Despite the best efforts of the Penske Corporation and the officials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to prevent it, the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place on August 23rd without fans in attendance.
“This tough decision was made following careful consideration and extensive consultation with state and city leadership,” IMS announced in a press release Tuesday.
“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.”
“We certainly have done everything possible to put ourselves in a position to host the 500 with fans,” IMS President Doug Boles told WIBC’s Hammer and Nigel Show Tuesday. “In fact, we were working here until late last night preparing as though we were going to let fans in through the gates.”
Boles explained that IMS officials were always aware that the ultimate decision would come down to how the metrics on the battle against COVID-19 panned out.
“The last couple of weeks – certainly the last few days – those numbers have just been trending the wrong way,” said Boles. “And for us, we just felt like we were in a spot where we would be on the track in less than a week, we’ve got an Indy 500 in less than 20 days, and we’ve got to make a decision for everyone associated with the 500. So I don’t think we have much of a choice at this point.”
As reported previously by WIBC, IMS owner Roger Penske had said earlier this year the race “will be run with fans.” The track had been under pressure from health agencies, such as IU Health, to run the race without fans over growing concern about the spread of the coronavirus.
The plan had originally been for fans to attend the race at up to 25-percent capacity, roughly 88,000 people. Earlier, it had been announced the race would be run with 50-percent capacity attendance.
Boles told Hammer and Nigel that while Governor Eric Holcomb and Indy Mayor Joe Hogsett offered input from their individual perspective, the decision was ultimately made by IMS officials.
Gov. Eric Holcomb released a statement about the announcement from IMS Tuesday:
“Throughout this unprecedented process, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has always prioritized the safety of the fans. I am grateful for Roger Penske’s leadership and his entire team for thoughtfully approaching this decision with transparency and collaboration. I want to encourage Hoosiers to continue to social distance, wear masks and take precautions so we can continue to slow the spread of COVID-19 and hear the roar of the engines at the track next May.”
Indy Mayor Joe Hogsett also released a statement:
“Roger Penske and the entire leadership team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have consistently made clear that their highest priority is the safety of Indy 500 fans. That has been evident throughout the last several months, as they have consistently lived up to their commitment to collaborative planning and careful consideration of the data.
For more than a century the Indianapolis 500 has been a favorite community tradition and I’m confident that fans will soon gather in the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway once again.”
As far as refunds are concerned, IMS said in an email that ticketholders “will receive an IMS account credit for your tickets to all August events and all related items” and that they “will have seniority” in getting the tickets they paid for for the 2021 race.
Boles emphasized how disappointing the decision is for the race teams as well as the fans.
“I’ve heard from several drivers today, and part of what makes the entire experience so meaningful for them is walking out and seeing [the Speedway] transformed into a sea of humanity and all the excitement that the fans bring to the event,” he said. “So it’s definitely going to be a different race day this year.”
Click below to hear Hammer and Nigel’s full interview with IMS President Doug Boles.
https://omny.fm/shows/hammer-and-nigel-show/ims-president-doug-boles-talks-no-fans-at-indy-500
