“We are Going to Run it with Fans”: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Owner Drops Exciting News on Indy 500

Published 06/08/2020, 4:00 AM EDT

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The COVID-19 crisis is still lingering around, but some countries are confident that they have it under control. Among them is the United States, which is determined to host the Indy 500.

Admittedly, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner, Roger Penske is no miracle worker. However, he could control the 104th Indy 500 with the help of government. The ‘Captain’ promised fans that the race will run on Aug. 23 as scheduled or moved to October, and the stands will be filled.

“Trust me, we are going to run it (Indianapolis 500) with fans,” he told RACER, ahead of the season opener at Texas. “We’re on for fans in August and planning on it and we feel good. It’s still almost three months from now and I think we’ll be OK. But we will run it only with fans.”

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Initially, fans were prohibited from attending the IndyCar and NASCAR doubleheader. Obviously, it prompted much outrage, especially with talks that the Indy 500 would follow suit. However, that may likely not happen, not if Roger Penske hasanything to say about the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

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What did Penske say about the Indy 500?

He told RACER, “Look, we had a plan to go forward with fans on Brickyard weekend but it just didn’t make sense. We didn’t want to do anything to impair the Indy 500 and we would have had to be the exception but we decided we couldn’t go early. If we had fans and had any problems, that would absolutely close the door for us on Indianapolis.”

Speaking about the chances of pressure from local and federal government, Penske assured that he covered all his bases. He confirmed that they held several meetings and called the governor and the mayor to discuss the matter.

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In the meantime, The Captain has supervised a number of changes to the iconic racetrack. These include new video boards, paved parking lots, upgraded restrooms and concession stands.

“We’re doing everything we can and I hope everyone realizes how far we’ve come,” said the 83-year-old. “We’ve got ’til the end of August and that’s plenty of time. I think our fans are going to like what they see.”

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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