2020 IndyCar season will begin at Texas without fans
The 2020 NTT IndyCar Series has confirmed its 2020 season will begin with a behind closed doors Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 6.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which had already forced the cancellation of the opening four rounds of the original 2020 calendar, IndyCar will run a condensed schedule with practice, qualifying and the race taking place all on the same day.
The 2020 NTT IndyCar Series has confirmed its 2020 season will begin with a behind closed doors Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 6.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which had already forced the cancellation of the opening four rounds of the original 2020 calendar, IndyCar will run a condensed schedule with practice, qualifying and the race taking place all on the same day.
The race will also be shortened from 248 laps to 200 laps of the 1.5-mile oval venue in Fort Worth, Texas, which has hosted 24 consecutive races. With no fans in attendance, broadcast coverage of the event will be provided by NBC Sports via NBCSN.
“We’re excited and ready to kick off the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season at Texas Motor Speedway,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said.
“We’ve worked closely with Eddie Gossage, the entire TMS team and public health officials on a plan of action that will ensure the safety of our event participants alongside an exciting return to competition for our drivers, teams and viewers tuning in from around the world.”
A number of steps will be implemented to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the participants, including strict access guidelines limiting the number of personnel on site, a health screening system, PPE equipment provided to everyone entering the facility and social distancing protocols in place and carefully maintained.
Texas Motor Speedway president and general manager, Eddie Gossage, added: “America needs live sports and they are not going to believe what they see when the Genesys 300 storms into their living rooms on TV from Texas.
“One of the world’s greatest sporting events, the Indy 500, has been postponed until August by coronavirus, so all of that pent-up energy, anticipation, frustrations and anxiety will be pounding through the drivers’ nervous systems. Typically, the Genesys 300 results in a 220-mph photo finish.”
The announcement follows NASCAR’s decision to go back racing behind closed doors on May 17 at Darlington Raceway, with the series becoming one of the first major sporting events to return since the pandemic reached the United States.
IndyCar says the remainder of its updated, 15-race 2020 calendar, remains on schedule for completion.
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