The former Formula One champion, who failed to qualify for the race last year in a spectacularly woeful effort by McLaren, has returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a third attempt at winning.
The decision to allow local fans to watch the race live comes one day after Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced plans to reduce attendance capacity for this year’s race to 25%.
Officials said that ticket sales for the Aug. 23 race will not be permitted after Friday, which could further limit the number of people who attend the 104th running of the Indy 500.
Penske gave a two-hour tour of the speedway this week, showing off with dizzying detail the new landscaping, paved lots, planted trees, picnic tables, widened pedestrian paths, hand dryers in every bathroom, improved sight lines, pressure-washed buildings, freshly painted signs and LED monitors everywhere.
About 175,000 tickets—most of them renewals—have been sold for the race, IMS confirmed to IBJ. Ticket requests are still being accepted, going into a queue for fulfillment after existing ticketholders have been accommodated.
The International Council of Motorsport Sciences, established in Indianapolis in 1988, will relocate from Texas later this month after hiring veteran motorsports exec Tom Weisenbach as its new executive director.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials are putting all their energy into running the Indy 500 with fans in August, despite continuing concerns about big crowds and the coronavirus.
The ban was announced before Wednesday night’s race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, where the series’ only black drive, Bubba Wallace, drove Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43 Chevrolet with a #BlackLivesMatter paint scheme.
NBC Sports said Saturday night’s season-opening IndyCar telecast drew nearly 1.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched series race outside the Indianapolis 500 on any network since 2016.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials said allowing spectators would be too difficult because of possible social distancing restrictions in place for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former IndyCar driver and longtime television racing analyst Derek Daly said he’s not looking to settle a lawsuit he filed last week against Emmis Communications Corp., the Indianapolis Colts, former announcer Bob Lamey and Emmis on-air sports personality Joe Staysniak.
IndyCar has gotten the OK to finally start its season next month with a nighttime race in Texas.
Gov. Eric Holcomb’s five-stage roadmap to reopen the state reaches its end on July 4 — the very day an IndyCar-NASCAR Xfinity Series doubleheader is scheduled to be run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Patrick William Kennedy was the fourth-generation president of three family-owned companies, an avid runner and an active participant in motorsports activities.
The added stop at Indianapolis, called the Harvest GP, would be the third trip to the speedway in one season for IndyCar.
The debut virtual race last weekend drew 433,000 combined viewers to both IndyCar and iRacing’s online stream.
In a wide-ranging interview, Roger Penske insisted his commitment remains steadfast to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series as the world waits for the pandemic to end.
The decision came after at least two Monday conference calls between the sanctioning body and its team owners. It affects seven total races.
Jimmie Johnson said he’s going to do an IndyCar team test with McLaren Racing on April 6.
Preliminary plans by an IndyCar racing team and a vehicle engineering company could lead to the first development in Zionsville’s Creekside Corporate Park in years.
