IndyCar has announced that the series’ next race weekend, a double-header at Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course, is being delayed indefinitely due to safety concerning the ongoing COVID-19 pandemdic.
The series had recently converted the event into a double-header to help fill out the 2020 schedule in light of the races at Portland and Laguna Seca being cancelled last week. The set of races had been set to run in just one weeks’ time, on August 8 and 9.
The statement from Mid-Ohio reads, “IndyCar and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course have agreed to postpone the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio scheduled for August 7-9 until a date to be determined in September or October. This decision was made through communication with local health officials given the current environment.
“Our team continues to work with all of our partners and our local government to identify a date later this year when we can hose the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. More information will be forthcoming as it becomes available.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding of our fans as we navigate this postponement.”
The state of Ohio has seen an increase of COVID-19 cases this summer, averaging approximately 1400 new confirmed cases per day in the past month, and likely contributing to the last-minute change.
The current IndyCar schedule has the entire month of September available before the final three rounds in October from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and the streets of St. Petersburg, so there is a decent chance the races can be rescheduled during that time.
The next race on the calendar now becomes the 104th Indy 500, which has its first on-track sessions scheduled the week of August 10, with the race taking place August 23.
Race # | Event | Location | Track Type | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Genesys 300 | Texas Motor Speedway | Oval | 6 June | |
2 | GMR Grand Prix | IMS Road Course | Road Course | 4 July | |
3 | Grand Prix at Road America Race 1 | Road America | Road Course | 11 July | |
4 | Grand Prix at Road America Race 2 | Road America | Road Course | 12 July | |
5 | Iowa IndyCar 250s Race 1 | Iowa Speedway | Oval | 17 July | |
6 | Iowa IndyCar 250s Race 2 | Iowa Speedway | Oval | 18 July | |
7 | 104th Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Oval | 23 August | |
8 | Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Race 1 | WWT Raceway at Gateway | Oval | 29 August | |
9 | Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Race 2 | WWT Raceway at Gateway | Oval | 30 August | |
10 | Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Race 1 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Road Course | 12 September | |
11 | Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Race 2 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Road Course | 13 September | |
12 | IndyCar Harvest GP Race 1 | IMS Road Course | Road Course | 2 October | |
13 | IndyCar Harvest GP Race 2 | IMS Road Course | Road Course | 3 October | |
14 | Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg | St. Petersburg | Street | 25 October |