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Historic weekend set to get underway at IMS

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) – It’s a historic weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the first IndyCar and Nascar doubleheader. Drivers in both series will share the road course track starting with practice on Friday.

The track opens for public practice at 2 p.m. Friday afternoon. Indycar drivers are on the track from 3 pm to 4 pm ahead of Saturday’s Grand Prix.

Nascar will practice for an Xfinity race and the new Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on Friday from 5:35 pm to 6:25 pm. $20-dollar tickets are still available for the practices.

On Saturday, the NASCAR Xfinity series and NTT IndyCar series will run their races on the road course and the cup series will have a practice. Then, the NASCAR race will run on Sunday.

Last year was the first triple-header weekend. All races were held without fans, although the cup series ran on the oval.

IMS president Doug Boles said the pandemic gave the speedway a chance to try something new. While it’s not a permanent decision, it was one made to boost attendance and excitement.

With COVID-19 still on the mind, there is a chance to get vaccinated at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

IU Health is running a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at gates 1, 6, and 9 during practices and races. On Friday the clinic will go from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The clinic will also run on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

On Friday, IMS will also host a blood drive in honor and support of several Motorsports journalists. IMS and the American Red Cross will host the blood drive in Legends Row #12, the A.J. Foyt Room, from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to “Plan Ahead,” with an interactive web page that serves as a home base for fans heading to the track this weekend. COVID-19 precautions are still at top of mind with additional sanitizing stations offered and the speedway is giving out free masks, although they are not required.

The Plan Ahead page features detailed information about the entire fan experience at IMS, including directions, parking, schedule, gate regulations, digital ticket and parking guides, ADA accessibility and much more.

All Speedway patrons should be aware of the following to ensure a successful day at the track:

Tickets:

Tickets for Brickyard Weekend are available for purchase at IMS.com or by walking up at the gates Friday, Aug. 13-Sunday, Aug. 15.

  • Friday, Aug. 13 – $20 for general admission seating to see Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard practice and Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix practice and qualifying. Children 15 and under are admitted free with paying adult.
  • Saturday, Aug. 14 – $40 for general admission seating for Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard and Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix in North Vista Wheelchair, Turn 2 Mounds, Hulman South Mounds, Hulman North Mounds, Turn 4 Mounds, South Terrace, South Terrace – East, Tower Terrace (75-79) and Paddock (9-12). Flex seating locations are available in Southwest Vista (1-10), H Stand (1-6) and Northwest Vista (16-20) for $55 per adult. Children 15 and under are admitted free with paying adult in general admission and flex seating locations. Reserved seats start at $60.
  • Sunday, Aug. 15 – $40 for general admission seating for the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard in North Vista Wheelchair, Turn 2 Mounds, Hulman South Mounds, Hulman North Mounds and Turn 4 Mounds. Flex seating locations are available in Tower Terrace (75-79), Southwest Vista (1-10), H Stand (1-6) and Northwest Vista (16-20) for $55 per adult. Children 15 and under are admitted free with paying adult in general admission and flex seating locations. Reserved seats start at $50.

Public parking:

Parking for Brickyard Weekend is available in a variety of locations inside and around the track. Parking can be purchased on-site or in advance. Race fans can click here to purchase available parking passes.

Friday parking:

  • Free parking is available in Lot 7 (North 40) and Turn 3 Infield. Race fans must enter through Gate 10 from 30th Street.
  • Paid parking is available in Lot 1B, Lot 2, Lot 3G and Main Gate for $10.

Saturday parking:

  • Free parking is available in Lot 7 (North 40). Race fans must enter through Gate 10 from 30th Street.
  • Paid parking is available in Lot 1B, Lot 2, Lot 3G and Main Gate for $20, Turn 3 Infield (pre-paid) for $25, Lot 6A for $40 and Gate 1 for $75.

Sunday parking:

  • Free parking is available in Lot 7 (North 40). Race fans must enter through Gate 10 from 30th Street.
  • Paid parking is available in Lot 1B, Lot 2, Lot 3G and Main Gate for $20, Turn 3 Infield (pre-paid) for $25, Lot 6A for $40 and Gate 1 for $75.

Cashless operations:

IMS concession stands and merchandise locations are cashless. Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions. However, for gate admission and parking, both cash and credit will be accepted.

Pedestrian gate entry:

Friday

  • Public pedestrian gates open: Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 6S, Gate 7 South, Gate 7 Vehicle, Gate 9, Gate 10, Gate 10A

Saturday

  • Public pedestrian gates open: Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 6S, Gate 6N, Gate 7S, Gate 7 Vehicle, Gate 9, Gate 10, Gate 10A, Gate 11A

Sunday

  • Public pedestrian gates open: Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 6S, Gate 6N, Gate 7S, Gate 7 Vehicle, Gate 9, Gate 10, Gate 10A, Gate 11A

IMS Museum:

The IMS Museum, located inside Gate 2 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will be open Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $14 for guests over the age of 62 and $8 for guests ages 6-15. Children 5 and under and Museum members are free. Race fans can walk to the IMS Museum from within the Speedway’s infield.

After 1 p.m. on Friday, all IMS Museum visitors must possess an event ticket or credential to enter the Museum. Gate 2 will not be open for parking at the Museum.

Digital tickets:

Digital tickets can be accessed on the IMS App or on a smartphone’s web browser. Fans are encouraged to ensure the brightness on their phone is turned up before approaching the gate for seamless scanning of their digital ticket. Race fans are also encouraged to visit the IMS Digital Ticket guide to manage their digital tickets and enhance their at-track experience.

Weekend street parking:

Parking restrictions in the town of Speedway will be enforced during Brickyard weekend. No parking will be allowed on the south and east sides of any street bound by 25th Street on the north, Georgetown Road on the east, Lynhurst Drive on the west and Crawfordsville Road on the south from 6 p.m. Thursday through 8 p.m. Sunday.

Other streets requiring restricted parking are Main Street between 10th and 16th Streets and 16th Street from Main Street to Lynhurst Drive. During race weekend, three-hour parking will be monitored and enforced on both sides of Main Street between 10th Street and 16th Street.

Road closures:

Race fans should be aware of multiple road closures before making their way to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Brickyard Weekend. Those include:

  • Speedway Police Department will close Georgetown Road to vehicular traffic south of 25th Street one hour before the start of the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix on Saturday, Aug. 14 and one hour before the start of the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on Sunday, Aug. 15.
  • Speedway Police Department will also close 16th Street between Olin Avenue and the roundabout one hour before the start of the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix and the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard. Additionally, 16th Street will not be accessible from Polco Street, as it will be blocked at 10th Street.
  • The Indiana Department of Transportation is reconstructing the I-65/I-70 interchange between the north split and Washington Street in downtown Indianapolis. I-70 eastbound and westbound traffic will be routed around I-465. I-65 northbound and southbound traffic will be routed through the south split, I-70 and I-465. Drivers southbound on I-65 will not be able to enter westbound I-70, and drivers northbound on I-65 will not be able to enter eastbound I-70.