Indianapolis, Indiana – According to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, more than 150,000 tickets for Race Day, concerts, and parking were shipped out to 35 nations and all 50 U.S. states on Wednesday for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
In order to manage the more than 25,000 blue envelopes being distributed, professional racers and Arrow Mclaren teammates Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist assisted with the ticket mailing procedure. Both drivers put their signatures on a few envelopes and sent them to supporters who were traveling to Mexico and Sweden, respectively.
“I had no idea the process that it was for the physical tickets to get mailed,” said O’Ward. “So, for me, it just screams and yells tradition, and the Indy 500 is all about tradition. I’m really happy that I got to do this, and I got see what it’s all about, said It’s not just a simple e-mail. There’s a lot of meaning to that ticket. People collect them. People have them at home. they keep them at home, and I think that’ very special.”
The time it takes to package tickets is nine weeks, and the total weight of all the ticket envelopes is about 5,000 pounds.
“Oh, it’s the most physical labor I’ve done in a while,” said Rosenqvist. “It’s pretty awesome. It’s alot of tickets. When you go into that room, you’re like, ‘Wow.’ It gives you perspective on what a big event the Indy 500 is.”
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway ticket office wanted a way to distinguish between the envelopes for various events, thus the tickets are blue. The ticket envelopes for other events come in a variety of hues, including red, cream, gray, and yellow. The Indianapolis 500 envelopes are blue, the Brickyard Weekend envelopes are purple, and the GMR Grand Prix envelopes are green.
You can purchase tickets for all other events, including the Indianapolis 500, at IMS.com/Tickets or by calling the box office at 317-492-6700.
