▁and ▁fans , ▁and ▁they ▁also ▁served ▁important ▁intr insic ▁purposes ▁for ▁the ▁teams . ▁For ▁many ▁years , ▁the ▁entry ▁fee ▁for ▁the ▁Indian apolis ▁ 5 0 0 ▁provided ▁a ▁gar age ▁st all ▁to ▁the ▁compet itors ▁not ▁just ▁for ▁the ▁month ▁of ▁May , ▁but ▁for ▁the ▁entire ▁off season ▁as ▁well . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁valuable ▁asset ▁to ▁some ▁teams , ▁especially ▁small - bud get ▁teams ▁without ▁a ▁race ▁shop , ▁and ▁it ▁would ▁serve ▁as ▁their ▁year - round ▁headquarters . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁un common ▁for ▁teams ▁to ▁even ▁house ▁other ▁types ▁of ▁race ▁cars ▁there ▁( s print s , ▁m idget s , ▁stock ▁cars ) ▁as ▁they ▁competed ▁in ▁the ▁Indiana ▁short ▁track ▁circ uits ▁during ▁the ▁summer . ▁Even ▁larger , ▁more ▁established ▁teams ▁still ▁might ▁use ▁the ▁gar age ▁st all ▁for ▁storage ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁st aging ▁location ▁for ▁cross - country ▁tri ps ▁to ▁other ▁races . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁race , ▁the ▁original ▁Gas oline ▁Al ley ▁gar age ▁area ▁was ▁torn ▁down ▁and ▁replaced ▁with ▁a ▁state - of - the - art , ▁mult im ill ion ▁doll ar ▁gar age ▁complex . ▁The ▁nick name ▁" G as oline ▁Al ley " ▁remained ▁when ▁the ▁new ▁complex ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁an ▁additional ▁row ▁of ▁gar ages ▁was ▁constructed ▁alongside ▁the ▁pit ▁l ane ▁on ▁the ▁main ▁stretch