INDIANAPOLIS — It’s happening for the fourth time: Pacers and racers.
An iconic doubleheader for Indy sports fans takes place May 25 after a surprising-to-some advancement to the Eastern Conference Finals by the Indiana Pacers, taking down the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers who looked dominant one series earlier. That’s the nightcap for the 109th Indy 500, which will be broadcast on Fox for the first time.
The cost to attend both isn’t insignificant, even without knowing the Pacers’ opponent for what will be Game 3. Fans likely will arrive at Indianapolis Motor Speedway early, hoping to find parking within as short of a walking distance as possible before the Indy 500 which begins at 12:45 p.m. with the green flag.
Once the checkered flag drops, the bricks have been kissed and milk drank, a fan can find themselves bolting to their car and seeking alternate routes to make the 7-mile drive to a parking garage adjacent to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for an 8 p.m. tip-off against either the New York Knicks or Boston Celtics.
A single ticket with fees for Game 3 between the Pacers and the Knicks or Celtics is $311 in the last row of the arena but near center court per StubHub. Of course, there are worse seats selling for more, and better seats for far higher prices. A singular ticket two rows off the court is going for $6,760.
A general admission ticket for the Indy 500 sells for as low as $77 with fees per StubHub. A seat coming out of Turn 3 is going for $80. Want something better and have deeper pockets? A seat in the paddock penthouse at the starting line is listed for $541.
The price of a historic fourth Pacers and racers event in-person, as it stands, would be $388 just for the tickets. That doesn’t factor in parking, beverages, food and the number of hours getting to IMS early, spent waiting in traffic to get downtown and the time it would take to get to a bed and wind down a long day.
Worth it, though? Probably for the sports fanatics who can say they’ve done something not possible since 2013. And who knows when the next time Pacers and racers will occur?
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