Indianapolis 500 and McLaughlin’s IndyCar debut postponed

This year’s Indianapolis 500 will now run in August while Scott McLaughlin will have to wait until July for his series debut as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

McLaughlin had been slated to compete in the GMR Grand Prix on May 9, an event which will now take place on July 4.

The Indianapolis 500 will now run on August 23 having originally been scheduled for May 24.

The date change for the Grand Prix still allows McLaughlin to compete, with the rescheduled event falling between the Watpac Townsville 400 (June 26-28) and BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown (July 17-19) Supercars events.

“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, who recently acquired both the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“However, the health and safety of our event participants and spectators is our top priority, and we believe that postponing the event is the responsible decision with the conditions and restrictions we are facing.

“We will continue to focus on ways we can enhance the customer experience in the months ahead, and I’m confident we will welcome fans with a transformed facility and a global spectacle when we run the world’s greatest race.”

The move of the road course event will create a double-header weekend of racing, with IndyCar and NASCAR set to compete on the same circuit on the same weekend.

IndyCar will race on Saturday prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the Penzoil 150, with the saloon car series’ top flight taking the circuit the following day for its race.

“For very good reason, this historic pairing will be circled on the calendar of every motorsports fan,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said.

“We appreciate our friends at NASCAR for their flexibility and support in this matter and will work with them on a memorable, exciting weekend of racing action.”

The May reshuffle means the opening IndyCar race of the year will now be held on the Streets of Detroit on May 30 and 31 before then heading to Texas, Road America, and Richmond in June.

Updated 2020 IndyCar Series Schedule