INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Indianapolis 500 this year will have its smallest seating capacity since 2000, but don't expect to find fewer fans on race day.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has removed thousands of grandstand seats overlooking Turn 3 and several rows of seats on the front straightaway. The changes follow the demolition of a bleacher section inside Turn 1 five years ago to extend the track's road course.

The Indianapolis Star reports (http://indy.st/104giFR ) the changes have cut the number of seats by 11,600, to 235,000.

Speedway officials say the changes will improve fans' experience. Spokesman Doug Boles notes that the seats along the front straightaway had limited visibility.

An estimated 250,000 people are still expected to attend the May 26 race.

STATESVILLE, NC - David Ragan will line up for a shot at winning $1 million Saturday night in NASCAR's Sprint All-Star Race, and he's bringing partner CSX with him.  The transportation company returns to the No. 34 Ford for its second primary sponsorship in one of the biggest showcases of the Sprint Cup Series season.

Ragan earned his spot in the All-Star starting line-up with his dramatic win at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on May 5 - the first victory in Front Row Motorsports history.  The All-Star race will feature all of the race winners from 2012 and 2013 to date.

Saturday night's non-points event will be the second time this season that CSX will use the entire Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford to promote safety around railroad tracks and crossings.  The car will feature a special "Play it Safe" paint scheme, including a bumper sticker on the back that says "I brake for trains," the "Play it Safe" logo and a hood that says "Beats Goliath, Brakes for trains," as a nod to Ragan's status as the last driver to qualify for the prestigious All-Star Race.

"We're very proud of David and his amazing victory at Talladega, and wanted to use the opportunity to further show our support of this great team and bring attention to a very important message that can save lives," said Terry Ludban, CSX Director-Community Affairs and Safety. "Motorists should look both ways at crossings, and always expect a train, and pedestrians should stay well clear of railroad tracks."

The All-Star start will be Ragan's third appearance in the annual event, but the first earned with a Front Row win.  Saturday's race will comprise four 20-lap segments and a mandatory four-tire pit stop before a final, 10-lap dash to the finish.  The winner earns a $1 million prize - plus an extra $1 million bonus if he leads all five segments.

Comments from CSX team driver David Ragan heading to the All-Star race:

"We're thrilled that CSX is back on our No. 34 Ford for this event.  We had a great week with them a couple weeks ago, going to visit the trainyard and CSX employees in Jacksonville and then promoting the 'Play It Safe' message throughout the race weekend in Richmond.  After we won at Talladega and earned our spot in the All-Star race, they called and said they wanted to be a part of it.  So we couldn't be happier that they're going racing with us again.  There will be a lot of eyes watching Saturday night's race and it's a great way for CSX to get out their message of playing it safe around railroad tracks.

"It's huge to be in the Sprint All-Star Race, and it especially means a lot to a team like Front Row Motorsports.  It's NASCAR's showcase of the best teams in the sport, and to be included in that is a big deal.  Bob Jenkins has been building this team over the last several years and making it better and more competitive every year. Qualifying for the All-Star Race as a result of a Front Row win just shows that he's doing things right and all the hard work is paying off.

"You don't realize how important the actual All-Star Race is until you're in it.  I didn't make the All-Star Race until my third or fourth year in the Sprint Cup Series, and then I realized what a big deal it was to be in that line-up.  Even before the green flag waves, you're proud just to be on the starting grid, representing your team and getting a shot at racing for a million dollars.

"The All-Star Race is something we really look forward to.  It's a little less of a pressure-packed weekend because you don't have points on the line and it's a little shorter race.  You get to sleep in your own bed for a few nights.  So, the All-Star event for the Sprint Cup Series is probably one of the best all-star formats in all the major-league sports.

"Charlotte Motor Speedway was one of the early tests that we had with this Generation-6 car back in December.  It's something that we'll definitely learn from during our first weekend there coming up and we'll see how things changed.  Really, December seems like an eternity ago with these Gen-6 cars.  So we'll definitely learn a lot that will help us for the 600-mile race the following week."

CONCORD, NC - Max Gresham will not have to go far to find the blueprint for success at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. All he has to do is ask his boss, team owner Eddie Sharp Jr.

A year ago Justin Lofton drove Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) to a victory in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Gresham hopes to use the same winning setup in his No. 8 AmWINS Group Chevrolet during this Friday night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race.

Eddie Sharp Racing clearly has an edge when it comes to 1.5-mile speedways. The team also won at the Homestead-Miami Speedway last November with driver Cale Gale.

The Milner, Georgia, native's first Charlotte Motor Speedway start ended with a 24th-place finish a year ago. In addition to his one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Charlotte, he has had countless laps under the lights on the quarter-mile oval in the U.S. Legends Cars International (USLCI) series.

"It's always nice to unload with a setup that's already proven to be a success," Gresham said. "ESR has a proven track record, especially on the intermediate tracks like Charlotte. Hopefully, between [crew chief] Showy (Chris Showalter) and I, we can tweak it just a little bit to make it even better."

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has been off for nearly a month. The last time Gresham raced was April 20 at the Kansas Speedway. Gresham's team used the time to go through all of their trucks.

"All of us would rather be racing every week, but every once in a while it's good to take a step back and go through everything," Showalter said. "You find plenty of little improvements, and you get some ideas of things you can change to make the truck race a little better. We may have been off the track for a month, but we've made good use of our time."

Gresham, 20, will focus on his qualifying setup during one of two practice sessions on Thursday. The team has qualified 18th or better in every race, including a career-best ninth-place start a month ago at Kansas - another 1.5-mile speedway.

"The best way to pass somebody is to do it in qualifying," Gresham said. "Every spot you gain in qualifying is one less truck you have to try to pass during the race. We've worked hard to find speed in our AmWINS Chevrolet Silverado. That search has paid off, and will allow us to concentrate on finding a balance for the race.

"We have a great starting point. We won't veer too far off that winning setup. After all, we already know it works."