IndyCar to start to allow fans to races
After the season-opening Texas Genesys 300 round was staged behind closed doors, IndyCar has announced that it will start to allow fans to attend races, albeit adhering to the guidance of public health officials.
IndyCar has become the first major racing series to start racing after the coronavirus-induced shutdown when America’s most successful open-wheel competition held its first race weekend in 2020 June 6 in Texas. However, the season opener was held as a ghost race with empty grandstands while competitors had to adhere to strict protocols.
The next race meeting on the heavily-revised calendar was the round on the road course of the Indianaplois Motor Speedway which was held without fans. However, the double-header at the Road America circuit, scheduled for July 11-12, will the first Indycar event to welcome fans.
The race weekend that will feature two full points races for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on back-to-back days will see the introduction of strict procedures for fans and guests.
All guests will be screened in their vehicles with contactless temperature checks before entering the parking areas, and only essential racing personnel will have access to the INDYCAR paddock. Fans will be asked to practice safe social distancing and wear a cloth face-covering where social distancing is difficult to maintain. Enhanced cleaning and sanitizing procedures will also be implemented throughout the facility during the weekend.
The 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be the eighth round of the congested schedule for 2020. IMS president J. Douglas Boles said that IndyCar will welcome fans for the Indy 500, albeit with only at 50% of the Motor Speedway's 230,000 capacity.
„The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' was postponed from its original date of Sunday 24 May due to the COVID-19 health crisis. We're committed to running the Indy 500 on Sunday 23 August and will welcome fans to the world's greatest racing venue.
"We will be limiting attendance to approximately 50% of venue capacity, and we are also finalising a number of additional carefully considered health and safety measures. We'll unveil the specific details of our comprehensive plan in the coming weeks,” he concluded.
