(Photo: Karl Zemlin/INDYCAR)
By Aaron Bearden
The 104th Running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” may be the strangest in the race’s historic tenure, running without spectators in attendance for the first time in history.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway confirmed that the Aug. 23 Indianapolis 500 will be held without fans on Tuesday, reversing course on initial plans to host the event with upwards of 25% of the capacity crowd in attendance. Practice and qualifying days leading up to the event will also be held without spectators.
The traditional May race was pushed back to August amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and lowered from 50% planned capacity to none as cases continue to rise across swaths of the nation that include Indiana and the track’s home of Marion County. The paired NASCAR-IndyCar race weekend on Independence Day weekend was also held without spectators.
“It is with great regret that we announce the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place on Aug. 23 without fans,” a statement from track officials read. “This tough decision was made following careful consideration and extensive consultation with state and city leadership.
“As dedicated as we were to running the race this year with 25 percent attendance at our large outdoor facility, even with meaningful and careful precautions implemented by the city and state, the COVID-19 trends in Marion County and Indiana have worsened. Since our June 26 announcement, the number of cases in Marion County has tripled while the positivity rate has doubled. We said from the beginning of the pandemic we would put the health and safety of our community first, and while hosting spectators at a limited capacity with our robust plan in place was appropriate in late June, it is not the right path forward based on the current environment.”
The decision to run without fans comes amid Roger Penske’s first year at the helm of the facility following Penske Corporation’s acquisition of IMS, the NTT IndyCar Series and IMS Productions at the start of 2020.
Penske’s first year in charge has brought challenges unlike any in recent history, forcing the Indy 500’s date to see significant changes for the first time since World War II. That led Penske’s leadership team to make one of the most difficult decisions in the facility’s history, with hopes of setting a good precedent and establishing a positive relationship for the future.
“Penske Corporation made a long-term investment to be the steward of this legendary facility,” the statement read. “While we were very excited to showcase the investments and enhancements we have made in the guest experience, we know we have reached the right decision. As much as Roger Penske and everyone associated with the ‘500’ wanted to race with fans this year, we ultimately reached this conclusion in partnership with the state of Indiana and city of Indianapolis.
“Our commitment to the Speedway is unwavering, and we will continue to invest in the Racing Capital of the World. We encourage everyone to watch this year’s race on NBC, and we look forward to welcoming our loyal fans back to ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ on May 30th of 2021.”
Individuals that have tickets to this year’s Indy 500 will be credited for the 2021 running of the race and will retain both their seniority and originally assigned seats. All action will be viewable via NBC Sports Gold, NBCSN or NBC, and the traditional Central Indiana blackout will be lifted.
The Month of August will begin on Wednesday, Aug. 12, following a format similar to the traditional Month of May and running through the race itself on Aug. 23 at 1 p.m. ET.
