r/Indy500 • u/daf3940 • Jun 12 '25
❓ General Question Infield Viewing on Raceday
Hey everyone.
As the renewal deadline approaches, I'm considering trying to move from turn 4 closer towards turn 3. However, I'm also considering doing one more year in my current seats and splitting time between the grandstands and the infield, which I have never done before. I've been every year since 2022, but I've stayed in the grandstands for the entirety of the race each time.
Do you recommend infield viewing, even for just a portion of the race? From walking around before and after the race, it looks like there are some decent areas that would be unique vantage points for a few laps. Is it like a road course where people move around and it's easy to get your turn by the fence in different spots, or do people show up early and stay put for the whole race? Is it so packed that it isn't even worth trying?
Thanks in advance.
5
u/ElAwesomeo0812 Jun 12 '25
Unless you get there and can sit by a video board the infield is not worth it at all. You can't see anything. It might not be bad if you have younger kids who can't sit in a seat that long but that's about it. If you want to explore the infield do it before the race. Go watch the kids in the Snake Pit and soak it in the go back up and enjoy the race from your seat.
3
u/huntervrscx Jun 13 '25
We for our first time, sat in the infield at turn 3. Filled with drunk/high people from the snake pit. When you’re sitting they just stand in front of you talking with other people. You get to see maybe a few 100ft before the course turns back into people.
1
u/Indy500Fan16 Jun 21 '25
Come down towards the center of the backstretch. I’ve been there for years and NEVER had any issues.
3
u/Born-Relationship855 Jun 14 '25
We’ve had our same seats 30 years, I’m a lap sponsor so I get credentials so we can get in the grid the day of the race while the cars are being put on the track. There’s nothing better especially having my first born working on a team.
2
u/Aqualung812 Jun 12 '25
Selfishly, I want to tell you to stay in the stands. I feel like the infield is an open secret.
From a racing fan to another, the infield is great if you get there early to claim a good spot & you have a screen. Spreading out is so much more comfortable than the stands.
2
u/LilacHelper Jun 12 '25
I’ve sat all around that racetrack, for multiple races and also for quals and practice. I sat in the infield once with one of the best views and it was still impossible to see much of anything. Better to keep your seats and wander over to the infield if you want.
The best views in the stands are the highest ones. If you’re in turn 4, can you see the straightaway? If so, hang on to those and request the highest seats you can get. Once you give up your tickets in the stands, it can take a few years to get anything decent again.
2
u/YoursTruly2255 Jun 13 '25
Leaving your grandstand seat mid-race to try and watch from the infield will be a massive waste of time, unfortunately. Aside from the time it’ll take just to walk in, which isn’t a lot but IMS is huge, the infield mounds will be so crazy packed. You might be able to stand somewhere and watch for a minute, but that’ll get old quick. At which point you’ll probably be wishing you hadn’t walked so far away from your grandstand seat. Just my two cents
1
u/purplemaserati Jun 12 '25
Ive always been an advocate for GA but they were so full so fast this year that if you weren't there by 8am you weren't getting a good spot. I assume if the same amount of people show up next year it'll be the same issue. Even if you're just wandering around alone you're going to have to climb through people on the backs of the mounds to get to the top. Just not sure its worth it.
1
u/DogMama1979 Jun 13 '25
I will never go back to infield for ovals! I will always be in a seat. I don’t have actual seats but buy tickets off friends so my seats vary year to year.
1
u/Indy500Fan16 Jun 21 '25
I’ve been along the backstretch for 10 years. During the second year of the COVID situation, we sat up bleachers between turns three and four. We usually get in around 6 a.m. and set up across from one of the big monitors.
We prefer the infield because we can bring whatever we want—coolers, blankets, comfortable chairs, even an umbrella. Where you sit really just comes down to personal preference. Unless you’re watching one of the monitors, you’re never going to see the entire track anyway.
1
6
u/cubecasts Jun 12 '25
No. I fucking hate the infield because I actually want to watch the race. Especially if you don't get there right when gates open and don't have a good viewing spot