Indianapolis Motor Speedway cuts number of fans allowed at the Indy 500
Organizers originally planned for a half-full facility
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced on Tuesday that it will only sell tickets for approximately 25 percent of its available capacity for the Indy 500 on Aug. 23.
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The facility in June had announced plans to fill the grandstands up to 50 percent, but it has cut that goal in half and will require everyone to wear face coverings. It is also encouraging people over the age of 65 to not attend the race.
The speedway has grandstand seating for up to 235,000 people and additional space in the infield, so it should still attract the largest crowd for a sporting event in the U.S. since the coronavirus pandemic began. Full details will be released on July 22, but no tickets will be sold after July 24.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“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,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said in a press release on the decision. “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."