Nearly a 12 months and a half after shopping for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Roger Penske believes he is near with the ability to lastly fulfill his dream of internet hosting a full home on the observe.

Penske final week stated he goals to get the inexperienced flag to have the a hundred and fifth working of the Indianapolis 500 on Might 30 with no limits on fan attendance. Greater than 170,000 tickets have been offered up to now.

“Our purpose is to have 250,000,” the Indianapolis Star quoted him as saying on a Zoom call with the media, referring to the observe’s grandstand capability. “It is outdoors. We have the most important stadium on the earth right here, and it is a matter of the place we will be with the CDC and the governor and the mayor, so I haven’t got any quantity that I might wish to grasp my hat on.”

Penske’s first Indy 500 because the observe’s proprietor ran final summer season with empty stands. Indiana is internet hosting all the NCAA males’s basketball event now with arenas restricted to 25 p.c capability — one purpose he has excessive hopes for what will likely be attainable by race day.

Within the meantime, the speedway is internet hosting mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics. Greater than 16,000 folks acquired photographs over 4 days this month, and a 16-day clinic is ready to begin Thursday, April 1.