Matters of Moment: Indy 500 moved to August

The 2020 Indianapolis 500 has been pushed back from May 24 to August 23 due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the 104th running of the race will be the first ever to take place outside the event’s traditional ‘month of May’ slot.

The change does help the Indy 500 avoid cancellation, however, having only previously paused for the conflicts of the two world wars, with World War II playing a part in the circuit lapsing into a state of disrepair before the 500’s revival in 1946.

A revised 2020 IndyCar calendar currently places the Detroit double-header as the season opener on May 30-31, with the usual opener at St Petersburg potentially becoming the finale later in the year.

“The month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is my favourite time of year, and like our fans, I am disappointed that we have had to reschedule the Indianapolis 500,” said Roger Penske, whose Penske Entertainment group owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.