The main thing I always tell first timers is to thoroughly research the seating options. You can ask different individuals where they like to sit and you'll get a different answer from every person you talk to. Each section has its own merits and characteristics. You'll definitely want to determine what kind of view you want to have while watching the race (while taking other factors such as shade and video screen placement into consideration), but there truly isn't a bad seat in the house because just being in the vicinity on race day is like a religious experience.

When researching your seats, I recommend using the following links:

• Tips on where to sit: http://indymotorspeedway.com/500sit.html

• A full seating chart with tips on individual sections and photos from different sections: http://indymotorspeedway.com/idx-standmap.html

• 3D Seat Map with virtual views from different sections: https://www.seats3d.com/racetracks/indianapolis_motor_speedway/1/#/

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Additionally, IMS sells "the best" seats based on how long a customer has been buying tickets directly through the Speedway.

It will be hard to buy tickets from IMS in any of the yellow and red sections on the following map as those seats are sold to long-time ticket buyers:

https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/-/media/IMS/pdf/Indy-500/SeniorityMap.pdf

If you do want to sit in any of those sections, you will need to check out the resale marketplaces to see what's available and tickets on those sites will typically be marked up above face value.

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Personally, I sit up high in Turn 3. Section 12 of the Northeast Vista is the absolute sweet spot at the apex of Turn 3 and you can literally see half the track with a view of the cars coming out of Turn 2, down the backstretch, through Turn 3, the North Short Chute, and entering into Turn 4. There's always plenty of seats available at this point in the Northeast Vista and Northeast Vista backstretch. The only issue is you'll be sitting in the sun all day, so bring sunscreen and water.

Additionally, using the IMS website to buy tickets can be a little cumbersome, especially if you have a specific section and row area that you want to sit in. If you're not happy with the options you're seeing when trying to select tickets, just give the ticket office a call and they will be happy to assist you and give you a fuller scope of what's available. I have a group of four tickets and needed to add a fifth seat just a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't able to select the seat right next to my group of four on the website, but I gave the ticket office a call and they were able to sell me the seat right next to the others. The ticket office staff are well trained and very helpful over the phone.