John Herod rode his bicycle a short distance to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Administration Building, arriving at 6 a.m.

"I couldn't sleep and I didn't really want to park the car with people coming and going so I rode my bike," the resident of Speedway, Ind., said. "I didn't want to wait too long in line."

He soon was joined by a multitude as tickets for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race went on sale at 9 a.m.

"This '500' will be my 50th and I'm excited about the race on the road course," Herod added. "This is Disney World here."

Click it: Interactive road course tour

A few minutes after purchasing his tickets, Herod was whisked away by IZOD IndyCar Series team owner Sarah Fisher in a two-seat Indy car for a brief thrill ride on city streets. She helped out when the ticket windows opened.

“I hope it adds some excitement and energy to the first couple of weekends that we’re at Indianapolis. People will see the race on Saturday and then we’ll open up to oval practice on Sunday. I’m all about the Indy 500, I always have been, and to come here and race for the first time on the road course with an IndyCar team is going to be very special,” the former IndyCar driver said.

The IndyCar Series road race is May 10 and the 98th edition of the world's most prestigious auto race is May 25.

Fans have three quick, convenient methods to buy tickets:

• Online: Visit www.ims.com/tickets. Tickets are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

• Phone: Call (800) 822-INDY or (317) 492-6700 between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday.

• In person: Visit the IMS Ticket Office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday.

Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are available. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for information. Information on parking and camping at IMS events is available at www.ims.com/tickets. Month of May activities will begin with IndyCar Series practice for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis May 8 on the 14-turn, 2.434-mile road course. Practice and qualifying are scheduled for May 9, with the race May 10.

All series in the Mazda Road to Indy will compete during the event, placing a singular spotlight on all levels of North American open-wheel racing throughout May at the Racing Capital of the World.

The race will feature a standing start and will run clockwise, the opposite of the Indianapolis 500, creating even more diverse competition during the month.

A $5 million reconfiguration project is underway on the existing IMS road course that will transform the layout with more speed and more hard braking zones to create more passing and competitive racing. Additional spectator mounds and grandstands also will enhance the fan experience by providing more exciting vantage points to see the action in the infield section of the course.

Practice for the 98th Indianapolis 500 will open May 11 on the 2.5-mile oval.

Sarah Fisher