Colloquially known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the Indy 500 is an open-wheel race held at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana every Memorial Day weekend.
The 200-lap, 500-mile race is known for its close finishes, high speeds and historical significance in American motorsports. What everyone may not know, however, is just how grand the scale of the spectacle is for the fan. The Indy 500 is far from just a car race — in many ways, it’s akin to something of a yearly festival of American engineering achievement and countless traditions.
“Every time May rolls around, my heartbeat changes,” IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward said in a recent letter to FOX Sports. “There’s an energy that buzzes through the garages, like everyone’s chasing something special.”
I’m fortunate enough to be attending the 110th running of the race on Sunday, May 24. Typically, I’m not much of an “itinerary” guy on trips. But luckily for me, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website features a complete guide and schedule of the events of the weekend.
So, just for a moment let’s pretend we’re all going to the race, and envision a weekend at one of the most legendary sporting events our nation has to offer.
If you want to attend the Indy 500 the first thing you need to do, if you’re not a local of course, is to get yourself plane tickets to Indianapolis and find lodging in the city.
According to an article by Yahoo Sports that details the full cost of attending the event, plane ticket and hotel prices spike mightily due to the popularity of the race, an estimation of $189 was placed upon a typical weekend night in an Indianapolis hotel compared to $365 on race weekend.
Indy 500 events technically started May 12, with practice week. Tuesday through Friday drivers practice the track, and qualifying takes place on Saturday and Sunday. Practice tickets this year cost $25 a day, while qualifying tickets are going for $35.
Navigating around Indianapolis Motor Speedway is nothing like going to a baseball or football game. The place is absolutely massive, and getting from one spot to another can often take more than 45 minutes. So, it should be noted that you need to plan your days at the track around a little travel time.
The crowds really start showing up Friday, May 22, as race weekend commences with Carb Day.
A time-honored tradition, according to Hendrick Motorsport: “In the early days of IndyCar, teams had carburetors to help regulate the air-fuel mixture entering the engine. The last day of practice became known as Carb Day because that was the day team mechanics would fine tune the carburetors to produce the best possible result.”
IndyCars haven’t used carburetors since the late ’60s, but the name has stuck around for the event — a last practice day featuring music and other entertainment. This year Counting Crows are the act headlining Carb Day. General admission Carb Day tickets are listed for $50 on the racetrack’s website.
Saturday is known as Legends Day. It features a gathering of IndyCar legends as well as an open autograph/meet and greet session with the entire field of 2026 racers. To attend Legends Day, tickets are $20.
Sunday is the day of reckoning. All the preparation and anticipation for the race comes to fruition when 30 engines start at once, subsequently starting another chapter in the history of the event. General admission tickets for race day are $50 this year.
Alex Palou is considered the favorite to win the race, he won last year and currently sits atop the IndyCar standings, with three wins already only six races into the season. The 500 is known for its parity, however, and it’s really anyone’s race to win.
One of the more overlooked parts of the 500 to the average viewer is the fact that it’s, in a sense, one of the grandest showings of fine engineering at its highest level. Today, IndyCars are produced by Chevrolet and Honda, and all of them feature 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid engines. They produce between 500-700 horsepower and top out at over 230 miles per hour. IndyCars are the fastest cars in racing, and a huge oval track like IMS allows for a full showcase of top speeds.
The cars are fine-tuned machines of speed. You can look back and view runnings of the race in the past — the evolution of the sport is clear, but the best part is that the cars and drivers 110 years ago were put to the test in the same arena, at the same time of year, facing the same pressures.
After winning the race in 1992, Al Unser Jr. gave the now legendary quote, “You just don’t know what Indy means.”
If you’d like to tune into the 110th running of the Indy 500, the race is set to start at 9 a.m. PST and is broadcasted on FOX.
At a Glance:
Indy 500
Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, Indiana
What: A massive, yearly automobile race and event.
Official website: www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/indy500
Best way to get there: Fly into Indianapolis International Airport
Admission: $50 General admission for race day
Practices: May 12-15, May 18, May 22 (Carb Day)
Qualifying: May 16-17
Race Day: Sunday, May 24
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