| Our choice of the phrase "survival kit" might be a bit | | | | These are the single letter seats. By way of |
| overdone, but at the outset it presents an excellent | | | | example, the first row of section 32 in the Northeast |
| opportunity for us to explain in detail just what this | | | | Vista is letter "A", the next row is letter "B" and so |
| website is about and how it can benefit you the | | | | on. The rows above "Z" start over only with double |
| spectator. When we developed this network of web | | | | letters, such as "AA", and "BB". So, if you want to |
| guides it was our intention to provide you, the | | | | avoid terrible tickets, avoid single letter rows and |
| spectator, with the in-depth knowledge you need to | | | | while you're at it, don't just settle for row AA, you'll |
| know "it" like a native. "It" referring to the venue, the | | | | see a lot more track in MM or SS than you will in AA |
| city, the community, the traffic, the ins and outs, the | | | | and you'll be glad you did. |
| what's hot and the what's not of everything related | | | | Average and great seats are a little more challenging |
| to a particular event. In this guide that event is the | | | | to spot and for that matter more challenging to |
| Indianapolis 500 mile race. So, while "survival kit" is a | | | | come by. Based on what we have said so far, it |
| fun descriptor, the real thrust of this page and the | | | | should be fairly obvious that average and good seats |
| website as a whole, is to simply provide all the links | | | | start in double letter rows for the most part. Stick |
| you need to buy your tickets, schedule your airfare, | | | | with that rule and you should at least avoid picking |
| rent your hotel room, locate great places to dine, and | | | | terrible seats. Now, following the double letter row |
| basically know where to go, what to do and how to | | | | rule, next consider the vantage point various locations |
| do it. We hope to provide you with the information | | | | offer. Spectators seated high in turns 2 and 4 see |
| you need to make your experience at the Indy 500 | | | | cars coming into the turns and leaving the turns and |
| a great success. | | | | depending on how high up they are, they may be |
| So, what kinds of things might you need to know to | | | | able to see the cars flying down the straight away |
| make your experience at Indy a great success? | | | | heading away from them. Conversely, seats high in |
| Basically, you need to know how to avoid the | | | | turns 1 and 3 allow spectators to see the cars |
| common pitfalls of the novice spectator. Then use | | | | heading toward them off the straightaway. The |
| that information to make the most of your spectator | | | | drivers are typically more aggressive coming off the |
| experience. With 15 days of race related track | | | | straight away with a full head of speed, and |
| activity taking place on a 530 acre property, located | | | | therefore, turns 1 and 3 are typically more desirable |
| in the 12th largest city in the country, where 400,000 | | | | than double letter rows in other turns and along the |
| fans show up each year to witness the greatest | | | | frontstretch and backstretch of the track. However, |
| spectacle in racing, it's very easy for something to go | | | | double letter rows in turn one are not just average |
| wrong. It is our goal to help you avoid those | | | | they are exceptional and difficult to find and |
| problems and help you have a safe and memorable | | | | expensive to purchase. Penthouse seats in turn 1 are |
| visit to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. | | | | more valuable than gold. Because seats can be |
| Spectators with great tickets, good hotel | | | | renewed year after year by the ticket holders, the |
| accommodations, easy access to the Indianapolis | | | | very best seats in the house are owned by the royal |
| Motor Speedway and a good all-around knowledge of | | | | families of racing or large automotive corporations. |
| the organizational aspects of the speedway and the | | | | They have held those seats since 1945 and they will |
| city of Indianapolis as a whole are generally happy | | | | still be holding those seats in 2045. |
| spectators. That's not so difficult you say? True, it's | | | | Grandstand "E" despite being in the first turn, does |
| not that difficult. However, its easier to get one of | | | | not guarantee a great view of the track. Some seats |
| those concerns all fouled up and when you do, you | | | | in that grandstand are terrible seats, in our opinion. |
| won't be one of those happy spectators. So, the | | | | Many of the seats in Grandstand "E", particularly the |
| topics below are provided for your information with | | | | ones down low and closer to turn 2 simply do not |
| the hope that you will be able to use this information | | | | grant you a good view of the track. Penthouse seats |
| to your benefit and make your visit the best it can | | | | and double letter rows in the lower level of |
| be. | | | | grandstand "E" are better if they are close to the |
| TICKETS: At Indy, there are great seats, average | | | | apex of the turn. |
| seats, terrible seats, and no seats. So at the outset, | | | | So what are good seats? Besides all the information |
| you need to determine just what kind of experience | | | | we have already provided, consider this. For the |
| you are looking for. It probably won't surprise you to | | | | spectator sitting high in the apex of turn 1, he or she |
| learn that great seats are expensive and hard to | | | | can see the pits, cars exiting turn four, cars coming |
| come by and terrible seats and no seats are easier | | | | at them down the front straightaway, cars leaving |
| to come by and a whole lot cheaper. If your goal is | | | | the pits, cars entering turn one, into the south chute, |
| to arrive at Indy to be part of the event and you're | | | | and into turn four. It is also the best view of the |
| more concerned about saving money and less | | | | start and finish of the race. Arguably, there is no |
| concerned about how much of the actual race you | | | | better spot from which to watch the Indianapolis |
| will see, then you might consider the terrible tickets | | | | 500. This would apply equally to the Brickyard 400. |
| or no tickets. If, however, you actually expect to | | | | The Indianapolis motor speedway is the original |
| see the race, then you will want to at least purchase | | | | source of all race tickets. They not only sell race |
| average seats and if your budget will allow, purchase | | | | tickets they also reserve those tickets in the name |
| great seats. | | | | of the race fan so they can be purchased next year. |
| Let's start with terrible seats and no seats. The | | | | As long as the tickets are renewed by purchasing |
| speedway is a two and half mile oval track. It is so | | | | them when they go on sale for next years race |
| large there is no single spectator seat where you can | | | | (usually the week after the race), the race fan |
| see the entire track. There are four holes of the | | | | retains those tickets. This reservation system insures |
| Brickyard championship golf course in the infield which | | | | that the very best seats go to the same people |
| most people never even see due to the enormous | | | | year after year. If those people decide to go on a |
| size of the infield. For people who want to show up | | | | European vacation next year, those tickets will likely |
| for the "party", buying a general admission ticket, | | | | be given or sold to a friend or family member. The |
| which gives you access to the infield and no reserve | | | | better the tickets the less likely they are to end up |
| seat, is all that is required. This option is popular with | | | | in the hands of a ticket broker. But because of the |
| the younger spectators and those with a very tight | | | | reservation system at the Indianapolis Motor |
| budget. For 2010 a general admission ticket for the | | | | Speedway, the best way of securing great tickets is |
| Indy 500 is $20.00. Terrible seats start at $40.00 for | | | | to obtain them through a reputable ticket broker. |
| face value and go up from there. Knowing which | | | | Great seats may still be available, but you will need to |
| tickets are terrible seats is a bit more difficult to | | | | look for Penthouse-Paddock, Penthouse-Grandstand |
| discern, but the following pointers will educate you | | | | "A", Penthouse Grandstand "B", Penthouse |
| about what to look for. | | | | Grandstand "E" or double letter rows in the turns in |
| Terrible seats are seats that give you such a limited | | | | order to get a spectacular seat. One final word of |
| view of the track that the only thing you are able to | | | | caution. Beware of "map distortion". You will find |
| see is the short span of track immediately in front of | | | | maps which mark the location of the various |
| you. If, for example, your ticket were in the front | | | | grandstands around the track. These maps do a fine |
| row in the apex of turn 3 in the Northeast Vista, you | | | | job of giving you a general reference, but they are |
| might look at the back of your ticket at the map of | | | | by no means a reliable way to determine what kind |
| the oval and think that you are going to be able to | | | | of view a particular grandstand offers. |
| see the cars come down the backstretch into the | | | | If the information we have provided here fails to |
| third turn, then into the short chute and then into the | | | | give you the information you need in order to find |
| fourth turn. Unfortunately, you'd be wrong. Each turn | | | | great seats, you can always use the default rule. |
| at Indy is ¼ of a mile in length. If you are | | | | Throw lots of money at the problem. Typically, |
| sitting down close to the track in the apex of the | | | | better seats cost more. Ticket brokers know good |
| turn, you will only see the cars after they come into | | | | seats from bad seats, and they charge accordingly. |
| the turn and you will lose sight of them before they | | | | On average, you will find that tickets in the |
| exit the turn. Amazingly, you won't even be able to | | | | Penthouse-Paddock and Penthouse seats in |
| see the cars start and finish the whole turn. If your | | | | grandstands "A" and "B" and "E" are the most |
| tickets happen to be on the front straightaway, and | | | | expensive. You would also find that those tickets |
| you are in the front row or anywhere close to the | | | | generally offer an outstanding view of the track. But |
| track, you will only be able to see the entire | | | | they are by no means the only great seats and with |
| straightaway, if you lean forward or stand up to see | | | | a little effort you can learn the system and use it to |
| around your neighbor. As a rule of thumb avoid | | | | your advantage when you return for the next race. |
| tickets which are down front close to the track. | | | | |