| Where to go to purchase your Brickyard 400 | | | | always be cautious and guard against ticket |
| tickets may seem like a simple question, but the | | | | scams to insure you don't get cheated out of |
| answer is actually somewhat complex. What you | | | | your hard earned dollars. The current leader in |
| get when you purchase your tickets depends | | | | ticket network marketing is StubHub. StubHub is |
| upon where you purchase them. There are | | | | the worlds largest ticket marketplace providing an |
| basically six options for ticket purchases. | | | | online venue for the sale of tens of thousands of |
| 1. Indianapolis Motor Speedway (original issuer of | | | | tickets to various sports, music, theater and |
| tickets) | | | | entertainment events throughout the world. |
| 2. Ticket Brokers (secondary seller of tickets) | | | | StubHub is an E-Bay company offering a highly |
| 3. Online Ticket Network (secondary sellers by | | | | reliable e-commerce environment complete with |
| individuals to individuals) | | | | the company's FanProtect Guarantee. StubHub is |
| 4. Travel Packages | | | | partnered with the New York Yankees, Chicago |
| 5. Friends | | | | Bears and the University of Southern California as |
| 6. Street Side Ticket Hawkers | | | | well as nearly 60 teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA, |
| THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (IMS) is | | | | NHL and NCAA complemented with music artists |
| the original issuer of tickets. All other ticket sellers | | | | like Madonna and companies such as ESPN and |
| are actually reselling the tickets. If you purchase | | | | American Express. |
| your tickets from the IMS ticket office, you can | | | | TRAVEL PACKAGES: Hotels, motels, travel clubs |
| put your name on their ticket buyers list and | | | | and commercial websites offer travel packages |
| renew your tickets each year. This is an | | | | that include tickets to the Brickyard 400 or other |
| awesome perk for the diehard race fan who | | | | sporting events. These packages typically include |
| intends to go to the race year after year. | | | | a hotel or motel room for 3 or four nights, a |
| However, this age old renewal system requires | | | | number of race tickets for you and your guests, |
| you to start at the bottom and work your way | | | | dinner, transportation and more. The travel |
| up. This means that the tickets you purchase in | | | | package may be a great deal, but if the you |
| the first year are not likely to be great seats. | | | | want to be certain you are getting a great view, |
| Next year, when someone fails to renew their | | | | verify the seat location and go to to compare it |
| seats, you may be offered the chance to | | | | to the Seat Photos in order to determine just |
| purchase them. It may take many years to | | | | how good the seats really are. |
| upgrade your tickets to premium seats. If you | | | | BUYING FROM FRIENDS: Each year thousands of |
| choose this option, be prepared to renew your | | | | race fans end up selling their tickets due to |
| tickets within the first couple of weeks following | | | | various personal issues. They offer them to |
| the event so that you don't lose your renewal | | | | friends in hopes of recovering their investment. All |
| and upgrade rights. | | | | too often this option presents itself at the last |
| TICKET BROKERS: There are reputable ticket | | | | minute leaving you little time to secure travel |
| brokers across the country and on the internet | | | | arrangements and lodging. If you need to make |
| who can sell you a ticket to the Brickyard 400. | | | | travel and motel arrangements to attend the |
| Ticket brokers purchase tickets either directly | | | | race, be sure you can secure reservations before |
| from the IMS or from ticket holders and resell | | | | agreeing to purchase the tickets. |
| them to other race fans, usually at a price above | | | | STREET SIDE TICKET HAWKERS: Every big |
| face value. Ticket brokers often have better | | | | sporting venue attracts ticket hawks. They stand |
| tickets to sell than the Indianapolis Motor | | | | on street corners near the sporting venue and |
| Speedway, because the IMS sells the premium | | | | buy and sell tickets on the spot. They have no |
| seats to fans with reservation rights and often | | | | office, no phone and no guarantee to back up |
| times those tickets end up being sold by ticket | | | | what they are selling. By purchasing tickets from |
| brokers or other resellers. Most ticket brokers | | | | a ticket hawker you are throwing caution to the |
| offer some sort of consumer guarantee to | | | | wind. If you decide to attend the event at the |
| protect you if you should end up with a | | | | last minute and decide to purchase your tickets in |
| counterfeit ticket. Be sure to know what type of | | | | this way, be armed with general knowledge about |
| guarantee the broker offers, before you | | | | the seating chart and be prepared to negotiate |
| purchase your tickets. | | | | for a price at or below face value. Remember, in |
| ONLINE TICKET NETWORKS: Ticket networks | | | | a couple of hours, their inventory will be |
| are online markets for the resale of tickets from | | | | worthless. |
| a ticket to another consumer. The difference | | | | ADVICE ON PURCHASING THE BEST SEATS: As |
| between ticket networks and ticket brokers is | | | | a rule of thumb, the best seats at the Indianapolis |
| how they operate. Ticket networks, which are | | | | Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400 are seats |
| generally online websites, bring ticket holders and | | | | up high in the grandstands. That would include all |
| ticket buyers together to form a secondary | | | | seats in the Penthouse. If you want more |
| market for the resale of tickets. Organizations like | | | | information about how to select the best seats at |
| E-Bay, Craig's list and Stub Hub serve as online | | | | the speedway, visit and go to the Seat Photo |
| ticket networks. However, only Stub Hub deals | | | | page to view the various photos of seats from all |
| exclusively in ticket sales. Most networks have | | | | the various grandstands. |
| some degree of buyer protection, but you should | | | | |