Indianapolis 500 Moving To Aug. 23 From Traditional Late-May Date

IndyCar announced that the Indianapolis 500 has been postponed until Aug. 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic, while the GMR Grand Prix will take place July 4. The Grand Prix, which takes place on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's road course, could be part of a double-header weekend, as NASCAR's Brickyard 400 currently is scheduled for July 5. The Indianapolis 500 was set for May 24, its traditional home on Memorial Day weekend. IndyCar and IMS execs spent this morning and early afternoon meeting with employees and team owners to discuss the plans. THE DAILY first reported last week that IndyCar was making alternative plans for the 500 and Grand Prix due to the pandemic. While the postponements were something of an inevitability, they are still historic; the 500 has been run annually since 1911 and has only been canceled during World War I and World War II.