Fans leave behind plenty of trash to pick up at IMS

Written By: Matt Adams — CBS 4 Indy

INDIANAPOLIS — “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” leaves its mark on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in more ways than one.

Now that the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is in the books — with Josef Newgarden edging out Marcus Ericsson at the end — the massive cleanup effort is underway.

More than 300,000 fans packed the track for Sunday’s big race. They definitely left a few things behind.

Photos from IMS showed all manner of trash strewn about, from empty beer cans and plastic water bottles to abandoned coolers, cardboard boxes, food, plastic bags and more. A couple other curiosities our crews found: a couch and a seasoning packet for ramen noodles.

Every year, the track brings in local nonprofit organizations to help clean things up around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Volunteers can keep anything they find and cash in on the aluminum cans they gather. Each group is also paid based on how many sections it helps to clear of trash, with the money coming in the form of a donation from IMS.