Project 100 Ready For Historic Race

The new Gate 1 plaza will be open all year for fans to gather.

A sell-out crowd for Sunday’s 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will get to see the fruits of a three-year, $100 million improvement effort at the iconic facility. Project 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway includes 17,000 upgraded seats in the upper deck of the Main Grandstand, creation of the high-profile Hulman Terrace Club and an enhanced main entryway and Gate 1 Plaza. President Doug Boles says the amenities complement the history and tradition that generations of fans "fell in love with." During an interview that will air this weekend during a special Indy 500 edition of Inside INdiana Business, Boles says officials will continue to look at other opportunities to move fans through the 105-year-old venue.

However, he says "our heart, our DNA, where we are, is a racing facility, that will never change." Boles adds racing will continue to be the core business of IMS, but he will explore potential events like a major concert that could return annually on Independence Day weekend.

He says the "monumental task" of replacing all the seating, building a new roof and adding elevators didn’t even get started until September. "It does feel a little bit more like what you expect when you come to a basketball event or football event, you get that feel now here at the speedway."

Boles and Hulman and Co. President Mark Miles announced this week what officials say is the first sell-out in the history of the race.