Indy 500 2027 Shirts: Race Date and Trademark Rules

The 111th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 30, 2027, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with race month events running May 18 to 30, according to IndyCar's 2027 schedule. It falls on Memorial Day weekend, so the orders come from three directions: groups traveling to the track, watch parties and cookouts, and Indiana businesses that dress their staff for the month. It is also one of the most carefully protected names in motorsports. This guide covers the 2027 dates, the orders that come with them, and the registered names a shop should leave off a shirt.

Indianapolis 500 2027 at a glance

The 2026 race was held May 24, 2026, and IndyCar describes its finish as the closest in race history. The full practice, qualifying, and Carb Day schedule for 2027 had not been posted on IndyCar's event page as of Nov. 11.

Who orders shirts for race month

• Groups going to the race. Infield crews, Snake Pit groups, and families with long-held seats order matching shirts, often with a nickname, the year, and a checkered-flag graphic.
• Watch parties and Memorial Day cookouts. These overlap with Memorial Day orders, so a shop can sell one design for both.
• Indiana businesses. Restaurants, bars, and car dealers dress staff in race-themed shirts for May.
• Car clubs and karting teams that use the race as a theme for their own events.

The trademarks a shop should know

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its affiliate Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. hold a large group of federal registrations. The ones that matter for shirts, from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's trademark search checked Nov. 11, 2026:

Three points for a shop:

1. "Indy 500" on a shirt is a registered mark for shirts. Selling shirts that say Indy 500 or Indianapolis 500, or that use the Speedway's wing-and-wheel logo needs a license. The Borg-Warner Trophy is a separate brand: BorgWarner Inc. has its own registrations for the trophy name that cover shirts.
2. The slogan is protected too. "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" is registered for apparel, so it cannot stand in for the race name.
3. Generic racing imagery is not. Checkered flags, an open-wheel car silhouette you draw yourself, "Race Day," "Gentlemen, start your engines" style phrasing written in your own words, and the month of May are all fair game. Avoid copying the actual pre-race command or the track's logo shapes.

Driver names, numbers, and team liveries belong to the drivers and teams, and the same caution applies. This is general information, not legal advice.

Designs that work without a license

• "Race Day 2027" with an original checkered-flag swoosh
• "[Group Name] Infield Crew" or "Turn 3 Crew" with a generic car silhouette
• "May Is for Racing" or "500 Miles of Fun" style phrasing that does not say Indy or Indianapolis 500
• Memorial Day weekend cookout shirts with a flag and a grill, sold as one design for both events
• Pit crew style shirts with the customer's own nicknames on the back

The Daytona 500 2027 guide covers the same questions for NASCAR's biggest race, and the Kentucky Derby 2027 guide covers the race that runs four weeks before Indy, on the first Saturday in May.

Production notes

Race groups order in April and early May, and Memorial Day crossover orders come in the same weeks. Black-and-white checkered designs print cleanly as DTF on any shirt color, and full-color car art benefits from DTF's detail where screen printing would need many screens for a small run. Heat and sun matter at a 500-mile race in late May, so lightweight and moisture-wicking blanks are worth offering. The polyester DTF pressing guide covers performance fabrics, and the placement guide lists back print sizes for crew names.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Indy 500 in 2027?

The 111th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 30, 2027, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, according to IndyCar's 2027 schedule. Race month events run May 18 to 30, and the start time had not been published as of Nov. 11, 2026.

Can I sell Indy 500 shirts?

Not without a license. INDY 500 is a registered trademark for shirts and hats, Reg. No. 3,245,988, owned by Brickyard Trademarks, Inc., and related Speedway marks cover the Indianapolis 500 name and the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" slogan. Original racing designs that do not use those names or logos are the safe option.

Is "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" trademarked?

Yes. The slogan has been registered since 1986 for racing event services, Reg. No. 1,399,860, and a second registration, No. 1,661,675, covers wearing apparel including shirts, hats, and jackets. Both list Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp. and Brickyard Trademarks, Inc.

Is the Indy 500 on Memorial Day in 2027?

The race is on Sunday, May 30, 2027, the day before Memorial Day, which falls on Monday, May 31. That timing lets a shop sell one racing and cookout design that works for both the race and the holiday weekend.

Where this fits in the DTF Database

The Indy 500 closes a spring run of trademarked sporting events that includes March Madness 2027 and the Kentucky Derby. For the legal background on why "inspired by" logos still infringe, see the licensed character and trademark guide, and for pricing team orders, the DTF pricing strategy guide.