The Indianapolis 500 is set to run in August with 50% fan capacity, a total that could still reach six figures at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Indy 500 was bumped from its traditional May date because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 104th Indy 500 will run Aug. 23 at half the total of what is traditionally one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
“The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” can pack about 250,000 fans in the spacious speedway.
“We’re committed to running the Indy 500 on Sunday, Aug. 23 and will welcome fans to the world’s greatest racing venue,” IMS president J. Douglas Boles said in a statement. “We will be limiting attendance to approximately 50%, and we are also finalizing a number of additional carefully considered health and safety measures.”
The IMS team is working with public health officials to complete a comprehensive plan of health measures. The speedway release said individuals in high-risk groups are encouraged to consider not attending this year’s race.
Despite the attendance limit, Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles told the Indianapolis Star that the track does not plan to lift the live television blackout of the race in central Indiana.
“[Local fans] should assume that it’s delayed, that you can see it later in the day in this market,” Miles told the newspaper.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host an IndyCar-NASCAR doubleheader on the July 4 weekend without fans.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.