Indianapolis 500 Will See Fewer Race Fans This Year

With the Indy 500 just around the corner, racing officials predict the track will see the smallest crowd it has in a decade.

In fact, since last year’s race, thousands of seats available on Turn 3 have been eliminated, as well as several rows facing the front straightaway, diminishing the capacity at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway substantially – nearly 18,000 fewer seats.

However, while there appears to be a declining interest in this historical event, Speedway officials say that they still expect around 250,000 people on race day, even with the almost 10% decrease in the track’s capacity.

Yet, Mark Miles CEO of Hulman and Co., owners of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, says there are currently working to develop plan to make the Indy racing experience more appealing to fans, especially to the younger generation. That plan could call for a major upgrade to the Speedway, one that makes it more competitive with other, more progressive tracks across the nation.

In the meantime, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway must cater to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The speedway has 30 months to make the track compliant with federal regulations. As of now, only one section of the track is wheelchair assessable.

The 2013 Indianapolis 500 is on May 26.