INDYCAR: IMS brings 21st-century experience

Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Project 100, a $92 million project to upgrade the facility for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, is bringing the facility's amenities into the 21st century, with improved seating, entertainment areas and improved bathrooms.

The Indianapolis Business Journal reports that additions include 20 high-definition big-screen monitors, a street-side ticket window (the speedway's first), twice as many concession stands and seven additional elevators. Also added are club seats with adjoining entertainment areas, renovated suites and grandstand seats and a redesigned main entrance.

"We think we're going to give people a great experience and at a facility that still feels in many ways like the old, historic Speedway," IMS President Doug Boles told IBJ. "We're going to have the eyes and ears of a lot of people who either haven't been here in a long time or have never been here. This is an amazing opportunity for us, and we think the enhancements we've made – along with the racing on the track – are going to impress a lot of people here for the race."

Certain proposals, such as lighting and Wi-Fi, were deemed too expensive, IBJ reports, and the idea of moving Victory Lane north to make it more accessible to fans after the race was nixed due to logistics.

IMS will be given a state loan of up to $5 million a year for 20 years for capital improvements, which will be repaid through a new ticket fee, increases in income and sales tax collections and guaranteed by Hulman & Co., according to IBJ. IMS will contribute $2 million every year for 20 years toward improvements.

This marks the third facelift for the speedway; it underwent improvements after Tony Hulman Jr. bought the facility in 1945 and again in 1999-2000 for the U.S. Grand Prix Formula 1 race. Boles told IBJ that future upgrades could include bigger and higher viewing mounds and improvements to the infield medical center.

Speedway officials have confirmed that all reserved seating is sold out for the May 29 race. While general admission tickets are still available in the IMS infield, the massive grandstands around the 107-year-old 2.5-mile oval, as well as all hospitality suites, will be completely filled for the first time in approximately two decades.