“I don’t think anything like this allegation has happened before”: IMS President on fake Indy 500 ticket scandal reportedly worth over $150000

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles has broken his silence after an Indianapolis man was arrested for selling counterfeit Indy 500 tickets and parking passes in 2022 and 2023. The accused 54-year-old Fred Dewey Bear Jr. reportedly had an accomplice within IMS, a security guard, who made the photocopied passes look authentic.

The entire fraud allegedly cost the IMS over $150,000 as it had to refund the scammed customers. Boles said (via WRTV):

"I don’t think anything like this allegation has happened before. You need to get it (tickets/passes) through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway directly or through our secondary platform. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway guarantees that if you buy those secondary tickets on that platform, you know that they are legitimate."

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department began investigating this matter in 2023 after a printing shop tipped it off about Bear's actions. Last year, many customers bought the fake Indy 500 passes for three to four times their original value. Boles warned potential buyers about this scam and also revealed that the counterfeiting began in 2022 with 250 fake passes sold:

"In the last week, we've started getting customers literally bringing in photocopied parking passes that they're buying for three and four times face value on ticket platforms."

Upon coming to know of this, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita used his authority to warn Indiana natives. He said (via thestatehousefile.com):

"As Indiana prepares for thousands of race fans, I encourage Hoosiers to exercise caution before purchasing their tickets, paying for parking, or making any online reservations. If you believe you’ve been scammed, please contact my office to file a complaint."

The police charged Bear with two counts of theft, a Level 5 felony, and one count of counterfeiting, a Level 6 felony. According to court documents, he made $60,695 by selling the passes to unsuspecting buyers via All Seats. Seat Geek, StubHub, and Vivid Seats were also found to be selling counterfeit passes.

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The positives to look forward to for the 109th Indy 500 in 2025

Josef Newgarden with his wife and child at the 108th Running of the Indy 500 - Source: Getty

IndyCar's new broadcasting deal with FOX Sports for 2025 and beyond promises to turn a new page for the series. As a first step, the media giant has preponed the coverage of IndyCar's cornerstone event, the Indy 500, to 10 a.m. to facilitate two hours of holistic pre-race coverage.

Additionally, NFL Hall of Famer and Fox Analyst Michael Strahan will drive the honorary pace car, a 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 coupe to kick off the event. Doug Boles happily spoke about it in a news release, saying:

"Michael is an impressive addition to the lineup of all-star athletes and celebrities to serve as honorary Pace Car driver for the Indianapolis 500. From the gridiron to the broadcast studio, Michael is no stranger to leading a fast-paced field. As we kick off a new era of IndyCar and the Indy 500 on FOX, Michael will have one of the best seats in the house for the start of the world’s greatest race."

The 2025 Indy 500 will also await history to be rewritten. Josef Newgarden, the two-time defending winner of the "Greatest Spectacle of Racing", will attempt an unprecedented three-peat with Team Penske.