INDIANAPOLIS — As the Indianapolis Motor Speedway gears up for the 110th Indianapolis 500, various new features have been added to the venue, with some being noticeable and others not.
This will be the seventh Indy 500 since Roger Penske and Penske Entertainment bought IMS and IndyCar in late 2019, and the sixth with spectators after the fan-less 2020 race. Here’s what to know about the changes to IMS ahead of practice beginning this week.
New pavement in Turn 2
For the first time since IMS was built in 1909, material was pulled out of the facility’s original surface to repave part of Turn 2 on the oval.
For years, there was a bump in Turn 2 that some drivers were uncomfortable with. IMS had been managing the surface in the area since 2020, but after NASCAR drivers noticed issues in the spot during last year’s Brickyard 400, IMS decided it was time for a full repaving.
“It was kind of scary to do it because you want to make it right,” Boles said. “You don’t want it to be a problem, and it wasn’t broken yet, but you needed to get it fixed before it was.”
The approximately 50 feet wide by 100 feet long surface was paved one-eighth of an inch on top of the original surface. The pavement was blended by grinding it to make sure the grip was the same as every other part of the track. IMS completed the repaving in September to ensure there was time for the asphalt to cure.
“We’ve gone down to a brick, but we’ve never really gone down the original service,” Boles said. “So for us to go all the way down and pull that out was pretty spectacular.”
No drivers had issues with the new pavement at the two-day open test in late April, although several of them never noticed the bump anyway. That turn should be smoother than it has been in recent years.
Upgraded Merchandise Trackside Flagship Store
The Merchandise Trackside Flagship Store at IMS, located at the infield midway, has doubled in size for its second year of existence. The 80 feet by 200 feet structure will be open on all gate days in May.
Last year, the tent had only IMS merch, and the IndyCar merch was in a separate location. Now, the IndyCar and IMS merchandise are in one central location, with the goal being to create a shopping experience for fans to maneuver through the tent.
The concept of the tent came from similar structures at other once-a-year sporting events like golf and tennis tournaments. An identical tent will be at this weekend’s PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The tent being used at IMS this month will make its way to Daytona International Speedway in early 2027 for the 24 Hours of Daytona and Daytona 500.
It took two weeks for the new half of the tent to be put together, and now the expanded merch tent will be available throughout the month.
New railings in select grandstands
IMS has inserted new railings in all its grandstand vistas through Turn 2 and most of the grandstands on the facility’s north end. The addition of the railings is an attempt to make it easier to walk up and down the vistas for those needing that assistance. IMS intentionally opted to make the railings smaller so they don’t take up multiple rows and fans can move from one side of the steps to the other.
“In these vistas, as you get closer to the top, you can see it gets even steeper,” IMS and IndyCar president Doug Boles said. “The last third is a little bit steeper, so even as you get up, it becomes more helpful to have railings.”
When Penske bought IMS in 2019, he sifted through thousands of responses of feedback that fans had submitted since 2008. The railings were one of the main changes Penske felt were needed after that process.
IMS will complete the railing project — which began earlier this spring — either at the end of the year following the Indianapolis 8 Hour in October or near the start of 2027. After receiving another round of feedback, leadership will decide if the current railings should be added everywhere or if more changes are needed.
“I’m excited for the feedback, and we’ll see how it operates when they start getting coolers and all up here,” Boles said. “And then if we need to modify it a bit, we’ll modify it and then add the others next year.”
Coca-Cola is back
After being a Pepsi facility since 2019, IMS has reverted to Coca-Cola in a deal that was announced in January. Beverages at the track will now be Coke products, which they were prior to the Pepsi deal.
IMS is now in the third year of its grab-and-go concession system, which allows fans to pick up food and drinks and check out swiftly.
“They’ve really helped us invest even more into grab and go,” Boles said of Coca-Cola.
IMS maintained a relationship with Coca-Cola even during the Pepsi partnership, and Coca-Cola wanted to come back to the speedway after the Pepsi contract ended. Boles claims that “Indiana tends to be a Coke state,” and the soft drink brand is now back for the state’s biggest event of the year.
New sound system
IMS installed 116 new speakers on the oval’s front straightaway from the bleachers in the H stand after Turn 4 to the E stand heading into Turn 1, including tower terrace. The speakers, officially named the IMS214, were custom-made in Italy by RCF, and IMS is the only facility in the world that has them. They were installed by Force Tech.
“So what they’re really trying to do is get to where you can play music and make it entertaining,” Boles said. “But also, you have to think about making sure it can be heard when cars are around, so we’re just trying to set a balance.”
Along with the speakers, IMS installed 76 19-inch subwoofers and 45 new amplifiers totaling 720,00 watts of power. The speakers, like the railings, will be added continually around the track. But for this year, fans in the front straightaway seats will get to experience the enhanced sound.
Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: See what’s new at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for 2026 Indy 500
Reporting by Zion Brown, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
