IndyCar president gives key update on potential Indy 500 sell-out

IndyCar president Doug Boles has given an update on the ticket sales for the 109th Indy 500 on May 25. The month of May is sacred for the American open-wheel series, with its premier race attracting around 350,000 fans to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

However, in its 108-year history, the IMS has only been sold out once, during the 100th running of the Indy 500 in 2016, which rookie Alexander Rossi won. In a recent interview with Inside Indiana Business, Boles revealed how the ticket sales for the 2025 running of the event are considerably better than last year, and a sell-out is expected.

"Right now, today as we tape this, we are little under 10,000 tickets up over where we were last year at this time, which means we likely sell out the grandstand sometime around qualifying weekend or a little bit thereafter. So, if the pace continues like it has been the last few years, I think that'll be the case," said Boles [2:34 onwards].

At the Indy 500 Open Test on April 23 and 24, fans showed up in big numbers to witness the 34 drivers test their hybrid-powered cars for the first time at the IMS this year. Senior Director of Marketing for the IMS, Michael Kaltenmark, was blown away by the turnout.

"This may be the best we’ve had since the pandemic and probably yielded the best turnout we’ve had," Kaltenmark said via FOX59.

He also revealed that 94% of the grandstands were sold out for the 'Greatest Spectacle of Racing' this year.

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Doug Boles pays tribute to IndyCar fans for making the Indy 500 a grand affair

The 103rd Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

The Indy 500 attracts racing fans from across the globe every year. It is not only IndyCar's premier race but also a third of motorsport's triple crown alongside the Monaco GP and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In March this year, the IMS shipped out its first set of physical tickets for the race. 32,000 tickets weighing over 6600 lbs were mailed to all 50 US states and shipped to 38 countries, including the US.

In the recent interview with Inside Indiana Business, Doug Boles, who is also president of the IMS, tipped his hat to the passionate fans. Speaking about what a sell-out means for the Indy 500, he said:

"First of all, it says a lot about our fans. Our fans love this, and they bring new people every year, and it is the fans that have allowed us to really have this great momentum over the last 10 years as we've been continuing to grow the Indy 500."

"The racing has been spectacular. We've got some stars that people know. Those are the things that help. So it really is a tribute to the fans, and just how long this race has been around, and what it means to people when they are here," he added [2:59 onwards].

The last two runnings of the race have been won by Josef Newgarden. The Team Penske drive is aiming for an unprecedented three-peat this year.