IndyCar was closed to the public, but some got to see the action

Mark Tate appreciated the unique situation he was in.

Fans were prevented from going to Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday to witness the Genesys 300, the opening race of the NTT IndyCar Series, amid the concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But Tate and his fellow condominium owners at TMS’ Lone Star Tower overlooking Turn 2 were the exception.

They were able to watch the one-day spectacle from their homes with the track allowing up to six people per unit. On a typical race weekend condo owners can invite up to 20 guests.

“It’s fun, but it’s more fun when there’s a crowd,” said Tate, a 54-year-old Fort Worth resident. “Just watching the infield scene is as much fun as the racing sometimes — the people watching. It’s way more exciting with thousands of fans, but it’s something that’s different and something we’ve never experienced.”

The Lone Star Tower has 76 condos. A handful are occupied by residents yearround such as Tate and his wife Carrie, who own two units. One unit, referred to as Tate’s “man cave,” has a number of old Star-Telegram racing sections hanging on the walls from the early years of the track in the late 1990s.

Some units are owned by companies such as Interstate Batteries that are used to

entertain clients and customers during race weekends and other events at the track.

“Condo living is so simple and easy,” Tate said. “Before COVID-19, there was something going on here every weekend whether it was a swap meet or a Christian concert.”

For Tate and the rest of the condo owners, the biggest decision was cutting their guest list to six people per unit.

Paul and Mary Wolter, who own a unit on the seventh floor, planned on inviting family and close friends over for Saturday’s race. They spend most of their time at their home in Southwest Arlington, but have owned a condo at the Lone Star Tower since the track opened in 1997.

There is no better place to take in the action on race days than the condo, Paul Wolter said.

“It’s just the atmosphere out there, it’s so much better than watching on

TV,” he said. “We’re big race fans, of course, but this is going to be a unique experience.”

The one-day event featured IndyCars starting practice at noon followed by qualifying later in the afternoon. The race started at 7:10 p.m. with NBC televising it in primetime.

Veteran driver Scott Dixon won the race in dominant fashion, leading 157 of the 200 laps.