IndyCar has solidified their season start date of June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway, with a race that will look very different to its original, scheduled form.
“See you soon,” was the closing statement of the final press conference of iRacing IndyCar Challenge series, as uttered by the moderator. Many took this with a grain of salt, due to the fact that COVID-19 has also forced countless schedule changes for the series’ real racing events, and pushed back the scheduled season opener from March to June.
However, IndyCar has confirmed that they are holding their ground with regards to their currently-planned June 6 start date for 2020 season at the Texas Motor Speedway, albeit with major changes to the weekend’s format.
For starters, the on-track activities will take place over the course of just one day, in the name of protecting personnel. This means that practice will run from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM, qualifying will run from 5:00-6:00 PM and the race will take place under the lights, starting at 8:15 PM (all local times).
The IndyCar race itself will also be condensed, shortening by 48 laps from the originally planned 248 to only 200. Outside of the changes to session times and duration, though, there will be further changes that will alter the event.
These changes include a health screening system, which will be administered to all participants, strict limitations on the quantity personnel, personal protective equipment for all those who enter the premises, and social distancing protocols in accordance with Government guidelines.
“We’re excited and ready to kick off the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season at Texas Motor Speedway,” said Jay Frye. “We’ve worked closely with Eddie Gossage, the entire TMS team and public health officials on a plan of action that will ensure the safety of our event participants alongside an exciting return to competition for our drivers, teams and viewers tuning in from around the world.”
“America needs live sports and they are not going to believe what they see when the Genesys 300 storms into their living rooms on TV from Texas,” said Eddie Gossage, president and general manager of Texas Motor Speedway. “One of the world’s greatest sporting events, the Indy 500, has been postponed until August by coronavirus, so all of that pent-up energy, anticipation, frustrations and anxiety will be pounding through the drivers’ nervous systems. Typically, the Genesys 300 results in a 220-mph photo finish.”
Here’s the official release from IndyCar:
The 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will begin Saturday, June 6 with the Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. INDYCAR’s stars will take the green flag at 8:45 p.m. (ET), with broadcast coverage provided by NBC Sports via NBCSN.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, INDYCAR will run a condensed schedule with practice, qualifying and the race taking place on the same day. The event also will be conducted without fans in attendance. This will be the 24th consecutive year in which INDYCAR has raced at the 1.5-mile oval in Fort Worth, Texas.
Other steps to protect the well-being of participants have been identified through close consultation with TMS and public health officials. These include:
• Strict access guidelines limiting the number of personnel on site
• A health screening system administered to all participants
• PPE equipment provided to everyone entering the facility, along with guidelines on usage
• Social distancing protocols in place and carefully maintained
• Revised competition layout to increase distancing
To accommodate the one-day schedule, the length for the race at Texas Motor Speedway has been adjusted to 200 laps rather than the previously announced 248 laps. The full on-track schedule for the Genesys 300:
• NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice: 1:30-3:30 p.m. (ET)
• NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifications: 5 p.m. (ET)
• Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway: 8:45 p.m. (ET)
The remainder of the updated, 15-race INDYCAR calendar for 2020, announced April 6, remains on schedule for competition.
Here’s Ed Carpenter on a personal toll on teams due to pandemic
Here’s what IndyCar drivers think of iRacing rivalries
Here’s the whole summary of all the controversies that happened at IMS
Here’s how the IndyCar race at IMS panned out with video link included