Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

IMS confirms 100th Indy 500 full sellout, local TV blackout lifted

Indy 500
May 22th, 2016
©2016 Walt Kuhn

Indy 500 May 22th, 2016 ©2016 Walt Kuhn

© 2016, Walt Kuhn

INDIANAPOLIS - Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles and Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles, head of INDYCAR’s parent company, have confirmed the 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil will be a full sellout, with all reserved seats, general admission and suites sold out.

Additionally, to accommodate fans who can’t attend on site, there will be a, for the moment, one-year lifting of the local blackout on the ABC affiliate in Indianapolis.

The WRTV broadcast will be shown live, marking only the third time the race will be broadcast live on Central Indiana television and the first time since the early 1950’s. The race will still air in its usual delayed time slot at 7 p.m.

--

Quick notes from the IMS release are in the block below:

“There’s no event in the world like the Indy 500,” said Hulman & Company CEO Mark Miles. “This sellout is a testament to the enduring legacy of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the thrilling racing of the Verizon IndyCar Series and the bright future for both.”

“The Indy 500 is a uniquely Hoosier event,” added Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles. “The community support for the this race has fueled excitement for the 100th Running and paves the way for the next century for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500.”

On May 6, IMS officials announced a sellout of reserved seating for the race. This included all grandstand seating, suite hospitality and several temporary suites built in turns 1 and 2. General Admission tickets continued to be available for purchase via the IMS ticketing office. Steady and increased demand for GA tickets led to today’s announcement. The Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light is sold out as well. Tickets for Carb Day and Legends Day still remain.

--

Additional notes from his morning’s hastily called press conference at the Speedway:

Both took the opportunity to thank Emmis Communications for their assistance in the process. Emmis is host broadcaster of the IMS Radio Network’s race coverage, which will continue as scheduled, live from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Boles added that “this does not happen without the support of this community” and preached three words: “Early, plan and patience” with regards to timing and patience.

Miles confirmed that for the moment, the local lifting of the TV blackout is a one-year only component, unless a future announced full sellout occurs.

“Our feeling - under these circumstances - is that we cannot accommodate more people. So the live TV component comes into play,” Miles explained.

“We do not anticipate live (TV) coverage again. But if a sellout happens again, it would be considered.

“Radio was a tougher hurdle to clear... but we could work through it,” Miles added.

Without getting into further details, Miles also said “yes” to enhanced security for this year’s race - the process of which will be detailed following planned operational meetings.

Follow @TonyDiZinno