Indianapolis Motor Speedway Seating Guide

Without a doubt the this is the most accurate and useful seating guide to the speedway. Many thanks and a great resource.

Thank you for the information on the various sections around the track. It will be very helpful in purchasing tickets from a vendor. I would suggest that additional information on the rows (i.e. rows A at front to row WW at the top)in each section would also be helpful.

Tahnks again,
Dennis Janocik

GREAT and pretty darn acurate info. I have sat all over the place(26+yrs) at IMS and have never had a “bad” seat, some are just better than others. I appreciate your site, you’ve done a good job. Best info I’ve found out there. Thank you! Mike

from canada someone who knows nothing present for somebody that does hard to pick seat package or do on own cant wait until 2008 great site wii make decision in next day tank you

So how are the rows numbered, I would assume a is at the bottom and go up from there, or is it the other way around?

Yes, most of the rows start at row A and go to B, C, etc. as they go higher. There are some cases where the rows do not start at A, but these are indicated in the text on each individual stand’s page here at IndianaRacing.net. Also, some stands have no row I or O, if I recall correctly.

I had the worst time of my 15 years at the Brickyard 400 yesterday. The Speedway must think that people are only 19″ wide (have you seen an average hoosier?). We were scrunched in like sardines. I’m small-framed, but there were 5 people in the row with large “frames” (to put it nicely) who forced the rest of us to be squeezed, taking away any enjoyment of the race. It was similar last year. My son was hanging off the end of the row. Enough is enough. I’m done with it.

The seats are designed to be fairly roomy. I’ve been going to the track since ‘68, anf or 25-30 f those years, been my prenet size or bigger - 6′2″ 230+.

I’d bet that there were more people in your row that there were actual “seats.” I have had that problem,surprisingly, more often at the NASCAR event than at the Indy 500.

People tend to take a more “family” approach to where they sit, and after about the first 30 laps, the gate security guys just kind of disappear. So where JimBob, Cousin Frank and Little Eddie have tickets, Uncle Bo, Grandma and Steve the Wonder Drunk now cram themselves in.

At Indy, I’ve never felt crowded, even in the heyday when each & every seat was filled. Go figure.

i have seat in the Tower Terrace Section 72 K seats 19 & 20. What do you think about those seats?

I will be bringing my motor home. I am looking at parking in lot 4 or lot 4A, which is a premium lot and is $100 more. Is this worth it?

Hi! I’m preparing a trip for the 2012 Indy 500 and your site is amazing.

Do you have any advice on parking?

It’s hard to give any general advice on parking, there are so many different options. The Speedway is very large, so it makes sense to try to park relatively close to your seats, or at least in the general vicinity (NE, NW, SE, SW). You will have a short walk no matter where you go… the goal is to make sure it doesn’t turn into a long walk. Almost everyone along the main roads to the Speedway will be offering parking on their lawn… the closer you get, the higher the prices will be. Personally, since I go to the race with my young son, I pay the Speedway $20 for a spot in lot 1B near the intersection of 30th St and Georgetown Rd… it’s well worth it for the short walk and the peace of mind of knowing exactly where I will be going. If there is a downside it’s that getting out after the race can take a while. But if you’re willing to walk you can fix that problem by parking further away.

This will be our first visit and our tickets ended up in Pit Row Terrace. Are these any good? Seems like we won’t be able to see any racing, just the pits. Pretty disappointed. Would love to know where GOOD seats are, so I can change or cancel. Thanks!

I’ve sat in the south chute and the SW Vista (T1) every year since 1999 and those seats are good. However, this year I’m taking a gamble and sitting in seats completely different…I’ve chosen the NE Vista (T3), Section 14 and about half way up. From pictures on this site and from videos and imput of others that have sat in that area the seats seem pretty good. Does anyone have any imput on that? I’ve heard that outside of E Box the NE Vista are about the best seats in the house…

Anon- I would only recommend Pit Road Terrace seats to people that knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. They’re pretty good for pit action (but not as good as being on the outside of the track) but you won’t see much of the race. There are a few seats at the edge of section 41 that are great for taking pre-race photos, and seats right next to Gasoline Alley might provide some interesting sights, but that’s about it.

Ryan- I’ve heard lots of great things about the NE Vista as well. People that go out there become loyal to it and just trade up to higher rows over the years.

Thanks for the great advice but finding decent seats for a decent price was somewhat difficult getting so close to the race. I just bought 2 tickets for my boyfriend (and one of his friends) for his b-day. I ended up getting Stand A, Row H, but now I’m worried they’ll be too close to see anything… Should I try to cancel my order and pay more for other tickets or do you think these will be ok?

BA87- The thing to remember is that everyone has a great time no matter where they are sitting. I have yet to meet anyone that leaves the Speedway saying that their seats stunk and they had a lousy time. Sure, sometimes people say the seats “could have been better” but they still leave with a smile on their face. Honestly, just being there for the day is an incredible experience. All of this is a roundabout way of saying that I wouldn’t second-guess those seats too much. The nice thing about A Stand is that you have a great view of the best end of the pits, plus you can see a good part of turn 1, plus you can see all of the pre-race stuff, plus there are at least two video screens to watch… a lot of pluses! It’s true that when cars are going down the front straight they might be tough to see (because they are low and they will be close to the wall) but I’m not sure it will be a huge deal overall.

Hi Paul, fabulous site…thank you! I’ve been to the race for many years, and always shoot for B Penthouse or E Penthouse. I’m considering trying Tower Suites this year, but the row says VIP 1. I don’t really know if that’s a specific seat number or if all of the seats assigned to that suite say VIP 1. If you had the choice between E Penthouse, Box 6, Row A OR Tower Suite, row VIP 1, which would you choose? Thanks for the info!

Andrew- If it’s me, I’m going for the penthouse seats in E or B. I think the “VIP 1″ designation might just indicate that you have access to one of the elevators that take you up to the suites. Once you’re in the suite I don’t think there is assigned seating unless the suite owner chooses to do that somehow. In making your decision, keep in mind that the best place to watch the race is from the outside of a corner… obviously E & B meet that requirement. Then again, the service, air conditioning, and free food and drinks in the suite can make up for lesser viewing angles… though the Tower Suites are by no means “bad”. I guess in the end I would say you’re lucky to be choosing from such excellent options… maybe try the Tower Suites this year for a change… but again if it was me I’d go for something in turn 1.

I’ve been going for years but can never remember - in A Penthouse, is seat 1 on the aisle? or seat 8? Or does it reverse in each box? Thanks for all the valuable info!

Anonymous- I believe that seat 1 is always on an aisle.

Absolutely amazing site! Been going to pole day and practices since I was 2 but I’m now 26 and going to my first race I’m sure you remember your first race and I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am! We got tickets in the Paddock row HH…I’ve never seen anything from the paddock we always sit in the SE Vista for pole day. How are these seats for race day and I know there are no bad seats I’m really wanting to see the pre race festivities and truly take what the race is all about. I hope this row Is close enough to really appreciate all the pageantry of race day but not too close. Look forward to reading your response and I’ve really enjoyed looking through your site from all of us who come to your site keep up the great work!!

Smitty59- The Paddock is the place to be for pre-race festivities. I think HH will be fine, but if you have a pair of small binoculars handy they might be worth bringing if you really want to see things up close (no biggie if you don’t have some already). Enjoy the race!

Paul - reading many of your replies with great interest. Bringing my family for our first race. I am worried about our seats in the Paddock row UU, I thinks second to last row. Noting your comments about not being able to see up, is there any way one can stand down below during the fly over and balloons? Also, any way on race day morning to buy better seats from scalpers or the track?

I was lucky to receive 2 tickets to the 2012 Brickyard 400. Stand B, Box 24, Row T Seat 15/16.

From what I have reviewed here these must be some pretty good seats to watch the race from ?

Any body care to comment ?

i have 2 seats in tower terrace section 49 row aa seats 3 and 4. are these good seats and will we be able to see prerace ceremonies and the flyover.

I’m really impressed with the site! I’m happy that people have a place to go to access all the information and advice it took me so many years (and solid reasoning) to discover! I went from sitting in Stand H, to the Paddock (start/finish line), to the Paddock (nearer to turn 1), to the Paddock Penthouse (start/finish line), then to Penthouse A, and finally I have been in Penthouse B for the past several races.

I’d go for Penthouse E … but I simply can’t afford it without re-mortgaging my house. And, I just got done paying for the thing the first time!

It took me so very many years to figure all these things out for myself, and now everyone can just read all of it here! You are doing true race fans a huge favor.