Los Angeles (AFP)
The organizers of the Indianapolis 500 Miles, the most prestigious race of IndyCar, will welcome only 50% of the spectators in the stands around the famous oval circuit, on August 23, in order to ensure maximum safety despite the coronavirus, have they announced Friday.
"We will limit attendance to around 50% of the site's capacity (250,000 seats) and we are also finalizing a number of additional safety measures carefully studied," promised the president of the Indianapolis Speedway, J. Douglas Boles.
No details were given as to how the organizers plan to manage the presence of more than 100,000 people, particularly in terms of social distancing.
Usually, it is nearly 400,000 fans in total who can gather on the site including those positioned on certain parts of the interior area.
"We will be unveiling the specific details of our plan in the coming weeks," added J. Douglas Boles, noting that the plan would be implemented in agreement with public health officials in Indiana.
Originally scheduled for May 24, the race was postponed to August 23 due to the pandemic that upset the start of the IndyCar championship. It finally started in early June in Forth Worth, Texas.
Frenchman Simon Pagenaud, crowned champion of Indycar in 2016, won the Indianapolis 500 Miles last year for the first time in his career.
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