IMS president: fans will be back this year

Following the withdrawal of the seven Michelin teams from last year's race, the French tyre company refunded ticket holders and purchased 20,000 additional tickets for this year's event, to be given away for free.

Additional activities have been scheduled for this weekend, offering the fans closer contact with the drivers and the cars, and Chitwood says the efforts placed by all parties should prove compensatory to the fans for last year's disappointment.

"What happened (last year) really was a first," Chitwood said on Thursday. "I'm not sure you can plan for something to that degree. There are a lot of things you can prepare for - things like emergency responses. But you don't expect only six of 20 cars to compete.

"But we're not afraid of what the fans' reaction might be this year. I've been very pleased with the fans and the way they have responded, and hopefully we're going to get some good weather too.

"We want to make sure they enjoy the event. Because last year didn't live up to expectations, we didn't want that to be the last experience they had with F1."

Chitwood estimated there will be a crowd of at least 120,000 spectators on race-day - on a par with last year's numbers - and he added: "We'll obviously be able to gauge their reaction by seeing whether they buy tickets or not.

"But they seem to have accepted what happened last year. That's a good thing for F1 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway."

"Hopefully we will do the best job and put together lots of activities so the fans can see it is a spectacular event.

"I think that everyone wants to make it a great event for the fans. Michelin and Bridgestone have both stepped up to the plate and are helping to promote activities and are doing so much.

"I think the fans will respond well to that."