The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has announced that attendance for the 104th edition of the Indianapolis 500 will be approximately 25 percent of capacity, with face coverings for all attendees.
Ticket sales will not be permitted after 24 July, further limiting the number of people who will attend.
IMS has prepared a detailed plan that provides guidelines and protocols and this will be released tomorrow ahead of a conference call with Speedway officials.
“In June, we announced the race was on and that attendance would be limited to no more than 50 percent of capacity,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles.
“We also made clear we intended to do things differently this year.
“By offering credits to fans who had previously purchased tickets, encouraging those over 65 to stay at home, limiting attendance in the infield, reducing tickets in our suites and promising fans their decision to not attend would not impact their seniority or right to renew tickets for 2021, we now anticipate attendance at approximately 25 percent of capacity.
“We will welcome fans back, and we have an aggressive plan in place, which has been developed through collaboration with national, state and local health experts.”
There will be numerous safety precautions, including the reassignment of seats to provide for greater distancing, the issuance and required use of masks, distribution of hand sanitiser to all who enter, temperature checks in order to enter, and changes throughout the facility to minimise lines and gathering spots.
This will include limiting options from concession stands to mostly pre-packaged foods.
Miles continued: “We look forward to welcoming fans back to the 500 in person. Our outdoor facility is mammoth, and with attendance of about 25 percent, it will certainly look different this year.
“We want to demonstrate that even under current circumstances, people can gather with carefully planned procedures in place so we don’t have to go back to shutting down our country and our community.”
IMS will fulfil all ticket requests that have been received from existing customers.
Those tickets will be distributed beginning the first week of August.