The Indy 500 is the latest motorsport victim of the coronavirus with confirmation the race will be pushed back from May 24 to August 23.
The postponement was announced by motorsports giant Roger Penske who purchased the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this year.
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“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,” he said.
“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.”
This is the first time the Indy 500 has been rescheduled but it was canceled in 1917 and 1918 due to World War I as well as 1942-1945 because of World War II.
This year’s IndyCar season was scheduled to start on March 15 but that race was suspended just 48 hours before it was due to start. The season is now set to kick off on May 30 in Detroit at The Raceway at Belle Isle Park. Due to the ever-changing nature of the coronavirus, however, there’s no guarantee that further changes to the calendar won’t be made.
