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Indy 500 reduced to 25% capacity, face masks required

Other safety changes include reassignment of seats for social distancing, hand sanitizer given to fans as they enter, temperature checks, and minimized lines.
Credit: AP
An entrance to Indianapolis Motor Speedway is viewed Saturday, April 18, 2020, in Indianapolis. The speedway is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — The Indianapolis 500 will limit fans to 25 percent of capacity. The announcement Tuesday includes a requirement for face masks for all of those attending the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, Aug. 23.

To also help limit crowd size, ticket sales will end July 24.

A nearly 100-page plan will be released on Wednesday, providing guidelines and protocols for how the race will be run this year.

“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.”

Other safety changes include reassignment of seats for social distancing, mask requirement, hand sanitizer given to fans as they enter, temperature checks, changes to minimize lines including pre-packaged food at concession stands.

“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,” said Miles. “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 fulfill all ticket requests that have already been received from existing customers. Those tickets will be distributed beginning the first week of August.

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