Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be at 40% capacity for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500, IMS announced Wednesday.

Around 135,000 racing fans will be allowed at the speedway on May 30. The race will be the largest sporting event to be held in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic.

“Our fans mean everything to us, and we can’t wait to welcome them ‘Back Home Again’ for this year’s Indy 500,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said in a statement.

“The city and state have worked with us to identify the appropriate health and safety precautions so that we can successfully host a limited but very enthusiastic crowd. The health and safety of everyone coming to IMS, along with Central Indiana and the Hoosier State, have been paramount throughout this process.”

The speedway is one of the largest sports facilities in the world and can host up to 400,000 people on race day. Even with the reduced capacity, IMS will be able to accommodate many more fans than the 38,000 people who attended the Texas Rangers home opener or the 47,000 at the University of Alabama football team's spring game, WISH TV reported.

Race day will look different this year. Fans will be required to wear face masks and have their temperature taken before entering the speedway. There will be no autograph session or concerts either.

So far, more than 170,000 tickets have been sold. More than 32,000 ticket-holders were asked to decide by Friday if they will attend the May 30th race, FOX 59 reported. IMS has yet said what it will do to reduce capacity if not enough people opt out of attending the race.

Photo: Getty Images

Podcasts