These Are The Unbreakable Rules Of Attending The Indianapolis 500

Photo: Justin Casterline (Getty Images)

For the folks that come to the Indy 500 by car, you have a handful of parking options at the Speedway. If you’re a thinking man who plans in advance, you might have purchased parking tickets for the infield, or for one of the official parking lots across from the track. These are fine if you’re most interested in a nearby parking spot, but you’ll also need to commit yourself to loitering for a while after the race — unless you’re keen on sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

If you didn’t think ahead, you can also cruise through the suburban streets of Speedway, Indiana; tons of homeowners in the region will let you park in their yard for a small (cash) fee. The closer you want to park to the Speedway, the more expensive that parking becomes. If you’re willing to park further away, you can grab cheaper spots and could possibly have an easier time getting out of Speedway.

If you don’t have a car available, you can purchase tickets for any one of the handful of official IMS shuttles that run from various locations around the area to the track. You might still end up stuck in traffic after the race, but you won’t be the one behind the wheel.

You can also Uber to and from the track — though I don’t really recommend it as a quick option when you want to leave. I’ve had some really great success grabbing a rideshare to the track; once the traffic got congested, I just hopped out of the vehicle and walked the final mile to the track. After the race, I hung out in a bar until traffic died down, and I was able to call an Uber pretty quickly. If you go this route, though, I’d definitely recommend scheduling your ride.

The best methods of arrival and departure, though, involve a bicycle or your feet. If you can bike to the track, you’ll be able to lock it up outside the gates and take advantage of the bike’s small size to weave though tight traffic after the race. Depending on where you’re staying, I’ve also heard stories of folks walking to and from the track — but again, scope out that path beforehand. There are some sketchy areas in Speedway that you’ll want to avoid.