Speedway is a town built around outdoor gathering. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway draws 300,000 people on a single May afternoon. Rockin’ on Main fills the street with live music on Carb Day. The Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area lets you walk Main Street with a beverage from Daredevil Brewing or Foyt Wine Vault. Even the town’s founding in the early 1900s was tied to outdoor activity — a planned community where people would work, live, and gather around the world of automobiles and racing.
That same gathering instinct shapes how Speedway homeowners use their backyards. A well-designed deck in this town isn’t a quiet retreat — it’s where you host the neighborhood the weekend before the 500, grill with friends after a walk through the Main Street DORA district, and watch the sunset from your back porch on a June evening when the grandstands have gone quiet. This guide looks at how Speedway’s outdoor identity can inspire better backyard design.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway — More Than a Racetrack
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 4790 W. 16th Street is the oldest operating racetrack in the United States, the world’s largest single-venue sporting facility, and the defining landmark for everything the Town of Speedway has been since 1909. The IMS Ticket Office and Administration Building sit at that 16th Street address, and the recently renovated IMS Museum (a $61 million project completed in 2025) sits just next door at 4750 W. 16th Street.
But IMS shapes this community far beyond race weekends. The track and its campus host events throughout the year:
- Indianapolis 500 (May) — the largest single-day sporting event in the world, with 300,000+ spectators
- Sonsio Grand Prix (May) — IndyCar road course race kicking off the Month of May
- Brickyard 400 (July) — NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Racing Capital of the World
- BC39 and USAC Sprint Week — dirt-track racing events inside the oval
- Brickyard Crossing Golf Course — Pete Dye-designed course with four holes inside the track
- IMS Fan Fests — free community events extending the racing excitement statewide
- Rev — an annual charity gala on the finish line, with racing-themed entertainment and dining
For information about events and tours, call (317) 492-8500 or visit indianapolismotorspeedway.com.
Main Street — Speedway’s Outdoor Living Room
If IMS defines Speedway’s global identity, Main Street defines its daily one. The six-block stretch from 10th Street to 16th Street has been completely revitalized since the town’s 2005 redevelopment plan, transforming from a quiet stretch of aging storefronts into one of the most walkable entertainment districts in the west-side metro.
The Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), approved by the Town Council in 2024 and effective immediately upon state approval, lets visitors 21 and older purchase beverages from participating establishments and walk the DORA boundaries on Main Street between 10th and 16th. Participating businesses include O’Reilly’s Irish Pub, Dawson’s on Main, Daredevil Brewing, and Foyt Wine Vault.
Other Main Street anchors include Big Woods Speedway, Charlie Brown’s Pancake and Steak House (a local tradition since 1975), the Dallara IndyCar Factory and museum, Speedway Indoor Karting, and a growing mix of local shops and service businesses.
The key takeaway for homeowners: Speedway residents are comfortable eating, drinking, and gathering outdoors. That culture translates directly to how a good backyard deck should feel — open, social, and built for regular use, not occasional display.
What Speedway’s Outdoor Culture Means for Your Deck
The design patterns that make Speedway’s public spaces work also translate to residential decks. A few principles to borrow:
| Community Feature | Backyard Translation |
| Main Street’s outdoor dining | Incorporate a proper dining zone on the deck — a fixed table area with room for 6-8, not just a few folding chairs pushed to the edge |
| DORA’s walk-and-gather flow | Create multiple seating zones so guests can move naturally between grilling, dining, and lounging areas — like moving between establishments on Main Street |
| Race weekend hosting | Build for peak capacity, not just daily use — a deck that handles 15-20 people on Indy 500 weekend and feels comfortable for 4 on a Tuesday |
| Year-round community events | Extend your outdoor season with a fire pit or covered section — Speedway hosts events from St. Patty’s on Main through fall Trick-or-Treat and beyond |
| Walkable, compact design | Speedway lots are typically compact — work with what you have rather than overbuilding, and use vertical interest (pergolas, lighting, railings) to create presence without sprawl |
| Evening lighting on Main Street | String lights, LED step lighting, and post-cap lights keep the atmosphere warm and the deck usable past sunset without harsh overhead glare |
Designing for Speedway’s Housing Stock
Most Speedway homes were built in the early to mid-20th century. Many are modest ranch homes, bungalows, or cape cods on compact lots — a housing stock similar to what National Homes built in neighboring Eagledale during the same era. A few things to keep in mind when designing a deck for this type of home:
- Lot size constrains footprint. Many Speedway lots are under 6,000 square feet. Confirm your rear-yard setback and any utility easements before setting deck dimensions. A thoughtfully designed 200-square-foot deck can feel more useful than an oversized platform that crowds the yard.
- Older construction means extra ledger board attention. Homes from the 1940s through 1960s may have framing conditions that don’t accept a modern ledger attachment without reinforcement or additional blocking. Have your contractor evaluate the rim joist condition and siding type during the design phase.
- Grade changes are common. Some Speedway backyards have enough grade drop to justify a raised deck with usable space underneath — a good opportunity for storage or a shaded seating area below.
- Street parking during events limits material delivery access. If you live near IMS, consider scheduling material deliveries during non-event weekdays. Race-month logistics affect everything in this town, including residential construction.
Material Choices for Speedway Homeowners
Indiana’s freeze-thaw cycles — roughly 40 to 50 per winter — determine which materials hold up and which don’t. The right choice depends on how much ongoing maintenance you’re willing to do and how long you plan to stay in the home.
Composite decking is the dominant choice for new builds across the metro. Trex, TimberTech, and Fiberon boards resist moisture, won’t splinter, and hold color for decades with minimal care. Budget $4 to $8 per linear foot for the boards alone.
Pressure-treated pine remains the most affordable option and works well if you commit to sealing within the first year and re-staining every two to three years. A well-maintained treated lumber deck lasts 15 to 20 years in this climate.
PVC decking sits at the premium tier — fully plastic, longest service life, lowest maintenance, highest upfront cost. A strong choice for homeowners planning to age in place.
For a deeper comparison of how Indiana’s seasons affect each material type, reviewing how central Indiana weather impacts deck and patio surfaces is worth reading before you finalize your materials list.
The Permit Side of Deck Living in Speedway
Speedway is one of four independent towns inside Marion County — it has its own permit authority separate from Indianapolis BNS. Deck permits are issued through the Clerk/Treasurer’s Office at the Speedway Municipal Center, 5300 Crawfordsville Road, (317) 246-4111. The town charges $0.10 per square foot for residential structural permits with a $100 minimum, and inspections are handled by Speedway-appointed inspectors — not by Indianapolis.
For the full step-by-step process, fees, and inspection details, see our Speedway deck permit guide. For comparison with the broader metro, our guide to deck permits in unincorporated Hancock County shows how county-level systems differ from Speedway’s independent-town approach.
Building a Deck That Fits Speedway’s Spirit
The best decks in Speedway don’t try to be something the town isn’t. This is a community that gathers around outdoor events — race weekends, Main Street festivals, Trick-or-Treat walks, St. Patty’s celebrations — and then comes home to grill, sit outside, and enjoy the neighborhood. A great deck here feels like an extension of that rhythm: social but comfortable, functional but welcoming, built to handle a crowd in May and a quiet evening in October.
When you’re planning, think about the moments that define how you actually use your outdoor space. Where will you set up the grill for 500 weekend? Where will you sit with a coffee on a race-free Saturday? Where will the kids hang out while the adults talk? Those answers shape a better deck than any trend list.
Ready to Build Your Speedway Deck?
Patio Contractors Indianapolis designs and builds decks, patios, and full outdoor living spaces for Speedway homeowners — from simple platforms to multi-level builds with pergolas, lighting, and fire features. We know the town’s independent permit process, the housing stock, and what holds up in this climate. Call (463) 466-5870 to talk through your project.