IndyCar announces Road America will be first race with fans

IndyCar announced that its first event with fans will be the weekend doubleheader July 11-12 at Road America.

In a statement Thursday, the series said that social distancing and safety precautions will be applied for the races at the road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Last week, IndyCar announced that Iowa Speedway will have a crowd of up to 5,000 to 6,000 for its July 17-18 weekend doubleheader.

Because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the IndyCar Series opened its season June 6 without fans at Texas Motor Speedway, and it will race without fans at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a July 4 doubleheader with the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Several racetracks gradually have begun to open their grandstands in the past two weeks.

IMSA announced last week that its July 4 race at Daytona International Speedway will have a crowd of up to 5,000. Homestead-Miami Speedway played host to a crowd of 1,000 military personnel, first responders and their families for its June 14 races, and 5,000 fans were allowed last Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

Bristol Motor Speedway will have up to 30,000 for the All-Star Race on July 15, and New Hampshire Motor Speedway said up to 19,000 will be allowed Aug. 2.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske has said he wants to have a full crowd for the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Aug. 23.

Road America also will have fans when the road course plays host to the MotoAmerica Series and Superbike class this weekend.

Here is Thursday’s release on Road America from IndyCar:

INDIANAPOLIS – The NTT IndyCar Series will welcome fans back to the track for the first time in 2020 on July 9-12 at Road America for the REV Group Grand Prix presented by American Medical Response doubleheader race weekend.

Under the guidance of public health officials, medical experts and local, state and federal authorities, IndyCar and Road America will observe safe social distancing practices and provide enhanced hygiene and safety precautions for all fans attending the event.

All guests will be screened in their vehicles with contactless temperature checks before entering the parking areas, and only essential racing personnel will have access to the IndyCar paddock. A PPE kit that includes a face mask as well as hand sanitizer will be provided to each guest upon arrival to the track.

Fans are encouraged to practice safe social distancing and wear a cloth face-covering where social distancing is difficult to maintain. Enhanced cleaning and sanitizing procedures will also be implemented throughout the facility during the weekend. Guests are encouraged to print their tickets at home to have a contactless experience at the gates and easier entry. Additional protocols and guidelines for spectators can be found at www.roadamerica.com/safety.

The race weekend will feature two full points races for the NTT IndyCar Series on back-to-back days – July 11 and 12 – as part of the REV Group Grand Prix presented by AMR. The weekend schedule will also be bolstered by two junior development series of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, the Indy Pro 2000, and USF2000, of which many drivers of the NTT IndyCar Series are graduates.

Fans have three quick, convenient methods to buy tickets:

Online: Visit www.roadamerica.com Tickets are available 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Print your tickets to save time and enjoy a contactless experience at the gates.

Phone: Call 800-365-RACE or 920-892-4576 between 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday.

In-Person: Visit the Road America Ticket Office at the Road America Administration Building off of State Highway 67 (Gate 6) between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday.

Gates open at 7 a.m. and races run rain or shine. For more information, call 800-365-RACE (7223) or visit www.roadamerica.com

Anyone 16 years old and under is always FREE with a paying adult at the gate.

All active-duty first responders will receive FREE entry to the REV Group Grand Prix presented by American Medical Response weekend. First responders, including law enforcement, fire, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians, will be admitted free of charge by showing valid identification indicating active service in the form of a department-issued ID, badge, copies of certifications or an active roster copy from their department on department letterhead. FREE admission must be redeemed at the gate and is only valid during the event weekend.

The focus of the Detroit Monster Energy Supercross round was on the mid-pack battle while Aaron Plessinger pulled away from the field, but when he crashed after hooking his foot in the dirt, the results once more looked like we’ve come to expect, with Chase Sexton, Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac sharing the podium for the fifth time in 10 rounds.

Supercross Results Detroit — *Justin Barcia was part of an exciting, four-rider battle in the middle of Detroit’s A-Main. – Feld Motor Sports*

For Sexton, Plessinger’s late-race crash was a vindication of sorts. Several times already this season, Sexton has crashed while battling for the lead and the points that has cost him keeps him sporting the red plate. He lost points in Detroit for a different reason, however.

Sexton was allowed to keep the win, but was penalized seven points for jumping in a red cross section of the course. As a result, he dropped four points to Webb and two to Tomac. Sexton is now 17 points behind Webb in the championship hunt.

RESULTS: Click here for full 450 Overall Results; Click here for 250 Overall Results

One week after snatching the red plate from Tomac for the first time in 2023, Webb stretched his advantage by two. With his second-place finish, Webb holds a three-point lead over Tomac, which essentially means both riders control their fate in the coming weeks. Webb continues to have a sweep of the top five this season with his sixth consecutive podium.

Coming off his worst finish of the season, Tomac rebounded to finish third. His eighth-place result last week was partially attributed to a stiff neck that hindered him in traffic and he still suffered some of those same effects in Detroit. Before Plessinger’s crash, he was destined to be the only rider in the three-man title scrum to finish off the podium in Detroit.

It is surprising what one position can do for one’s confidence.

Click here for 450 Heat 1 | Heat 2 | Last Chance Qualifier | Lap Chart

Justin Barcia scored his fourth top-five of the season. He was part of the exciting four-man battle that dominated the middle stages of the race before Sexton and Webb gained a little separation. Finishing less than three seconds behind Tomac, he kept that rider honest for the entire race.

Coming off his first win of the season, Ken Roczen finished fifth. It was his seventh top-five of the season and it elevated him to fifth in the standings.

Plessinger’s fall took the wind from his sails. He attempted to right his bike after a hard crash, but as it smoked and pinged, he dropped to 13th in the final rundown.

Click here for 450 Overall results | Rider Points | Manufacturer Points

Hunter Lawrence tied his brother Jett Lawrence with 10 wins each after another dominating ride in the Detroit Supercross race and the results in the points continue to widen. With his fifth win in six rounds and a worst finish of third, Lawrence now has a 35-point advantage over Nate Thrasher with four rounds remaining. Finishes of 14th or better in the final four mains will give him his first 250 championship.

Jett will have an opportunity to retake his wins’ lead as Supercross heads west for the next two rounds in Seattle and Glendale, Arizona.

Nate Thrasher earned his third second-place finish of the season with a gap of 7.6 seconds to Lawrence. He won the overall in Arlington earlier this season, but a 15th-place finish in the opening round in Houston and 10th in Daytona hurts his championship chances.

Click here for 250 Heat 1 | Heat 2 | Last Chance Qualifier | Lap Chart

Haiden Deegan scored his second podium and fourth top-five in six rounds of his young career. On his way to that finish, he rode aggressively against his teammate Jordon Smith in the heat race. Fans are getting a glimpse of what his on-track personality might be.

Jeremy Martin continues to be the model of consistency. He has not finished worse than sixth or better than fourth in six rounds now and that has allowed him to close to within two points of third in the 250 East championship standings.

Rounding out the top five is Chris Blose, who was pressed into service at the start of the season because of a rash of injuries at Pro Circuit Kawasaki. This is Blose’s first top-five of the season, although he’s steadily improved over the past five rounds.

Click here for 250 Overall results | 250 East Rider Points | 250 Combined Rider Points

Max Anstie entered the race weekend second in the points, but a hard crash in heavy traffic early in the main forced him to retire after two laps. Earning only one point for the round, he plummeted to fifth in the standings.

The news was worse for Smith, who was dropped out of the top nine in his heat after the altercation with Deegan and failed to advance through the LCQ. In the last chance race, he stalled his engine and had to mount a determined charge. He got only as high as seventh in that race after crashing while attempting to make a pass on fourth-place Jack Chambers.

2023 Results

Round 10: Chace Sexton wins, penalized
Round 9: Ken Roczen wins
Round 8: Eli Tomac wins 7th Daytona
Round 7: Cooper Webb wins second race
Race 6: Eli Tomac, Jett Lawrence win
Race 5: Webb, Hunter Lawrence win
Race 4: Tomac, H Lawrence win
Race 3: Chase Sexton, Levi Kitchen win
Race 2: Tomac, J Lawrence win
Round 1: Tomac, J Lawrence win