Indy 500 To Run in August At 50% Fan Capacity

Up to 100,000 could still attend, even with coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions.

It takes a lot to put a stop to the Indy 500—it has, after all, been billed as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” In fact, even the coronavirus pandemic won’t bring it down. NPR reported Friday that the race will happen as scheduled in August 2020, with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway grandstands at half-capacity.

Given that the venue can hold hundreds of thousands of people, this means there could still be up to 100,000 people in attendance.

Here’s more from NPR:

“We’re committed to running the Indy 500 on Sunday, Aug. 23, and will welcome fans to the world’s greatest racing venue,” said President J. Douglas Boles, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In addition to reducing capacity at the venue, Boles said, track officials are also finalizing “additional carefully considered health and safety measures,” adding that specific details will emerge in the near future.

The Indy was originally set for May but postponed once it became clear COVID-19 was an imminent danger based on the way it spreads easily from person to person.

As it is, reports NPR, officials are encouraging “spectators to buy or reserve tickets online for the Indy 500 in August.”

But not all spectators. Fans older than 65 or people with some kind of vulnerable health condition are asked to stay home.

So get ready for August 23, 2020. Even with half the number of people in the stands, the engines will roar as loudly as ever.