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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Scott Goodyear will always remember the first time he finished second in the Indianapolis 500.

“It was emotional,” Goodyear said. “Then the roar of the crowd, and Al (Unser Jr.) raising his hand because he had won the event. It was emotional.”

Goodyear reflected on the end of the 1992 race, still regarded as the closest finish in 500 history, at a preview event for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s newest exhibit on Thursday.

“Second” highlights 43 drivers who finished as runner-ups at least one time but never crossed the yard of bricks first.

The exhibit features memorabilia from the likes of Goodyear, Tony Bettenhausen, Eddie Sachs, Dan Gurney, Michael Andretti, all the way up to most recent runner-up Pato O’Ward.

The fan experience opened the public Friday and will remain open until the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 28.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Beth Paretta has a vision for her new IndyCar team.

She wants to send the first female driver to victory lane at the Indianapolis 500 with the support of a predominantly female cast. And then Paretta hopes to turn it into a full-time pipeline for women in racing.

On Tuesday, she announced the formation of Paretta Autosport and the intention to run this May at Indianapolis. Additional races could be added later this year, she said, with the hope of competing in every IndyCar race next season.

“I didn’t grow up in a racing family, I grew up as a racing fan and I could not have dreamed this for myself,” Paretta said at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “It’s that idea if you find something that you love and you work hard at, maybe the result isn’t a race team but there’s somewhere you can fit. There’s something there for you.””

Paretta certainly wants to make an impact on girls, who might feel left out in what has largely been a male-dominated sport.

But she also wants to send another message: Don’t give up on big dreams.

Paretta took this route once before when she announced she would form an all-female team with driver Katherine Legge to qualify for the the 100th running of the 500 in May 2016. But when Paretta’s team couldn’t find a suitable car just weeks before the race, the effort stalled.

“The car we had wasn’t race worthy, really,” she said. “Could we have run it? Maybe. But there’s extra scrutiny on a program like this.”

Now she’s back with a five-time 500 starter, Simona de Silvestro, and some assistance from Team Penske, the most successful team in Indy history. The team founded by series owner Roger Penske will provide technical support for Paretta Autosport and the two will initially work together at Penske’s headquarters in North Carolina.

The 32-year-old Swiss driver and 2010 Indy 500 rookie of the year will attempt to qualify for the traditional 33-car starting grid in the No. 16 Chevrolet.

De Silvestro finished a career-high 14th in 2010 but last competed at Indy in 2015 when she finished 19th with Michael Andretti’s team. She also has has competed in Australian Supercars, Formula E and IMSA SportsCars. She also was a development driver in Formula One and has been a factory driver for Porsche since 2019.

“I think it’s going to be the best opportunity for me yet with everyone involved believing in the same goals so we can be successful when we come in May,” De Silvestro said. “And I hope it inspires more women to follow their dreams.”

The announcement comes less than three months before IndyCar’s season opener in Birmingham, Alabama, and less than five months after the rescheduled 500 ran without a female driver for the first time since 1999. This year’s 500 is set for May 30.

The plan goes well beyond De Silvestro.

Paretta intends to hire women in all facets of the operation — competition, administration, logistics, marketing and public relations. And the bluprint fits as part of IndyCar’s outreach to create more diversity in the sport.

“This is a powerful moment that meets our goals for Racing for Equality and Change,” IndyCar chief diversity officer Jimmie McMillian said. “We want to create a pipeline for engineers, for owners, for drivers and how to run a team with the help of Mr. Penske and Tim Cindric. That’s very important because I think once we get that pipeline going, I don’t think it will stop.”

For Paretta, it’s another chapter in a pioneering career.

She served as an executive with Street and Racing Technology and was hired at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles as the first female director to lead a performance brand and motorsports for an original equipment manufacturer. In that role, Paretta played a part in three championship-winning seasons from 2012-14, including Penske’s first NASCAR Cup Series title in 2012.

Paretta also serves on the the board of Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, but she has a bigger goal.

“Our team, along with our technical alliance with Team Penske, will work hard to give Simona the best car we can provide so she can achieve her best results,” Paretta said. “The Indy 500 is the greatest race in the world, and one day soon we hope to have a woman’s face on the Borg-Warner Trophy.”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Racegoers at the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be required to wear masks and attendance will be limited to 25% capacity at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the track announced Tuesday.

Concerns about the spread of coronavirus pushed the race from its customary Sunday before Memorial Day to Aug. 23.

On June 26, IMS announced it would be limiting attendance to 50% capacity and gave fans the option to give up their seats and have priority at next year’s race. At the time of that announcement, the track said there was no plan to lift the local TV blackout of the live race.

Ticket sales will stop after Friday, further limiting the number of people who will attend, IMS said in a news release.

A detailed plan with guidelines and protocols for the race will be released to the public Wednesday, according to the track.

IMS says it will fulfill all ticket requests received by existing customers, with tickets sent out beginning in the first week of August.

No spectators were allowed at the Fourth of July weekend doubleheader at IMS, where IndyCar drivers raced in the GMR Grand Prix and NASCAR drivers rounded the oval for the Brickyard 400.

Full statement from IMS:

Based on policies and procedures put into effect by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IMS officials announced today that attendance for the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, Aug. 23 will be approximately 25 percent of capacity. Face coverings will be required for all attendees.

Ticket sales will not be permitted after Friday, July 24, further limiting the number of people who will attend the annual spectacle at the world’s largest outdoor sports facility.

IMS has prepared a detailed, nearly 100-page plan that provides guidelines and protocols for how the race will be run this year. The plan will be released publicly Wednesday, July 22 ahead of a conference call with Speedway officials. A media advisory with details surrounding the conference call will follow shortly.

“In June, we announced the race was on and that attendance would be limited to no more than 50 percent of capacity,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles. “We also made clear we intended to do things differently this year. By offering credits to fans who had previously purchased tickets, encouraging those over 65 to stay at home, limiting attendance in the infield, reducing tickets in our suites and promising fans their decision to not attend would not impact their seniority or right to renew tickets for 2021, we now anticipate attendance at approximately 25 percent of capacity. We will welcome fans back, and we have an aggressive plan in place, which has been developed through collaboration with national, state and local health experts.”

Indy officials have made clear this year’s race will include numerous safety precautions, including the reassignment of seats to provide for greater distancing; the issuance and required use of masks, distribution of hand sanitizer to all who enter; temperature checks in order to enter; and changes throughout the facility to minimize lines and gathering spots, including limiting options from concession stands to mostly pre-packaged foods. Numerous other changes will also be in place.

“We look forward to welcoming fans back to the 500 in person. Our outdoor facility is mammoth, and with attendance of about 25 percent, it will certainly look different this year,” said Miles. “We want to demonstrate that even under current circumstances, people can gather with carefully planned procedures in place so we don’t have to go back to shutting down our country and our community.”

IMS will fulfill all ticket requests that have been received from existing customers. Those tickets will be distributed beginning the first week of August.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Coronavirus links

Indiana coronavirus timeline

With information from the Indiana Department of Health through March 4, 2021, this timeline reflects updated tallies of deaths and positive tests prior to that date.

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) — Mike Powell is always busy on race weekends at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and hard at work right in the middle of the action.

“It’s been interesting because I work at a couple of other places, and they’ve all been shut down,” Powell said about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. “I get to spend more time with my wife, which she says that is a good thing.” 

On pit road at the speedway during the Indianapolis 500, fans can hear the whistling, pointing and yelling of the people who are in place to attempt to corral the largest single-day sporting event in the world.  

For anyone who has visited the Indy 500 or another race on the property, these folks are known as the Yellow Shirts.

This past weekend, for the first time in a quarter century, a race weekend came and went without Powell as a Yellow Shirt. He’s a lifelong east-side Indianapolis resident.

“I talked to my White Hat, who is my boss, and he said it was probably going to be a pretty small crew.”

“There is not really a reason to have that many people on pit road as opposed to when we have 5,000 people just wondering up and down sometimes,” Powell said.

No spectators at the first-ever NASCAR-IndyCar doubleheader last weekend meant no need for most of the Yellow Shirts.

“Everybody is waiting to get back and everybody misses it,” Powell said. “It’s like anything else, you become a family and, after 24 years, even with the fans.”

During the 104th Indianapolis 500 on Aug. 23, find a Yellow Shirt and brighten the people behind the uniforms.

Coronavirus links

Indiana coronavirus timeline

With information from the Indiana Department of Health through March 4, 2021, this timeline reflects updated tallies of deaths and positive tests prior to that date.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana has launched a campaign to get food to those in need.

The awareness effort #NoOneRunsOnEmpty highlights advocacy and volunteerism, and encourages financial support for hunger relief programs. Anthem Foundation will match all donations dollar-for-dollar up to $1 million to provide 10 million meals to hungry Hoosiers.

The campaign will feature a partnership with Andretti Autosport. Its driver Colton Herta will drive in Saturday’s GMR Grand Prix and Aug. 23’s coronavirus-delayed Indianapolis 500, both at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Herta said at Thursday’s campaign unveiling, “So, I’m very incredibly happy to be a part of this. It means a lot to try and move forward with this message of running on empty and trying to get more of these families fed. That’s one thing that no one should every worry about is having a meal at home.”

Bank of America has also joined the effort by making a $250,000 gift toward the challenge.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The month of August will be an historic moment for the Indianapolis 500.

“I didn’t care if it was December, I’m just glad we are racing. I’m excited to get the chance to defend my crown and try again to bring home the milk,” said 2019 Indianapolis 500 Champion, Simon Pagenaud.

Someone will bring home the milk, and hopefully it won’t be spoiled, because when the green flag finally waves, it will be in August. But, it will be historic.

It will be the first-ever Indy 500 to take place outside of the month of May, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the build-up might make it better than ever.

“When the 500 finally does come back, there’s going to be that same buzz and excitement we felt for the 100th,  because the anticipation is there and it’s just building and building each day and week that people can’t go to the race track and do what they love and want to do,” SAID Alexander Rossi of Andretti Autosport. “And so if we do our jobs right, we can make it one of the biggest 500s ever.”

We learned that you may be able to take the Indianapolis 500 out of the month of May, but according to the drivers, you can’t take the tradition out of IMS.

“In my opinion, it doesn’t really matter the time of year that we go racing. The Indy 500 is what it is,” said Graham Rahal of Lanigan Racing.

“You’ve just got to treat it like you always do, it’s just a different month. But the flow of the month, the practice time, the cadence of when we practice, when we qualify, so once we get there, it’s going to feel very similar,” said Ed Carpenter of Ed Carpenter Racing.

But things will be far from normal. The 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be history in the making. Regardless of who kisses the bricks, or what happens on the track, no one will forget when they went racing in August.

“We can look back at it with a sense of accomplishment, with a sense of kind of dealing with a something that really altered the state of sports in general, and that motorsports came out on top,” said Rossi.

Coronavirus links

Indiana coronavirus timeline

With information from the Indiana Department of Health through March 4, 2021, this timeline reflects updated tallies of deaths and positive tests prior to that date.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will soon become one of two new COVID-19 test sites in the city.

The Marion County Health Department and the city of Indianapolis announced the new testing sites that will replace two other sites.

Beginning Wednesday, drive-through and walk-up testing for COVID-19 will be offered on the east side of Indianapolis at Warren Central High School at 9500 E. 16th Street. Testing will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. Testing will be closed on Memorial Day.

Testing will also be offered on the west side at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 4790 W. 16th Street, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. beginning May 26, two days after the Indianapolis 500 was scheduled to be held.

“It takes an entire community, working together, to combat the effects of a global pandemic,” said Paul Babcock, director of the Office of Public Health and Safety, in a release to News 8. “We are thankful to the many partners that have stepped forward to do their part, including Roger Penske and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as Warren Central High School.”

The county’s first testing site at the Indiana State Fairgrounds will close on Friday, May 27.

Testing at the Eastern Star Church main campus on East 30th Street closed Friday.

Residents with symptoms of COVID-19 or who meet other testing criteria can register by visiting MarionHealth.org/indycovid. 

Coronavirus links

Indiana coronavirus timeline

With information from the Indiana Department of Health through March 4, 2021, this timeline reflects updated tallies of deaths and positive tests prior to that date.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — With the COVID-19 pandemic, race car drivers are no longer behind the wheel, which leaves a ripple effect in the motorsports world.

“Sponsors pay a lot of money to have their names on race cars and when we aren’t out there, it’s affecting them,” said Sage Karam of Team Dreyer and Reinbold.

For most teams in the IndyCar Series, their sponsors have already paid for the first portion of the season. So, how are they going to get their money’s worth without actual races?

“It’s definitely going to take more effort now to, to kind of become entertaining to people without a race suit and the helmet on,” said Alex Rossi of Team Andretti Autosport. “I think a good bridge that every driver and team is trying to partake in right now is social media.”

Sponsors are settling with having their names mentioned on their drivers’ social media feeds along with added fan interaction from the drivers’ side of things. 

Instagram, meet your newest influencers, formerly known as IndyCar drivers.

“I’m still probably in denial a little bit about that being a thing. Um, but you know, ultimately it’s, it’s what, it’s just an hour requirements part of your job description, right?” Rossi said. “It’s, it’s not something that any of us wanted or any of us really expected, but it’s just the reality that we’re in now.”

The challenge for drivers: advertisements are boring. IndyCar drivers are not.

“It’s hard. We aren’t used to having to be creative like this,” Karam said. “We’re getting to the point where we’re starting to make TikToks and stuff.”

The reigning Indianapolis 500 champion, Simon Pagenaud is hosting a series on his Twitter called #SimonsPetPeeves.

Rossi has something else cooked up: maybe a cooking lesson with race car driver Conor Daly.

“He doesn’t even own pots and pans. So it would be really funny to do some sort of cooking lesson with Conor because I can cook a little bit, not like a very large amount of things, but he can literally cook nothing. So be kind of be like the blind teaching the blind and in a way.”

From fighting for the finish line to fighting for followers, prepare for IndyCar drivers to break the internet because, of course, there will be a competitive twist.

“Hopefully we can do a better job than everyone else. In a way, it’s going to be a competition,” Rossi said.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here is the starting grid for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

GALLERY: Photos of drivers in order on starting grid

Drivers are listed with row, rank, car number in parentheses, driver, engine, qualifying time, and speed in parentheses:

Row 1

1. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 2:36.5271 (229.992 mph)

2. (20) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 2:36.5971 (229.889)

3. (21) Spencer Pigot, Chevrolet, 2:36.6402 (229.826)

Row 2

4. (63) Ed Jones, Chevrolet, 2:36.7629 (229.646)

5. (88) Colton Herta, Honda, 2:37.1465 (229.086)

6. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 2:37.4490 (228.645)

Row 3

7. (18) Sebastien Bourdais, Honda, 2:37.4659 (228.621)

8. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 2:37.6208 (228.396)

9. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 2:37.7240 (228.247)

Row 4

10. (98) Marco Andretti, Honda, 2:37.3729 (228.756)        

11. (25) Conor Daly, Honda, 2:37.4688 (228.617)

12. (3) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 2:37.5337 (228.523)

Row 5

13. (7) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 2:37.5415 (228.511)

14. (30) Takuma Sato, Honda, 2:37.6874 (228.300)

15. (33) James Davison, Honda, 2:37.7057 (228.273)

Row 6

16. (14) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 2:37.8116 (228.120)

17. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 2:37.8226 (228.104)

18. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 2:37.8256 (228.100)

Row 7

19. (77) Oriol Servia, Honda, 2:37.9009 (227.991)

20. (23) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 2:37.9535 (227.915)

21. (48) JR Hildebrand, Chevrolet, 2:37.9584 (227.908)

Row 8

22. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 2:37.9799 (227.877)

23. (19) Santino Ferrucci, Honda, 2:38.0815 (227.731)

24. (4) Matheus Leist, Chevrolet, 2:38.0911 (227.717)

Row 9

25. (60) Jack Harvey, Honda, 2:38.1063 (227.695)

26. (42) Jordan King, Honda, 2:38.2402 (227.502)

27. (81) Ben Hanley, Chevrolet, 2:38.2542 (227.482)

Row 10

28. (26) Zach Veach, Honda, 2:38.3523 (227.341)

29. (10) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 2:38.3834 (227.297)

30. (39) Pippa Mann, Chevrolet, 2:38.4203 (227.244)

Row 11

31. (24) Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 2:38.0747 (227.740)

32. (5T) James Hinchcliffe, Chevrolet, 2:38.2118 (227.543)

33. (32) Kyle Kaiser, Chevrolet, 2:38.3311 (227.372)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here is the starting grid for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

GALLERY: Photos of drivers in order on starting grid

Drivers are listed with row, rank, car number in parentheses, driver, engine, qualifying time, and speed in parentheses:

Row 1

1. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 2:36.5271 (229.992 mph)

2. (20) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 2:36.5971 (229.889)

3. (21) Spencer Pigot, Chevrolet, 2:36.6402 (229.826)

Row 2

4. (63) Ed Jones, Chevrolet, 2:36.7629 (229.646)

5. (88) Colton Herta, Honda, 2:37.1465 (229.086)

6. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 2:37.4490 (228.645)

Row 3

7. (18) Sebastien Bourdais, Honda, 2:37.4659 (228.621)

8. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 2:37.6208 (228.396)

9. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 2:37.7240 (228.247)

Row 4

10. (98) Marco Andretti, Honda, 2:37.3729 (228.756)        

11. (25) Conor Daly, Honda, 2:37.4688 (228.617)

12. (3) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 2:37.5337 (228.523)

Row 5

13. (7) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 2:37.5415 (228.511)

14. (30) Takuma Sato, Honda, 2:37.6874 (228.300)

15. (33) James Davison, Honda, 2:37.7057 (228.273)

Row 6

16. (14) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 2:37.8116 (228.120)

17. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 2:37.8226 (228.104)

18. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 2:37.8256 (228.100)

Row 7

19. (77) Oriol Servia, Honda, 2:37.9009 (227.991)

20. (23) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 2:37.9535 (227.915)

21. (48) JR Hildebrand, Chevrolet, 2:37.9584 (227.908)

Row 8

22. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 2:37.9799 (227.877)

23. (19) Santino Ferrucci, Honda, 2:38.0815 (227.731)

24. (4) Matheus Leist, Chevrolet, 2:38.0911 (227.717)

Row 9

25. (60) Jack Harvey, Honda, 2:38.1063 (227.695)

26. (42) Jordan King, Honda, 2:38.2402 (227.502)

27. (81) Ben Hanley, Chevrolet, 2:38.2542 (227.482)

Row 10

28. (26) Zach Veach, Honda, 2:38.3523 (227.341)

29. (10) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 2:38.3834 (227.297)

30. (39) Pippa Mann, Chevrolet, 2:38.4203 (227.244)

Row 11

31. (24) Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 2:38.0747 (227.740)

32. (5T) James Hinchcliffe, Chevrolet, 2:38.2118 (227.543)

33. (32) Kyle Kaiser, Chevrolet, 2:38.3311 (227.372)