Indy 500 without spectators and Marco Andretti on pole

Tomorrow, Sunday, August 23, 2020, one of the most famous and exciting car races in the world will be held, the Indy 500 and thus the 7th race of the IndyCar Series. At 1 p.m. local time or 7 p.m. Central European time, the race will start over 200 laps and 500 miles (804 km) with top speeds up to 375 km/h. Due to Corona, the 2020 race will have to do without spectators on site. The race will be led by Marco Andretti, the grandson of Formula 1 World Champion (1978) and Indy 500 winner (1969) Mario Andretti.

Circuit car races are simply fascinating. Centimeters separate the race cars from each other as they race around the circuit at speeds of up to 375 kilometers per hour. Very dangerous, very exciting, genuinely fascinating, this is pure motorsport feeling. Here, the drivers risk their heads and necks. You can also be prepared for accidents. The advantage for spectators on site is that they can see the entire race. The IndyCar Series holds several such exciting circuit races, the most famous being the race in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis 500 or the Indy 500 for short.

With a heavy heart, the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Roger Penske had to announce two days ago that the Indy 500 would have to be held for the first time without spectators on site. The development of the Corona case numbers in the US state of Indiana had probably left him no choice, after all, the cancellation of the race threatened, which would have been tantamount to a fiasco.

Mario Andretti's grandson seems particularly motivated. Currently 22nd in the drivers' standings (out of a total of 34 drivers), Marco Andretti took pole position with a top speed of 231.068 miles or 371.87 km/h ahead of Scott Dixon, the IndyCar Series leader. Far behind in 25th place in qualifying was last year's winner Simon Pagenaud, one place ahead of rookie and Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso, who already shone with an accident in practice. The race, which is well worth seeing, will be broadcast live on Sunday on the American NBC channel.