INDIANAPOLIS — Doug Boles was all smiles after Sunday’s 106th Indianapolis 500.
Known as the “Man in the Blue Suit” because of his vast collection of blue suits, the president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway welcomed a near sellout crowd to the world’s biggest race for the first time since 2019.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Indianapolis 500 was held without spectators and delayed until Aug. 23. In 2021, the crowd was limited to 137,000 spectators.
But on Sunday, it was within just a few thousand tickets of being a complete sellout. The 238,000 grandstand seats were sold with the exception of a few thousand in the north chute. The infield was packed, especially in the Snake Pit.
The sun was out, the temperatures were in the mid-80s and it was just like the Indianapolis 500 of olden days, reclaiming its place as the world’s largest single-day sporting event.
Add to that a thrilling race, storylines that dramatically changed and a new winner in Marcus Ericsson and Boles had plenty to be happy about.
“The biggest thing for me is I’m just so happy to have fans back,” Boles told SPEED SPORT. “To watch fans come in and see the pace laps when I was out there and see how many people were on the mounds with the smiling faces and getting everybody to do again what we get to do every year.
“That was fantastic.”
The 106th Indianapolis 500 also included a rarity. The race stopped for a red flag with five laps to go in an attempt to allow a green-flag race to the finish.
“I thought the race was fantastic,” Boles said. “I applaud Jay Frye (IndyCar President) and the IndyCar team for the red flag at the end so that we could have that shootout at the end. I know Marcus Ericsson is happy he still ended up winning because he wasn’t happy with the red flag, but it was the right call for the fans and made for an entertaining finish.
“A lot of folks wondered at the end if he could hold the lead on the restart. For him to stay out front, is pretty impressive.”
Scott Dixon had the best car in the race and led a race-high 95 laps before he was penalized for a pit-lane speeding violation with 23 laps remaining.
“When we saw that happen, Scott was so dominant, it felt like it was his race,” Boles said. “It was a speeding issue and if you are speeding, you are speeding.
“A rule is a rule. I’m sure Scott is really disappointed, especially after having the race that he was having.”
Sunday’s 106th Indianapolis 500 was a three-year quest for Boles and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske, who purchased the facility in November 2019. Penske finally got the Indy 500 he wanted as the track owner.
“I talked to Roger a couple of times and saw him halfway through the race and checked in with him,” Boles said. “He seemed like he was in a pretty good spot and pretty happy.
“I’m sure we will get together after the race and compare our notes.”
The day started off with a bang as the cannon to open the gates was fired at 6 a.m. sharp. That was followed by a fireworks spectacle that was more like the grand finale.
“Last year, we had the cannon go off and then a handful of fireworks in the morning,” Boles said. “This year, we had more than a handful. It was a cool way to open the gates and celebrate fans coming back to the speedway for the first time in several years.”