103rd Indianapolis 500

What's up guys! It's Mark Darden with a new blog post. Exactly two months ago, I attended the 103rd running of the Indy 500. It was my first time attending the event and I must say that the are IndyCars FREAKIN’ LOUD! This post is going to be straight forward as it was a day trip to see the race.

“How Much Did It Cost?”

TRANSPORTATION - $121.31

  • Greyhound, Round Trip to Indianapolis: $66.00

  • Uber: $24.59, $16.65 ($41.24)

  • Lyft: $14.07

LODGING - $0

ENTRAINMENT - $117.35

  • 103rd Indianapolis 500 via Stubhub: $117.35

FOOD: $70.09

  • Greyhound vending machine: $3.00

  • Food at the Indy 500: $21.00, $9.00, $12.00 ($42.00)

  • South Bend Chocolate Cafe: $7.09

  • Champps: $18.00

GRAND TOTAL FOR TRIP: $308.75

Let's put the numbers into context. For transportation, I took Greyhound round trip for the day trip to Indianapolis. I left Columbus around 7:55 AM and arrived in Indy at 11:30 AM. I left Indy at 12:50 AM Monday morning and arrived back in Columbus at 3:50 AM. Immediately after arriving in Indianapolis, I took an Uber to an Holiday Inn to pick up the ticket at a StubHub Ticket Center and finally to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I entered racetrack at the Southeast entrance and walked/jog to the paddock box to get to my seat.

For food, I got the standard hot dog and beer during the race. I had a slight issue at the concession stand as I was asked to show two forms of ID. I do have a baby face and look younger than my age, however, this was the first time I was ask to show 2 ID's. After the race I got a fried pork sandwich and then I went to South Bend Chocolate Cafe to get some ice cream. I finish the night at Champps to get some boneless wings and beer before heading home.

The ticket for the Indy 500 was Paddock Box 61-65 on the main straightaway. I had a great view of pit lane and the Pagoda Media Tower. As mentioned earlier, I had to stop at an Holiday Inn to pick up the ticket as itnwas not available as a download on the StubHub app. I've accustomed to having digital tickets but it is cool to have the physical ticket in your possession.

Thanks for reading this week's post. For the next two weeks, I will be posting some throwback trips from 2015 and 2016 as I will be out of town on vacation. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Twitter to keep up with all of the shenanigans that I may encounter on the road. Take it easy and live for experience.