The Daytona 500 is sold out

Other NASCAR tracks might have trouble filling the stands, but not Daytona International Speedway.

While NASCAR attendance has been trending the wrong way for several years, there are exceptions to that rule — and the Daytona 500 is definitely one of them.

Daytona International Speedway announced today that the 2017 Daytona 500 is officially sold out, meaning all 101,500 of the track’s permanent seats have been purchased. The track says fans can still attend the race on Sunday via premium hospitality or infield admissions.

It’s the second straight year the season-opening event in NASCAR’s top series has sold out. That’s no small deal when most tracks have had plenty of empty seats for races as this decade has progressed.

Still, even Daytona International Speedway hasn’t been immune to wavering fan interest over the last few years, as the track reached its current configuration by downsizing several times. It once sat 168,000 fans, then dropped to 146,000 before reaching its current size by removing all the seats in the “Superstretch” in its most recent renovation.

The upside is that the track now includes a level of amenities NASCAR fans wouldn’t have dreamed of 10 years ago. And more than 100,000 people to watch the race on Sunday will top or rival the largest crowd in almost any other sport in the U.S.

There’s also no denying that the Daytona 500 remains an event to which people will travel great distances. The press release announcing the sellout touted the fact that ticket buyers include people from 41 countries and all 50 states across the country.

Next: See how the field will line up for the 2017 Daytona 500

So while you’re watching the Daytona 500 on TV on Sunday, you shouldn’t spot many empty seats. And if you’re lucky enough to be there in person, you’ll have plenty of company.