THE 105TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
Presented by Gainbridge *

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

May 18-30, 2021

Round #6 of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season

GENERAL INFO – The Indy 500 is the most prestigious auto racing event in the world. IMS is also known as the Racing Capital of the World and hosted the first 500-mile race in 1911. No racing during World Wars I and II, this May will be the 105th running of this historic event on May 30, the traditional Sunday for Memorial Day. Due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, the spectator crowd is capped at approximately 40% of capacity, roughly 135,000. The virus has changed the way the world functions and race tracks are no different. Refer to the insert on COVID-19 Protocols at the conclusion of this report.

If you will only attend one professional auto race in your life, make it to Indianapolis for the Indianapolis 500. It’s a pageant within a race. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers will compose 11 rows of 3 cars each will start the race from a flying start! The view from Turn One is breathtaking. 33 brave young racing drivers will put on quite a show in about three hours. 

Nine former winners should be in the starting lineup. Leading the pack is Helio Castroneves with 3 “500” wins, followed by two drivers with 2 wins each, Juan Pablo Montoya and Takuma Sato. Single winners include Scott Dixon (6 time series champion), Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan, Alexander Rossi, Simon Pagenaud, and Will Power. This prestigious group adds up to 13 wins, an astounding 12% of ALL ‘500’ races run at IMS. Pretty impressive. If Castroneves should win, he will join the legendary group who have won the ‘500’ 4 times! The current group of 3 is A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Sr. and Rick Mears. 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, no concerts will take place on the grounds during the month of May. No general admission is available. No infield parking, no autograph sessions. Everyone will be temperature checked at entry points daily. Face covering – masks – are mandatory. Grandstand seating will be spaced out for social distancing. Nothing is like you have experienced before. Please read the insert on COVID-19 Protocols at the conclusion of this report.

*Gainbridge is the race sponsor. Gainbridge is a self-managed innovative digital platform providing direct access to trusted financial products. Their mission is to help investors grow and protect their savings.

SPECIFIC LOCATION – 4790 W 16th St., Speedway, IN 46222. Eastern time zone.

TRACK WEBSITE – IMS.com

TRACK CONFIGURATION – 2.5 mile paved oval, 200 laps, 500 miles.

PARKING – No infield parking. Expect to pay wherever you park. There are numerous IMS owned lots surrounding the track. The IMS lots are mostly reserved. Refer to IMS.com for information and possible parking purchase. Many private residences and businesses close to the track offer parking spaces in driveways, parking lots and residential yards for a fee. For ADA parking, call the ticket office at 1-317-492-6700 ASAP for availability and cost. Prepare for lots of walking.

CREDENTIALS - IMS sells 2 types of credentials to the public, bronze and silver badges. The bronze badge gets you gate admission and entry into the Garage Area – aka Gasoline Alley. The silver badge gets you the same as bronze, but also entry into the pit area, behind the active pits. No badge is good for gate admission on race days. Neither badge includes parking. Badges are non-refundable, must be 18 to purchase. Before entering the Garage Area in Pagoda Plaza (infield north of the Garage Area), you will have to show proof of your COVID-19 vaccine and a wristband will be issued. New proof and wristband daily. An original vaccination card or legible copy is acceptable with matching government identification. All bags are subject to search at the entry gates and again at the entry into the Garage Area. No smoking, no coolers or alcoholic beverages are allowed in the Garage Area or pits.

ENTRY POINTS – There are many entry gates to IMS. Refer to the IMS map on IMS.com. Arrive early and follow traffic instructions by Police and “Yellow Shirt” Speedway security personnel. You will see a variety of police officers, Speedway Police, Indianapolis Metro Police, Marion County Sherrif’s and Indiana State Police. Keep your cool. Traffic can move slowly and traffic patterns might be reversed on the roads. Try turning on your car radio and many stations give traffic updates.

TICKET INFO – 1-317-492-6700 or IMS.com. Research BEFORE arriving at the track ticketless. No general admission tickets are available. Ticket windows may or may not be open, depending if the track has reached the 135,000 limit. 

PROHIBITED ITEMS – No coolers larger than 18”x14”x14” hard or soft sided. No smoking in any form (including vapes) in ANY IMS grandstand. Firearms, weapons, fireworks, flares, flagpoles, drones, selfie sticks and animals are not allowed. Leave at home lasers, roller blades, skateboards, skates, hover boards, scooters or golf carts. No glass containers, stickers, scaffolding or platforms allowed. No aerosol cans, sampling or flyers are to be distributed. Bicycles will not be allowed to enter through the pedestrian gates or cannot be ridden through vehicular tunnels. Service animals are allowed with documentation.

CAMPING – When the Speedway was built in 1909, farm land surrounded the facility. Fast forward to 2021, the track is surrounded by residential, commercial and industrial uses. Unless you are in an IMS lot or a residential lot which the owner has complied with City regulations, forget close camping. Contact the IMS ticket number for details and availability at 1-317-492-6700 on their lots.

HINTS – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a huge track with nearly 1,000 acres. Be prepared to do a lot of walking, so travel light and wear comfortable shoes. It rains in Indianapolis in May. Bring rain gear and an extra jacket. Recommended to review IMS map on IMS.com to know where you want to go and enter at the closest gate on race day.

COVID-19 INFORMATION AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS

1. Come prepared to have your temperature taken at the track entry points.
2. If you have a COVID-19 shot card, bring it with or or make a legible copy, front and back, if applicable.
3. Bring government photo I.D. with you and if is requested, have it handy.
4. Credentials for garages/pits or paddock entry may not be offered by INDYCAR, INDYCAR Nation members or for sale from the tracks.
5. If signs are posted to wear masks and/or social distance, just do it! Mask Up – Wash Up! Wash your hands frequently.

Keep in mind that neither INDYCAR not the promoters of the tracks have control over the Center for Disease Control or state and local regulations. Regulations change literally daily in many states, counties and cities as the virus is still active. When the public is restricted from the garage, pits or paddock, or has attendance limits, it is with safety being the primary issue. The teams, essential personnel and officials are tested regularly and are free from the COVID-19 virus. The goal is to keep it that way. With vaccines now available nearly everywhere for most age groups, we hope it will arrest this killer virus quickly and soon. Although forgettable for many, 2020 will be remembered for no fans in attendance for spectator sports world-wide. INDYCAR sets the standard as the premier entertainment series in auto racing and we are now going racing full time, full schedule with fans in the stands!