Indy 500 to run without fans in the stands

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52 thoughts on “Indy 500 to run without fans in the stands

  1. I will continue to make smart decisions, but it looks like this decision was made for me. Just like all of the other decisions foisted on me and made on my behalf. THANKS

    1. Gosh, Gloria, do you think your feelings should supercede the owner’s decision about how to operate his business?

    2. Gloria – I really don’t care about YOU. I care about the 1000’s of people who will not work the 500 because of your selfishness. I really care about the Veteran’s at Speedway American Legion Post 500 who make enough $$ from race weekend to pay for all of their programs during the year. There are other people in the world besides you.

  2. Not suprising at all. Pushing it out further into October brings with it no guarantee the infection levels will be such that it would be safe for fans. This appears to be the right call. None the less, it will be very strange seeing the 500 without fans, but this has been a year for strange.

    1. Barb, can I come over and watch the race on your 96″ theater screen? I’ll bring snacks.

  3. As I have said to my friends or anyone who would listen; the powers that be will NEVER AGAIN let us see in person, fans in the stands, sports again or at least till after the election.
    Even though the American media won’t cover it, look and see what the Europeans are doing and how they are now reacting. They have awakened and they are finished with it. See: 1 million protestors in downtown Berlin Saturday night.

    1. The protests in Germany were reported by major media outlets in the US and other countries. I assume you know how to use Google? You’re exaggerating more than a little bit by saying there were 1M people protesting in Berlin on 1 night. Stop spreading false information.

  4. If we call it a Protest instead of a sporting event, aren’t we safe from COVID-19 spreading? That’s what Marion County politicians indicated this summer.

    1. Good idea. We can just climb the fences and race up into the turn 4 stands. Police will be Told to stand down. The hypocrisy is insane

    2. And I forgot—and while are enjoying the race we can create an autonomous zone in the infield and freely do whatever we want. Did I already use the word hypocrisy?

  5. Tell Irsay his season is over. If a one day event at 25% of capacity at an outdoor venue that large can’t happen no chance a full season at 25% in an indoor arena can take place. This decision is disappointing but understandable given that only downside press would come from running the race with some fans. At least we have Mitch Daniels who is gonna try to give the college kids an opportunity. Problem solvers in this world are getting harder and harder to find. The economic hardship on millions of Americans continues.

  6. Is IMS management doing this because of increased risked of flying tires (I’ve seen a couple bouncing down pit lane this year) or plans for homemade scaffolding so fans could be physically distanced from each and still see the race? They should also not have the race since driving or pit crewing for IndyCar is actually dangerous …

    1. Obviously you are not an Indy car fan because if you were, you would know that there is a risk in attending the race. I have been to the race several times over the years and yes, it can be dangerous. I accept that as part of going to the event. I also was prepared to accept the risk of Covid 19 when I attended this year, but I am not allowed to think for myself. That decision was made for me.

    2. Gloria, I was being sarcastic–hence mentioning flying tires and the scaffolding that killed fans since those have happened in the past. My children were going to be able to attend their first 500s, since it wasn’t a madhouse, and just had to break the bad news to them.

    3. I am sorry your kids won’t be able to attend. I remember my first Indy 500 back in 1977, the pageantry and all. Hopefully next year will be a better year for everyone.

    4. Eric – your children can’t attend a race. My thoughts and prayers go out to your family during this difficult time.

  7. I’m very surprised that ‘the Captain’ aka Roger Penske has even succumbed to the PC nature of our current alarmist culture we now find ourselves in. Complete control of every facet of our lives is now the motive

    1. So when a conservative does the right thing, it means that The Liberal Conspiracy has gotten to him. Right.

  8. Sheep ….. Don’t question the math or the process just trust Hogset and Holcomb – they know best. Fabulous job with the riots – right? BTW – how many of you know people who tested positive yet never took a test…. how many tested positive for the antibody and got a call from Marion County Health department trying to trace because they said they tested positive for covid “oh we are sorry, you were put in the wrong stack”….uh huh. Sheep

  9. The Indy 500 has never just been a race. It should be cancelled in it’s entirety just like the war years. For the past 51 years I have watched the Indy 500 in person and never in my wildest would of thought that it could go on with on fans. Without fans it just a race, show up on Friday, practice on Saturday, race on Sunday and off to the next bull ring.
    This may have a more adverse effect than the 96′ split and that took almost 20 years for Indy Car to recover.

    Roger shut her down, RACING FANS MATTER.

    1. Steve – it’s just a race to most people. There wasn’t a global pandemic all of the years you went to the race in person. At least you can watch the race on television.

  10. A good decision; thanks to The Captain & Company for doing so. It had to be difficult, what with all the new property investments made this year.

  11. I think they realized it was going to cost them less without fans and are using Covid as an excuse. Good marketing ploy that many people will think they care.

    1. If that were the case, why would they go to the expense of printing new tickets and mailing them out as recently as last week? Penske has the right to make the decision for whatever reason he wants. If it was due to cost, it may have been because fewer than 25% wanted to attend, which probably would have made it cost prohibitive. However, I believe Roger respects the 500 more than any of the “fans” here complaining and made the difficult decision out of concerns for the fans and the community

  12. I don’t understand. I would be wearing a mask and social distancing. I thought we were told those measures were effective? How could this event ever add to the spread ? Something doesn’t add up.

    1. People don’t know how to add 3+3 together and stay 6 feet apart. So that doesn’t add up. People also refuse to wear a mask properly or at all. That doesn’t add up either, but that’s why we can’t have nice things yet

  13. I cannot imagine the financial loss of this decision. It shows to me that Roger Penske and the entire IMS organization cares about the health of you and me before money.

    Please, those with ignorant snarky remarks. What if you just buried your mother, your father, your spouse, your brother, your sister…because of Covid.

    Be safe. Be well. Mask up.

    1. Tony Renna, Scott Brayton, Jovy Marcelo, Lyle Kurtenbach, Gordon Smiley, Tim Vail, Swede Savage, Armando Teran …

      It is time to end racing; put them in simulators where the only danger is a talented driver utters a (very) bad word.

  14. Narrator’s Voice: “May 2021 is not that far away…..” and what will be magically different then?

    Can’t even imagine the financial fall out here. Start with Roger and IMS, basically forfeiting an entire year of ticket sales. Race/Quals/Carb everything. In-venue advertisers, gone. Countless concessions and venders, gone. Parking revenue. Hotel and hospitality revenue for the City. Gone

    1. Penske/IMS can absorb the lost ticket revenue easily. He’ll get a pile of cash for the television rights. The income lost by the city, county and organizations that depend on annual revenue from the 500 will feel the real impact.

  15. The tone of many comments here is exactly why the United States has failed to get a handle on things. Look at your neighbors across the ocean and you will see that they took things seriously and played by the rules. Your whining and conspiracy theories have done nothing but hurt businesses in the state.
    Put your adult clothes on and deal with the pandemic seriously and we can get back to normal.

    1. If by some of the United States, like NY, NJ, Mass, and Conn with extremely high death rates, I agree with you, but something tells me you are trying to blame someone at 1600 Penn in DC. And I don’t think the F1 races across the ocean have fans, especially in places with higher death rates than US.

    2. Why is everything political to some people?
      Never mentioned our President or either party.
      I cited the tone of those who have not taken this pandemic seriously.
      They continue to sow distrust and doubt as to what prudent actions might accomplish.

    3. I apologize Larry C. Please explain what places across the ocean have taken things seriously enough that they can have fans in-person at sporting events, or other events that raise life above a mere biological existence. What might prudent actions accomplish? What are these specific prudent actions? What is being done specifically different here (Indiana, US as a whole?) than being done across the ocean (which ocean, by the way)? Who is not taking it seriously? I believe IMS was taking it seriously, with an 88-page plan, hence why I felt comfortable, both for my family and future others that we would come across at random places like Kroger and Holy Mass, that we would not be unduly putting anyone at risk.

  16. People can fly all over the country sitting 4ft apart, stay in hotels, go to restaurants, stores and all sorts of entertainment venues but can’t go to an outdoor facility that is over 1 mile long and a half mile wide. This is total insanity

    1. Even at 25% capacity, the number of fans would be huge. You can’t compare it to a restaurant or flight. And there would be no way to effectively enforce social distancing or any of the other guidelines. Holding the race at 25% capacity would lead to a huge spike in Covid-19 cases and would make Indianapolis look foolish.

    1. You think that’s bad, how about the stupidity?

      The historians will write that America went down the drain because a large chunk of the populace was so poorly informed.

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