Indianapolis, IN
Less than 100 days to the Indy 500, ticket sales are nearly dead-even with 2016 sellout
Watch ‘More Than a Race,’ our mini-documentary on the Indy 500
Indianapolis is the 500.
A.J. Foyt once said, “If it wasn’t for the Indianapolis 500, none of you would’ve ever heard of me.” The same might be said of Indianapolis.
Jenna Watson, Indianapolis Star
It’s not the 100th running, nor is it fans’ full-fledged return following a pandemic – and Doug Boles doesn’t believe the ‘Kyle Larson effect’ has really set-in. Yet every day, the president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway wakes up to daily ticket sales reports and sees the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 tracking nearly dead-even with the Greatest Spectacle in Racing’s most recent sellout eight years ago.
The 500 seems to be converting more and more casual fans into lifelong race attendees, pushing the race closer to the 350,000-fan sellout for its 100th running.
“Since the sellout in 2016, I think people are more apt to renew early, just to make sure they have their seats, and people are getting trained that way,” Boles told IndyStar in a 1-on-1 interview last week. “So when you see tickets go up in the renewal period, as they have every year (since 2016), you think, ‘Okay, good we’ve trained more people.’
“But now, what’s happened is over time, literally day after day after day, when we look at the ticket numbers, it’s more tickets sold today, 93 days out, than it was last year 93 days out, and we’re still tracking almost dead-even with 2016, which is crazy.”
Insider: Tracking IMS’s consistent growth in Indy 500 ticket sales
Boles said the Racing Capital of the World hosted more than 330,000 fans last year, the most since 2016 and falling less than 10,000 tickets short of a sellout of its grandstands that hold roughly 234,000 seats. The key in 2016 was the sellout of the track’s grandstand seats May 6, still more than three weeks to race day, which then led to a run on general admission access to the infield.
By May 25, IMS announced it was no longer selling tickets, leading to the lift of the local blackout for the first time in 65 years.
A year ago, IMS saw roughly a 1% uptick in ticket sales, moving from 12,000 unsold grandstand seats to 9,000 (and 325,000 to 330,000 race day attendees). It will still need to see an improvement year-over-year to reach that grandstand sellout mark with enough time for fans to feel a scarcity in infield admission that led to 2016’s sellout.
“For a period of time there, we were slightly ahead (of 2016 sales), and now we’re slightly behind, but without that 100th-running conversation to drive it, it’s amazing it’s that strong,” Boles said. “I keep wondering if I’m going to wake up one day and realize, ‘Oh, everyone’s bought and set now.’ But it just continues to go.”
Along with edge-of-your-seat finishes the last three years in eventual victories from four-time champion Helio Castroneves and first-timers Marcus Ericsson and Josef Newgarden, Boles attributes the upward trajectory of tickets sales to track owner Roger Penske’s continued investment into the track that presently stands around $50 million just over four years since he completed the purchase of IMS and the IndyCar series from the Hulman-George family.
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Renovations like new video monitors for those in the front stretch grandstands, several larger boards in the infield and high-end touch-ups from revamped bathrooms to coats of paint and paved walkways all across the venue’s nearly 1,000 acres weren’t initially meant to drive revenue, but Boles said IMS’ collective facelift has helped show customers on the fence just how much the track’s new ownership cares about their experience.
“We went through a period of time where we replaced or repaired something if it was broken, but since Roger purchased the Speedway, he’s allowed us to get ahead of things, and so as a fan, I think you feel better about what you see,” Boles said. “’Okay, we’ve got ownership who’s investing alongside us.’”
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Beyond the grandstands, Boles says the track’s Snake Pit ticket sales are “crazy again,” tracking towards the pre-pandemic highs of more than 25,000. And in the infield on race day, he expects to see hordes of short-track racing T-shirts of fans there to watch famed rookie Kyle Larson’s debut as he registers the first attempt of ‘The Double’ in 10 years. Fans who want to see the 2021 NASCAR Cup champion’s first 500 miles of what could be an 1,100-mile day along with the Coke 600 that evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway could help give IMS the late boost it needs to seriously flirt with a sellout.
“I certainly think Kyle Larson will play into it, especially in the next three months. I think fans who may not regularly buy tickets to the 500, whether they’re NASCAR fans or short track fans, I think we’ll see a lot of that as we get closer,” Boles said. “There may have been a little impact, but I don’t think if we drilled down into it, we’ve even seen the ‘Kyle Larson effect’ yet.”
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis City-County Council president explains her desire for a data center moratorium.
Council President Maggie Lewis wants to put a pause on new data center developments. The proposal comes after months of public pressure from residents and environmental groups who say the city needs stronger rules before allowing more data centers. Now, Lewis says it’s time to hit pause while those questions are answered.
“I’m not saying that we’ll never have a new data center in our community. That’s not what this is about. I understand the importance of economic development in our community, but it is important that we hit pause, do that deep dive, and allow the community and the experts to have an honest conversation about the topic,” Lewis said.
Lewis says she isn’t trying to stop economic development. Instead, she says the city needs more time to fully understand what data centers could mean for Indianapolis before approving additional projects. Lewis says residents have raised questions about the potential impact on utilities, the environment and quality of life, and she believes those concerns deserve a more thorough public discussion before the city moves forward with additional developments.
“The community really is feeling as if their voices haven’t been heard. I believe it’s important that we bring all the stakeholders to the table and have that honest dialogue,” Lewis said.
Councilman Ron Gibson, who supports bringing data centers to Indianapolis, and he says these projects can bring investment to neighborhoods when they’re built in the right locations.
“This land where they’re going to actually develop it has been vacant for more than 43 years,” Gibson said. “It’s zoned for industrial use. This is really going to enhance our neighborhood. It’s going to bring back life, create more businesses that want to move into our area, and create more opportunity.”
One of the biggest concerns raised by opponents is whether increased demand for electricity and water could create additional costs for taxpayers.
“I believe strongly that the data centers must uphold total costs. I made sure the developer, in writing, is responsible for all utility costs, so none of that rolls over to constituents,” Gibson said.
Across Indiana, at least 17 counties have approved temporary moratoriums on new data center developments. Marshall and Cass counties have gone even further, banning new facilities altogether.
The committee meeting begins Monday at 5:30 p.m. inside the City-County Building, where members will hold a public hearing on the proposed zoning rules and consider Lewis’ amendment for a temporary moratorium. If approved by the committee, the proposal would move to the full City-County Council for further consideration.
INDIANAPOLIS — An investigation is underway after a woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash in downtown Indianapolis Saturday morning.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, at around 3:15 a.m., officers responded to the intersection of East Maryland and South Pennsylvania Streets after hearing a loud crash in the area.
When officers arrived on scene, they were flagged down by several people stating a pedestrian had been struck. Officers located an adult female who had been on a scooter in the crosswalk of the intersection.
She was transported to an area hospital in critical condition but later died from her injuries, IMPD said.
Investigators said the striking motorist did not stay on scene.
Police are encouraging those with information on the crash to contact Detective Adam Jones at (317) 327-3475 or call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives on Friday afternoon asked for help in locating 14-year-old Kathya Rodriguez, last seen on Monday afternoon.
On Friday night, an Indiana Silver Alert was issued for the girl.
Described as 4 feet, 9 inches, and 99 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes, Kathya was last seen on Monday in the area of 2100 Waterford Place. That’s at The Meridian apartments off Westlane Road/West 71st Street on the city’s northwest side.
She was last seen about 12:45 p.m. Monday. She was wearing a gray hoodie with white writing, blue jeans, and sandals with socks.
In a statement Friday, IMPD said early in the investigation, detectives had no information indicating she was in danger, but as the investigation continued, detectives found details that led them to believe Kathya might be at risk.
Detectives believe she may be with Victor Martinez, 15. IMPD described him as 5 feet, 5 inches, and 165 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen Monday near 7200 Knobwood Drive. That’s also at The Meridian apartments.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts was asked to call 911, contact the IMPD missing persons unit at 317-327-6160, or call Crimestoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.
This story was updated from its initial post after IMPD corrected the last name of Kathya.
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