Indy 500 will require face masks, allow 25% fan capacity
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Racegoers at the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be required to wear masks and attendance will be limited to 25% capacity at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the track announced Tuesday.
Concerns about the spread of coronavirus pushed the race from its customary Sunday before Memorial Day to Aug. 23.
On June 26, IMS announced it would be limiting attendance to 50% capacity and gave fans the option to give up their seats and have priority at next year’s race. At the time of that announcement, the track said there was no plan to lift the local TV blackout of the live race.
Ticket sales will stop after Friday, further limiting the number of people who will attend, IMS said in a news release.
A detailed plan with guidelines and protocols for the race will be released to the public Wednesday, according to the track.
IMS says it will fulfill all ticket requests received by existing customers, with tickets sent out beginning in the first week of August.
No spectators were allowed at the Fourth of July weekend doubleheader at IMS, where IndyCar drivers raced in the GMR Grand Prix and NASCAR drivers rounded the oval for the Brickyard 400.
Full statement from IMS:
Based on policies and procedures put into effect by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IMS officials announced today that attendance for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, Aug. 23 will be approximately 25 percent of capacity. Face coverings will be required for all attendees.
Ticket sales will not be permitted after Friday, July 24, further limiting the number of people who will attend the annual spectacle at the world’s largest outdoor sports facility.
IMS has prepared a detailed, nearly 100-page plan that provides guidelines and protocols for how the race will be run this year. The plan will be released publicly Wednesday, July 22 ahead of a conference call with Speedway officials. A media advisory with details surrounding the conference call will follow shortly.
“In June, we announced the race was on and that attendance would be limited to no more than 50 percent of capacity,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles. “We also made clear we intended to do things differently this year. By offering credits to fans who had previously purchased tickets, encouraging those over 65 to stay at home, limiting attendance in the infield, reducing tickets in our suites and promising fans their decision to not attend would not impact their seniority or right to renew tickets for 2021, we now anticipate attendance at approximately 25 percent of capacity. We will welcome fans back, and we have an aggressive plan in place, which has been developed through collaboration with national, state and local health experts.”
Indy officials have made clear this year’s race will include numerous safety precautions, including the reassignment of seats to provide for greater distancing; the issuance and required use of masks, distribution of hand sanitizer to all who enter; temperature checks in order to enter; and changes throughout the facility to minimize lines and gathering spots, including limiting options from concession stands to mostly pre-packaged foods. Numerous other changes will also be in place.
“We look forward to welcoming fans back to the 500 in person. Our outdoor facility is mammoth, and with attendance of about 25 percent, it will certainly look different this year,” said Miles. “We want to demonstrate that even under current circumstances, people can gather with carefully planned procedures in place so we don’t have to go back to shutting down our country and our community.”
IMS will fulfill all ticket requests that have been received from existing customers. Those tickets will be distributed beginning the first week of August.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway