IMS confirms reserved seating sellout for 109th Indianapolis 500
INDIANAPOLIS _ Penske Entertainment officials announced Friday that all reserved seating for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25th will be sold-out for the first time since the legendary 100th edition of the race in 2016.
A select few tickets remain available in the IMS grandstands, with a full reserved seating sellout likely to occur by the checkered flag for Monday’s post-qualifying practice and possibly before the end of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying Weekend. Fans seeking a reserved seat for the event are encouraged to visit IMS.com for availability.
In tandem with this update, event organizers also have lifted the local broadcast delay of the race. Expanded coverage of the first Indy 500 on FOX Sports will start at 10 a.m. (EDT) across the country, with the green flag set for approximately 12:45 p.m.
“This year, the greatest race on Earth will host one of its biggest and most memorable crowds in many decades,” Penske Entertainment President/CEO Mark Miles said in a news release. “This is a terrific showcase for the NTT IndyCar Series and a great milestone to supercharge our relationship with FOX Sports. It is also absolutely a fitting tribute to the continued leadership and investment of Roger Penske.”
While general admission tickets will be available in the IMS infield through Race Day, the massive grandstands around the 116-year-old, 2.5-mile oval and all hospitality suites will be filled. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the world’s largest spectator sporting facility, and the Indy 500 is annually the largest spectator sporting event on the planet, hosting a crowd of approximately 350,000.
“The very best fans in sports have delivered in historic and fitting fashion for the incredible stars of the NTT IndyCar Series,” INDYCAR and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “The sheer size and scale of this crowd is going to be massive and will offer an epic backdrop for the very first Indy 500 on FOX. The 109th running will be a full-scale, non-stop spectacle that draws the eyes of the world to Speedway, Indiana.”
Beyond the grandstands, the Hulman Terrace Club is sold-out, and every IMS suite is full. Coors Light Snake Pit wristbands remain available to pair with a General Admission ticket for entry to EDM’s most unique annual event.
Anticipation for the 109th running has created a positive ripple effect throughout the city, as citizens in Central Indiana have embraced the race for months via community initiatives. From racing-themed porch parties to raising Indy 500 flags to racing-themed artwork placed all around Indianapolis, the spirit of the race has been a spectacle in itself.
FOX Sports also has added new energy to the event, bringing significant star-power befitting “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” On Wednesday, legendary seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and FOX Sports lead NFL analyst Tom Brady’s attendance was confirmed, riding in the Fastest Seat in Sports with seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champ Jimmie Johnson.
Additional members of the FOX talent team on-site include NFL Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan of the New York Giants, who will drive the Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car, and former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots as host of the Coors Light Snake Pit.
“FOX Sports is all-in on INDYCAR, and this is an incredible accomplishment to celebrate with our first Indy 500 broadcast,” FOX Sports CEO/Executive Producer Eric Shanks said. “As a lifelong fan, I’m also personally thrilled to see the grandstands filled on Race Day and look forward to broadcasting the race live in Central Indiana.”
Longtime fans are encouraged to begin their Race Day routines early to take full advantage of the experience. Highlights include the fan midway, new concession and vending options and new field activations from FOX Sports. The traditional pre-race ceremonies also figure to be electric, emotionally charged and star-packed.
Fans are encouraged to visit IMS.com and check IMS social media feeds for updates on all ticketing-related information.
In an effort to produce a zero-waste event and reduced operational emissions, INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials have announced the addition of Shell’s Starship 3.0 _ a ground-breaking, natural gas-powered transporter _ to the series’ fleet after the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Shell Starship 3.0 will serve as the new transporter for INDYCAR’s Pennzoil Tech Inspection Trailer for the remainder of the 2025 season. Its debut marks a milestone in Penske Entertainment’s long-term sustainability strategy, which includes investments in onsite recycling infrastructure for glass and polystyrene diversion programs at IMS and a recently launched emissions tracking platform for INDYCAR, in partnership with NTT DATA.
Shell Starship 3.0 is powered by a Cummins X15N™ natural gas engine _ making it the first natural gas-powered Class 8 truck operating within a national motorsports fleet in North America. It will haul INDYCAR’s Pennzoil Tech Inspection Trailer starting with the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on June 1.
With a lightweight, carbon fiber body, advanced aerodynamic design, a mirror-replacement camera system and Shell Rotella natural gas engine oil, the Shell Starship is designed to demonstrate what’s possible when cutting-edge commercial freight technology meets environmental responsibility.
“Integrating Shell Starship into INDYCAR’s operations is an exciting next step in demonstrating how cutting-edge technologies can support real-world logistics while helping reduce carbon emissions,” said Thomas Mueller, general manager of Commercial Road Transport at Shell. “This is innovation in motion, and we look forward to seeing how the Starship performs in a practical application in demanding environments.”
Shell Starship is the result of a multi-year innovation and testing program developed in collaboration with the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE), which has independently verified the truck’s results since its inception in 2018.
Natural gas-powered engines, like the Cummins X15N, emit less CO₂ than traditional diesel counterparts and can run on renewable natural gas (RNG), a fuel derived from organic waste that’s interchangeable with CNG and LNG. In some applications, RNG can even deliver a negative carbon intensity score compared to fossil fuels on a life cycle basis, depending on feedstocks,making it a powerful tool for decarbonizing transport.
Also announced was new emissions tracking software from NTT DATA, the Official Technology Partner of the NTT IndyCar Series. Developed in partnership with Penske, this AI-powered emissions management platform will provide INDYCAR and its partners with data-driven insights into the carbon footprint of race operations and logistics throughout the season.
The cutting-edge system streamlines carbon accounting _ the process of calculating greenhouse gas emissions _ by collecting, standardizing and transforming diverse activity data into real-time dashboards and custom reports, offering actionable insights into the size, composition and overall health of emissions data.
“As a global leader in digital business and technology services, NTT DATA is proud to support INDYCAR and its partner in their sustainability journey,” said David Costa, chief sustainability, business officer, NTT DATA, Inc. “Our software platform is empowering INDYCAR with comprehensive emissions tracking and reporting capabilities, seamlessly integrating data from operational activities and vendor partnerships. By streamlining the data collection process, we’re enabling INDYCAR to make informed, data-driven decisions that contribute to a reduced environmental footprint.”
Shell is among the early adopters of this software, which will be rolled out more broadly in the coming weeks as part of INDYCAR’s commitment to transparency and environmental innovation. This collaboration has laid a strong foundation for joint sustainability efforts, helping to drive Penske’s long-term environmental targets forward and enabling its application across multiple sports platforms.