Indianapolis 500 set to be world's largest sporting event since pandemic began

The Indianapolis 500 is set to be the largest sporting event in the world since the start of the pandemic, with 135,000 spectators permitted to attend "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" next month.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway said Wednesday it worked with the Marion County Public Health Department to determine that 40% of venue capacity can attend the May 30 race on Memorial Day weekend. The speedway is the largest sporting facility in the world, with more than 250,000 grandstand seats and the ability to host close to 400,000 on race day throughout the entire property. The attendance figure was determined after Indianapolis hosted the NCAA men's basketball tournament through March and into April with limited attendance. The NCAA allowed 8,000 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium for the April 5 men's championship game.