B Stand

(Section 21 Row W) The view of the first turn is very good. The fence does obstruct the view more than it does in E stand, but you do have a nice view of the main stretch and turn one. The closer you are to section 25, the better as it is further in the turn.

(Penthouse Sec 21 Row B) What great seats. You can see all of the front straight away, the pit action and turn one and turn two.

When I finally got B Stand Penthouse seats, the IMS ticket office placed me in the best possible location (Box 25). From this area, the posts that support the roof are no longer obstructing the track view. You no longer look through the safety fence. The cars are coming right at you down the front straight. The pits are at a strong angle, but you can still see the action through field glasses. It is NIRVANA. After the cars scream past you, the view stretches all the way through Turn 2. If you love the race, Box 25 is the choice. If you want to see more pagentry, try a lower number box or the Paddock Penthouse. B Stand is for race fans. What a view.

How come I cannot find B Penthouse tickets on sale anywhere ? Has the penthouse been removed, or is it just sold out ?

B Stand Penthouse seats are pretty darn good seats (and no, the penthouse hasn’t been removed). They are certainly sold out from IMS, but sometimes there are some available from ticket brokers such as TicketsNow (see the links above). There won’t be many though, and you know what happens when demand exceeds supply…

Do you know how many rows in penthouse B? How steep is the incline (can you still see if you are in one of the higher rows?)?

A was getting me tickets in this section but I do not know the row or box

Thanks

I think there are about 10 rows in the penthouse. You can definitely see over the people in the row in front of you, as the rows are pretty steep.

IMS offered me tix in B10 Row G. Will this be too low to see the cars? I have kids, so I wanted to be covered (they’ve sat in the rain before and did not complain, so I owe it to them.)
Thanks.

I’m not 100% sure, but my gut tells me to hesitate on those B10 Row G seats. The first several rows of B Stand no longer exist, so row G is probably one of the first rows in that section. The view up the front straightaway will be less than ideal because the fence will appear very “thick” due to the angle. Once the cars are directly in front they might be too low and still too close to the wall at that point, it’s tough to say. You might have a decent view of the cars after they pass you and go through turn one. Also, I’m not sure those seats would even be covered. I think I’d at least get some more opinions before making a purchase, especially for the price.

Jackson - Paul Woods brings up some very good points. The past 2 years I have been in Row R in the Paddock which makes it tough to see thru the fence looking up the straightaway. It is too low to see the cars and I would be skeptical about how well covered it is. Based on my upgrade this year (closer to start/finish and higher up), I am assuming that there are lots of renewals and demand for 09 but I think I would look for some different options if covered is the primary factor. If you can get by not being covered, SW Vista and NE Vista, in the high single letter rows, can really provide some nice views of lots of track and race manuevering.

Thank you both for the comments. I went to the track and the ticket people were honest and told me that I would probably not be able to see the track well from G (it is the first row) and it would not be covered. I took seats in the C stand row AA to ensure we’re covered and can see. I know we won’t see as much race action in the straight away, but at least we will be able to see the festivities and the cars and we can maybe upgrade next year. Thanks again. Jackson

After 5 yrs requesting penthouse seats, we have seats in Penthouse B Sec 03, Row C. Are there obstructing pillars? How do these seats compare to other sections in Penthouse B? We are avid fans and photograhers so we’re eager to hear about our seating.

If it only took you five years to get seats in B Penthouse then you’re probably ahead of the game already. There are some thin pillars at the front of the stand… they should not really obstruct much, but they could get in the way a little depending on the exact location of your seat. You will have a great view of the end of pit lane and all of turn one, but you will not be far enough into the corner to look straight up the front stretch and see the cars coming straight at you the way you could if you were in a much higher numbered section or in E Stand Penthouse.

Regarding photos, it might be tough if not impossible to get photos of anything on the track without fencing getting in the way, but you can minimize the imapct of the fencing by panning your shots. You should be able to get some good shots of cars coming off pit lane and on the warm-up lane, and depending on your exact location you might have a clear shot looking into turn one and the short chute, as the cars pass you.

There are some photos above that were taken from Box 10 Row E, and you will be closer to the start/finish than those are. Compare those with the photos from Box 25 and you will see the difference I am talking about.

Thanks. This is helpful information! The last few years we were below in Section 6 of B Stand, but the fence really inhibited photo shots. We also might have a chance to purchase two more seats in any of the following areas: Paddock, Stand C, Pit Row Terrace (Rows A-H). Any advice?

Another option you may want to think about is the Tower Terrace up high. The top 4-5 rows of the Tower Terrace are covered by the suites above. Its a hike to get up there but no different than getting to the B penthouse. I went to the track a couple weeks ago, climbed up there and the view is excellent so I went over to the ticket office and switched seats. For some reason, the ticket office doesnt have these listed as covered seats..IMHO, they are superior to the Paddock & C Stand where I have been the past 4 years. You get an unobstructed view of the entire front stretch as well as turn 4 exit and turn 1 entry…You are looking over the fence separating stands from the pits as opposed to through the fence on the outside. You can also see a bit of the short chutes in the distance if you turn around behind the stands.

We sat in penthouse sec 1 row 2 for last years 500 and I have to admit that I was a bit disapointed with the view. Turn 1 was great, as you could see some great overtaking and pit lane action was a plus. However, the view to the left was horrible. A stand is higher than B so it totally blocks the main straight.

Guys,

We have moved this year from the SW Vista to B Stand, Box 9, Row Q. I know we are early for turn 1 (we’ll just keep trying) but, from the pics and the IMS map, it kind of looks like this might be one of the first rows under cover. Are we going to be staring at the fence or do you think these will be decent seats?

Thanks!

Paul, you seem very well educated on the seats in this section. As Jackson stated he/she was offered tickets in B10, Row G.
I did purchase tickets in B10, Row G.
Have a made a huge mistake or will the experience be a good one?
I have been many times and have sat almost everywhere but this year I am bringing 3 rookies along.
Should I ditch these tickets and pursue more or just go with it. I just want the best possible experience for them!
what do you think???? Please help.

Dave-

As I mentioned previously, I think there are probably better seats to be had. If you’re really concerned about it, you might want to see if you can trade up somehow.

At the same time though, I think sometimes people stress out too much about seat locations. In recent years I’ve had some of the worst seats possible because I wanted to be in good sound recording locations or to be able to get certain pre-race photos, etc. plus I tend to move around a lot anyway. The bottom line is that despite missing most of the race and/or watching it on a video screen, I still have a fantastic time every year.

An event at the Speedway is much more than just the race itself. Come early, stay late, enjoy the total experience… and see a race while you’re there! I realize not everyone can see it that way, but it works for me.

Thanks Paul-you are right. It is about the experience. I will keep that in mind.
Looking forward to another year filled with sunshine and safety.

I have tickets in B stand, sec 25, row Z. How will the view of the front stretch be from these seats? I know that sec 25 in B penthouse has an excellent view, but just seeing everyones thoughts on how the view from B stand will be.

Thanks,

Dave J

After taking a few years off, I was back at Indy this year and loved it. How many years of seniority will I need to eventually move into the b stand, and eventually the b stand penthouse?

thanks for the knowledge - looking forward to going back next year!

I have a chance at buying B Penthouse, Sec 17, Row J. Comments? Thanks, Cnote.

We are in section B Penthouse and will nead assistance climbing the stairs. Is there any elevator or service elevator either in section B or any other stand that connects.

I would call the Speedway ticket office to see if they can help you. I know that ordinarily there are no elevators for fans to use, but they do have small concession stands up behind the penthouse levels so perhaps there is an easier way to get up to the penthouses besides just climbing the stairs. (I just can’t remember for sure at the moment)

That said, the stairs to your seats in B Penthouse will be pretty steep and narrow, so keep that in mind. Also, the seats in B Penthouse are just folding chairs. Take a look at some of the photos to see what I mean. Fortunately there are a lot of handrails available.

Thanks for your comment. If you hear of anything else, please let me know.
If the stairs cannot be climbed, I wonder how to trade for suite ticket. Our seats are really terrific.

Following up on some tix I was offered, I called IMS to verify their location.
This may help some folks….
Row P is the first row of wooden bleacher seats, everything lower is folding chairs.Thos rows start with D & E, then jump to much higher rows because of the rows that have been removed over the years.
Also remember B is a narrower stand, so from P up it’s P,PP,Q,QQ, etc., ending with Z - 2 rows to a letter except for Z..
When you get up to about U or higher, you’ve got some great seats! the lower letters aren’t bad, but the higher ones are great.

Ih ave a opportunity to buy 2 tickets stand b box 4 row z, are these good seats for 85.00

Kevin- It all depends on what is most important to you. I think row Z is the top row of the lower section, which means you’ll have some cover/shade as well as some air from the back (which could be good or bad depending on the weather). You should have a pretty good view of the very end of pit lane.

The downside (in my opinion) is that you will be kind of wedged up into the corner formed by the stands and the ceiling (the floor of the penthouse) and this really limits your ability to see anything above you, if that is important to you. It will be a little like looking through a tunnel. You’ll be able to see the track just fine though. On this page there are some photos from row X, take a look at those to see what I mean.

Does anyone know if row J of the B Penthouse is the top row?

Jeff- I’m pretty sure that row J is the top row in B Penthouse because I’m also pretty sure that the Penthouse has 10 rows. Count the rows in photo #32 above and see if you agree.

I have been “given” tickets (for Fathers Day) to this years race that are box 1, row A, B penthouse. If I remember, that low in that sec. the main straitaway is blocked quite abit by the taller sec A P-H. Still cant wait to go but my question is are we under shade in that 1st row of the penthouse? Thanks

Brickyard Fan- That’s a pretty good Father’s Day present! I don’t think the front straight will be blocked all that much for you but I admit I’m not 100% sure. Regarding shade, you might still have some sun at the very beginning of the race, but I think you will be in the shade shortly thereafter. Maybe shade the whole time, hard to say. Have fun!

question:
Penthouse B. Row A. Section 22. Going for Motogp. Will i have any obstructions or fencing blocking my view?
also, i will have a paddock pass, does anyone know how easy it is to get back to the paddock afterwards? Last year I was in H stand and it was horrifying to get back to the garages. thanks for any info.

Este- You will have fantastic seats with no obstructions. To get to the paddock, you will need to walk north to the tunnel that goes under the track near the Pagoda. It’s probably just a little shorter than the walk from H Stand.

I’m not sure what you mean by “horrifying”… the crowd for the MotoGP race is much smaller than it is for the Indy 500 or Brickyard 400 so it can’t be all that bad. One way to look at it is that 99.9% of people won’t have paddock passes at all, so consider yourself lucky. Keep a positive attitude and have fun!

I just purchased tickets in the B penthouse, sect. 14 row c for the brickyard in July. Does anyone know if these are any good? Thee were the closest sect I could get to 25.