INDIANAPOLIS -- Officials with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will lift the local blackout for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
The race will be shown live locally on RTV6 on Sunday, May 29.
"There is no event in the world like the Indianapolis 500 mile race," Mark Miles, Hulman & Company CEO said. "This sellout is a testament to the enduring legacy to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
The blackout has been in place in central Indiana for 66 years, despite many cries for fans to lift it.
.@jdouglas4 The 100th running gives us a chance to re-engage fans who may have stepped away, and draw in new fans @rtv6 #Indy500
— bradygibson (@bradygibson) May 25, 2016
IMS President Doug Boles said he and an entire team of decision-makers first sat down late Monday night to begin weighing the challenges of whether or not to cut off ticket sales.
The team met again multiple times until Tuesday night, when the decision was made to stop selling tickets to the race and air the event live locally on RTV6.
When asked what kind of crowd would be at Sunday's race, Miles would only give hints.
He said it will be "a whole lot more than were here last year."
ABC's network coverage will begin at 11 a.m.
The green flag for the race is expected at 12:19 p.m.
A rebroadcast will also be shown at 7 p.m. and again on Monday at 10 a.m.
Indy 500 ticket sales were officially suspended online and at the track at 8:30 Wednesday morning, when the announcement was made.
Boles mentioned that there are several Snake Pit ticket holders they know who have not yet purchased GA tickets to actually get in to the speedway. He says those people, as well as the Free 12 years old and under tickets, will all be honored and accommodated in some way. He did not provide further details.
The first Indianapolis 500 shown live to central Indiana was in 1949.
In next year, 1950, live cut-ins were broadcast, but the full race wasn't shown to central Indiana. The blackout has been in place ever since. This will also be first Indianapolis 500 to be broadcast in color live to the Indianapolis area.
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Tune in to RTV6 News at 6 p.m. every night for our Road to 100, where we take a look back at each of the races leading up to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
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