IMS: Only 10% of grandstand tickets left for 2025 Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Motor Speedway leadership said only 10% of grandstand tickets remain with less than two months till the 109th Running of the Indy 500.

“We’re poised to have a sell-out crowd on race day which would be our second time ever,” said Michael Kaltenmark, the senior director of marketing at IMS.

Kaltenmark said the ticket sales are ahead of the same time last year and only slightly behind 2016, the first and last Indy 500 sellout.

Tickets have already gone out to people in all 50 states and 38 countries. 

Indiana is the state with the most Indy 500 tickets sold, followed by Illinois, Ohio, Florida and Michigan.

In terms of top countries in overall sales, the United States is followed by Canada, the UK and the Netherlands.

Back-to-back reigning Indy 500 champ Josef Newgarden said that reach is one of his favorite things about the greatest spectacle in racing. 

“You have so many people that come from around the world for the Indy 500 and that’s what makes it very special, too,” said Newgarden.

This time last year, IMS was less than two weeks away from hosting 50,000 people for the total solar eclipse.

Visitors from all 50 states and 34 countries watched the moon cross over the sun from the grandstands and track. IMS officials said more than 80% of the guests were first-time visitors. Kaltenmark said they’re seeing these first-timers come back for race day.

“We’re starting to see it this year, as we look at ticket sales, as we look at where they originate from, ‘Oh, they joined us for the first time last April for the eclipse. That’s pretty neat,'” he said.

If the Indy 500 does hit a grandstand sellout, Kaltenmark said it’s a “really good” chance the greatest spectacle in racing will not a local blackout.