INDIANAPOLIS – Although it’s not official, Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles has a date in mind for the twice-postponed Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio doubleheader at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Miles would like the doubleheader races to be held on Sept. 12-13, but that is contingent on the COVID-19 numbers in Ohio.
“That’s our first choice,” Miles told SPEED SPORT.
The race was supposed to be held July 24-26 when the original schedule was released last year.
Because of the ongoing COVID pandemic, that race was moved to Aug. 9 when the first of many schedule revisions was announced on March 20.
On July 27, that race was changed to a doubleheader. Five days later, however, it was postponed a second time when Ohio Governor Mike DeWine imposed further restrictions on large crowds because the positive cases of COVID-19 were increasing in Ohio.
Miles and the IndyCar staff has been working with Mid-Ohio promoters Green Savoree Promotions and Ohio government and health officials to find a date that will allow spectators to attend.
There is also the piece of the puzzle that also includes television partner NBC and NBCSN, who must find a date that works for all parties concerned to be able to televise both races.
“We would like to be there the second week of September for a doubleheader,” Miles said Wednesday. “Like all of these decisions, it’s going to be driven by the situation on the ground in Ohio. It will probably be something that we won’t know until we get closer to the end of August period.
“The teams are ready to go. We’d like to be there. NBC has saved some time for us. Hopefully we’ll have a doubleheader at Mid-Ohio in mid-September.”
Miles is confident the series will be able to move forward with doubleheader races plus this weekend’s 104th Indianapolis 500 to complete a 14-race schedule in this COVID-impacted season.
“I think we’ve done really well,” Miles said of meeting the challenges, including the reluctant decision to stage the Indy 500 without spectators.
“After the 500 this Sunday, we will have had seven IndyCar races. We have seven yet that are scheduled,” Miles continued. “I’m quite optimistic about doing the doubleheader in St. Louis, the weekend following Indianapolis. Then we’re hoping we can get back to Mid-Ohio and do a doubleheader. We’ll be here at the Grand Prix in October and expect to do the doubleheader. We’ll have our finale in St. Petersburg.
“The Indianapolis 500 represents the first seven, then seven yet to go. We’re hopeful of getting all of them in.”
With so many states and venues in areas where COVID-19 cases would not allow large gatherings, the NTT IndyCar Series season has been a work in progress. That is why IndyCar has successfully doubled up at its venues to have two full points paying races in one weekend.
“The doubleheaders have been a key,” Miles said. “It’s very difficult to stand up a new race in a new place on an unscheduled weekend, much more feasible to add a second race on a weekend at a place where we’d already planned to race. That’s helped the promoters who have had the benefit of having a second race added to their program. It’s pretty efficient for all of us, IndyCar, NBC and of course the teams. So that’s been really important.
“I think the teams have been remarkably resilient. I think they’re in pretty good shape. I’m sure there will be conversations all of us will have with our sponsors and other partners. Most of those are sort of by informal understanding: Let’s wait till the end of the year and we’ll take stock and have any kind of a true-up that might be appropriate.
“For the most part I think we’re delivering really good value. I think that’s perceived by our partners. We’re certainly making the best of a difficult situation.”