jersey,” Sullivan said. “We’ve got people from Michigan, Canada, and all these other places that we hang out with, so it is just a lot of fun.”
Speedway has spent months getting ready for the more than 300,000 spectators.
“10 years ago, when you were at this lot, you’d see maybe a third of the campers,” Meyer said. “Today, this lot is probably 80 percent full.”
IMS is advising fans to arrive early, according to Boles. “We are going to be significantly more dense in terms of population than we were last year,” said Boles.
