This probably isn't a good time to be overbuilding hotel capacity, huh?
Call it the frugal fan 500.
Ticket sales for Sunday's Indianapolis 500 are holding steady, but race fans and sponsors appear to be cutting corners this year, opting for cheaper choices that could put a pinch not only on local hotels but on the economic impact of the city's most significant tourism event.
What's happening at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel is just one example. The hotel is usually sold out by now, said Mitch Divens, assistant director of sales at the Sheraton. Instead, the hotel's occupancy was at 85 percent Tuesday afternoon.
Of course, that's just the lame and boring Indianapolis 500, not the kind of exciting event we can put on here in Fort Wayne that no one would ever cut back on no matter how bad the economy.
