Brickyard 400 Sees Attendance Dip Amid Heat and Lingering Concerns

Fans Turn Out Amidst Mixed Conditions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Ticket sales for Sunday’s Brickyard 400 experienced a slight decrease compared to the previous year, with official estimates placing attendance just under 70,000. This marks a drop from the “approximation from just over” 70,000 fans at the 2024 NASCAR event.

Mixed Outlook for Race Day

Doug Boles, IMS & IndyCar President, indicated that the final figures could see a shortfall of 5,000 to 6,000 tickets from last year, potentially landing around 65,000 attendees. He noted that walk-up numbers were not anticipated to be strong, citing the “intense heat index” and ongoing weather worries as contributing factors.

Return to Oval Track Celebrated

The attendance figures follow a significant 2024 event that celebrated NASCAR’s “monumental return” to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval after a three-year absence. That race also coincided with the Brickyard 400’s 30th anniversary, which had previously driven year-over-year growth for the first time since 2002. Last year’s race surpassed 2018 attendance and neared numbers from 2017 and 2016.

Future of the Brickyard

Boles had expressed a desire in the past to build upon the 2024 success for future events. He confirmed on Sunday that he “doesn’t expect the race to be on anything but the oval track in 2026.”

The IndyCar series, which also races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has seen strong interest. For instance, the recent Indianapolis 500 in May 2024 drew a sell-out crowd, demonstrating the venue’s appeal for different racing disciplines (Indianapolis Motor Speedway).