Indianapolis 500 Fans: Plan Ahead For Race Day Traffic
May 26, 2011 | By Tom Surber
Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials are encouraging fans to plan ahead for their trip to the Brickyard for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29.
IMS officials offer two important recommendations to fans: plan to leave early for the track and do not use 16th Street westbound in an attempt to enter via Gate 2, as 16th Street quickly backs up due to the volume of cars attempting to park in the infield.
Fans also are encouraged to leave early and plan routes accordingly during the entire race weekend due to the major construction project on the west corridor of Interstate 465 in Indianapolis.
Due to construction on I-465 southbound, the eastbound Crawfordsville Road ramp is closed (northbound is still open). Also due to construction, 38th Street is restricted to two lanes. Motorists are encouraged to use the eastbound 10th Street ramp from I-465 as the main route to the track.
The Indiana State Police is advising spectators to visit http://www.in.gov/isp/files/500_Roads_11.pdf to receive information on the most direct routes to take when arriving and leaving the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A PDF file entitled “Traveling Tips to the 500 Mile Race” is available on the front page of the ISP’s Web site, and road conditions and construction updates also can be found at the main ISP site, www.in.gov/isp.
Fans also can avoid traffic and parking issues by using shuttle bus service provided by the Free Enterprise System, Inc. Information and registration for bus service from downtown and the Indianapolis International Airport is available at: http://www.indy500parking.com/.
On Race Day, public gates open at 6 a.m., and the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 begins at noon. For additional information, and a complete schedule of the events surrounding the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, visit www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.
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2011 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, “The Most Important Race in History,” on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.