INDIANAPOLIS — It’s the most anticipated time of the year for race fans around the world. The month of May is when motorsports takes the spotlight following March Madness in college basketball and The Masters — golf’s greatest tradition — in April.
It means the Indianapolis 500, a tradition that began in 1911, is showing signs of returning to glory with ticket sales for this year’s race approaching 350,000, according to Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske.
“It’s a tremendous spectacle,” Penske told SPEED SPORT. “The people are excited. Our ticket sales have never been better. There is a lot of interest in people coming back.
“Our goal is to try to have a place where our guests, our fans, can experience super racing, have an environment that’s safe and also something where they can bring their kids and their families to the race and hope to grow the sport.”
For Penske, this year’s Indianapolis 500 has extra importance. It comes after a month of scandal following IndyCar’s decision to disqualify Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winner Josef Newgarden and his teammate Scott McLaughlin, who finished third in the season-opening race on March 10.
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