The NTT IndyCar Series officially announced Thursday that its 2020 season will open without fans Saturday, June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway, releasing a schedule and safety protocols.
The Genesys 300 has been adjusted to 200 laps on the 1.5-mile oval from the previously announced 248 to accommodate the one-day event. Because of restrictions for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the grandstands will be closed, and access to the facility will be strictly limited.
The series will practice from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET and qualify at 5 p.m. ET. The green flag will take place at 8:45 p.m. ET.
Qualifying and the race will be televised live on NBCSN. The practice will be shown on NBC Sports Gold.
IndyCar and Texas Motor Speedway are limiting personnel and also administering a health screening to all entrants.
Personal Protective Equipment will be provided to anyone entering the facility, along with guidelines on its usage. There also will be carefully maintained social distancing and a “revised competition layout” (i.e. infield garages and pits) to help with distancing.
Texas will be IndyCar’s first race this year. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg season opener was postponed (two days before it was to be held without fans) because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thursday marked the first update to IndyCar’s 2020 schedule since an April 6 revision that included the cancellation of the Detroit Grand Prix and the addition of doubleheaders at Iowa Speedway and Laguna Seca Raceway and an event on the IMS road course.
IndyCar said Thursday the rest of its revised slate of races remains on track this season, including the rescheduled 104th running of the Indy 500 to Aug. 23 on NBC.
Here’s the release Thursday from IndyCar on Texas opening the season:
INDIANAPOLIS (May 7, 2020) – 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.
“We’re excited and ready to kick off the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season at Texas Motor Speedway,”INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “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.”Other steps to protect the wellbeing 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 distancingTo 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.
