[GregD]

Originally Posted by Points Looks like it really depends where your seats are. I see some seats jumped up $44 dollars. I'm on the backstretch and mine haven't changed much at all luckily. next years ticket will only be $5 more than I paid in 2009. Looks like all the Deck seats, penthouse and box seats saw the biggest price increases. A $34 dollar jump like yours in one year is not right. People will stop renewing at jumps like that. that should not be what they want. they must be betting on enough people willing to pay the price.

That is the reason that after 51 years in my family the seats are dropped!

[ISF]

Since 2013 our 500 seats have increased SEVENTY dollars per ticket.

That figures out to just shy of a 47% increase per ticket in just THREE YEARS.

I know, I know, there is no one holding a razor to my throat to buy the dammed tickets, and we probably won't continue to. But, when you get beyond all the conjured up rhetoric about the tradition, history and ambiance you're still just watching a bunch of spec race cars driven by mostly foreigners who we don't care a thing about the other 11 months of the year at a track where even if you're setting in the very best seats in the place you can see less than half the track. However, I've been told by a Speedway representative that I can bring a cooler to my seat and most other sports venues don't allow that. I have only one thing to say to that............. BIG F'N DEAL!!

And given all that, some would call a 47% increase in just 3 years A BARGAIN!! If that's the case I'd sure like to know what ya'll consider gouging.

Sorry for the rant, guys.

[jjones752]

The 2014 increase was the first in a decade. The most expensive seats in the house are $186.00 this year. OK, heck with it, let's spend our Memorial Day at another iconic sports venue, Fenway Park, and watch the Sox and the Angels; let's see, best seats in the house, right behind home plate....$620.00.
Stop whining.

[Points]

Originally Posted by ronmil I get so many e-mails that I had overlooked the one from IMS. I was looking at IOW on my phone when I saw the thread about the ticket prices. I checked and it looks like mine went up about $18 each. I still consider this a bargain in comparison to other major league sports. Can't believe all the nattering nabobs of negativism concerning the 500. Sure, it has changed, but what hasn't? I absolutely love all the pomp and ceremony, and the last two 500's have been the best of the fifty I have seen. The size of the crowd is back to nearly what it was before the split, and I predict the 100th running will be totally sold out. Looking forward to my 51st consecutive event this coming Sunday, and then I will change modes and stop at TSS on the way home and get a little dirt in my hair. Two totally different events, but I enjoy both.

got to agree with you. I just enjoy it. Crowds are definitely way up and have been increasing every year. unfortunately that's maybe put some upward pressure on the prices. Angell park the night before and Kokomo after for me.

[cecil98]

Originally Posted by Action Tracker Still a pretty good deal compared to the other top tier sporting events in the world.

I don't think it's considered a "Top" tier sporting event anymore. Almost zero news coverage here in Cincinnati (we're less than 2 hrs away). The recent TV ratings for the race have been less than stellar. Also, they have removed 1000's of lower level seats to condense the crowd for camera shots and there are still 1000's of empty seats on race day...I'd bet there are less than 175,000 spectators on race day....it really saddens me.

[cecil98]

Originally Posted by Points got to agree with you. I just enjoy it. Crowds are definitely way up and have been increasing every year. unfortunately that's maybe put some upward pressure on the prices. Angell park the night before and Kokomo after for me.

I disagree about the crowds growing in recent years. You realize, they removed thousands of seats in the last few years...We sit in the northern part of the Tower Terrace, and the last several years it has been "nearly" half empty.. there is no one in the lower seats. I'd bet the deed to my house they're not getting close to 200,000 anymore...

[cecil98]

Originally Posted by itsanonwingthing thought I would check the Klipsch Music center to see the going rate for some of the major concert's, INDY 500 is a bargain! http://www.klipschmusiccenter.org/kl...enter-tickets/ or you can go watch a BORING Reds baseball game (MLB has so many "furiners" that it makes Indy car look like the all American Sport, BTW, aren't there some American players at the local Softball fields that deserve a shot at the Majors instead of all those Cuban's!) for $90 and under. http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/16..._Tickets-na-x0

Have been to one MLB baseball game since the strike of the early 90's. We got the tickets for recycling some old electronic equipment. Thank god the wife was ready to leave in the 3rd inning! I was ready to scream with boredom!!

[2140rc]

Originally Posted by cecil98 I disagree about the crowds growing in recent years. You realize, they removed thousands of seats in the last few years...We sit in the northern part of the Tower Terrace, and the last several years it has been "nearly" half empty.. there is no one in the lower seats. I'd bet the deed to my house they're not getting close to 200,000 anymore...

According to the Indianapolis Star permanent seats at Indy peaked out several years back at 257,000. After the seat and grandstand section removals of the last few years seating is now down to around 230,000. And as you state there are many seats on the inside of the front straight that have been empty for years as well as some closed sections in the south end of the track. I don't know what the actual numbers are but with all of the empty seats your 200,000 people in the stands today when the race starts is probably pretty close. Of course there are people in the infield but that's way down from where it was years ago.

What's really killed the 500 is the lack of attendance during the rest of the "month". Practice and Qualifying crowds this year were as low as they ever been. Not all that many years ago Pole Day attracted as large a crowd as the race does now. Overall May attendance is no more than 50% of what it was 25 years ago at best.

The Speedway itself stated that actual 500 attendance for the full month in 2013 was 275,000 and for 2014 was 360,000. The numbers for 2014 reflected an additional 75,000 people that attended both the new Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the Jason Aldean concert the night before the 500.

[Twister17]

Pack your cooler with your sandwiches, water and beer. Go try to get into any football or baseball game, let me know how it works out for you.

[cecil98]

Originally Posted by Twister17 Pack your cooler with your sandwiches, water and beer. Go try to get into any football or baseball game, let me know how it works out for you.

Why are we comparing Indy to Football and Baseball? I believe the discussion is: media and fan interest now vs. what it once was... and there's no denying the event is a mere shell of what it once was...