Indy 500 postponed 3 months till August
The Indianapolis 500 was postponed Thursday until August because of the coronavirus pandemic and won’t run on Memorial Day weekend for the first time since 1946. Instead, the race will be held Aug. 23, three months later than its scheduled date of May 24.
‘‘The month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is my favorite time of year, and, like our fans, I am disappointed that we have had to reschedule the Indianapolis 500,’’ Roger Penske, the motorsports titan who finalized his purchase of IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this year, said in a statement.
‘‘However, the health and safety of our event participants and spectators is our top priority, and we believe that postponing the event is the responsible decision with the conditions and restrictions we are facing. We will continue to focus on ways we can enhance the customer experience in the months ahead, and I’m confident we will welcome fans with a transformed facility and a global spectacle when we run the world’s greatest race.’’
The Indianapolis 500 began in 1911 but didn’t run in 1917-18 or in 1941-45 because of World Wars I and II. Tony Hulman bought the neglected speedway after World War II, and the Indy 500 returned on Memorial Day weekend in 1946.
It has been scheduled for that weekend every year since, a fixture for untold millions through the years. Although inclement weather occasionally has disrupted the prestigious race, it never had been outright rescheduled until now.
‘‘In times like this, it is all about leadership and communication,’’ said team owner Chip Ganassi, who also fields cars in NASCAR. ‘‘We have both in IndyCar and NASCAR.’’
For now, NASCAR hasn’t altered its plan to resume racing May 9.
Postponing the Indy 500 was an inevitable decision, but it still had to be difficult for Penske, who already has pumped millions into capital improvements to prepare the historic speedway for its first 500 under new ownership.
‘‘It’s a shame Roger has to go through this in his first year of owning Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but you couldn’t have a better man in charge,’’ said team owner A.J. Foyt, a four-time Indy 500 winner. ‘‘It will still be the Indy 500. I never thought we’d see it like this, but all of the sports field has been affected. I’m just glad that we will be able to race.’’
Penske Entertainment Corp. president and CEO Mark Miles said the series chose the August date to get away from extended delays caused by the coronavirus. He said the series didn’t choose Labor Day weekend out of fear of disrupting fans’ traditional plans.