No fans made TMS’ IndyCar race a ‘bummer.’ But track hopes they’ll be back next month
Depressing.
That’s how Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage described his feelings on Saturday night.
Sure, he loved being the opening race of the IndyCar season and hosting Gov. Greg Abbott for the first professional sports event to return in the state amid the coronavirus pandemic. And the day had plenty of entertainment, capped by one of the best drivers in open-wheel racing history, Scott Dixon, winning for the fourth time at Texas.
But nothing could replicate a live crowd. Seeing the grandstands that can hold more than 100,000 fans empty served as a constant reminder for Gossage of the pandemic and the times the country is facing.
“The only reason in my book that any of us race is because fans dig it,” Gossage said. “I am sure there are race car drivers, whether it’s a million in the stands or nobody in the stands, they’re pumped up. I would tell ‘em, I don’t believe ya because you get more pumped up for the Indy 500 in front of all of those people than you do for Race ‘X.’
“I have told, old and young drivers, we work for the fans. You’re not getting to race if it wasn’t for the fans, certainly not at this level. We work for the fans. You can’t do this without fans, so yes it’s depressing.”
Dixon echoed that sentiment after the race, saying he was “bummed” fans couldn’t be on hand for the celebration.
Gossage said the moment hit home in Victory Lane after qualifying when he presented pole-sitter Josef Newgarden with a trophy. Gossage usually has a script and talks over the PA system during the ceremony, but it was simply a photo opportunity on Saturday.
The same can be said when he presented Tony Kanaan with a pair of custom cowboy boots before the race as a retirement gift. In the past, such as when Gossage presented a life-sized bobblehead to Tony Stewart or a pair of Shetland ponies to Jeff Gordon, those were memorable moments from the race weekend.
Once again, though, it became just a photo opportunity.
“We would’ve made a bigger deal of it. That’s the disappointing part,” Gossage said. “It would be wrong not to pay respect to Tony and all that he’s done here. I’m disappointed that’s all we could do.”
As a consolation prize, Gossage was pleased to see the race do well on the TV ratings front. NBC announced a total audience delivery of 1.285 million viewers, which is the most-watched non-Indy 500 IndyCar race since 2016.
“That’s good for the sport, the state of Texas and Fort Worth,” Gossage said. “A lot of folks saw that we’re back in business here and that’s an important message in these times.”
Gossage and TMS will now shift its focus to the rescheduled NASCAR races next month. All three NASCAR series are scheduled to run July 18-19.
The track is hopeful that fans will be able to attend the races. They are currently preparing a 20-plus page plan to submit to the state.
Technically, the state would’ve allowed TMS to host fans on Saturday night, saying it’s OK for outdoor venues to accommodate up to 25% capacity. But there simply wasn’t enough time for the track to prepare for a crowd given the short notice to line up the people necessary to work concession stands, parking lots, souvenir stands, etc.
Gossage would like to have something finalized — fans or no fans for the NASCAR races — soon. Of course, Gossage acknowledged changes would be coming to the fan experience.
For instance, even if they welcome fans to the races, Gossage said pit road would likely be closed off to prevent fans from coming in contact with drivers and crew members. There could also be staggered times in which sections would be allowed to enter and exit the track to avoid congestion before and after the race.
Additionally, Gossage said the track could have to move fans from seats already purchased to implement social distancing measures better.
“Physically we’re in good shape,” Gossage said. “The way our fencing is, the way the place is built, we can segregate people really easily.
“But our fans need notice. You can’t announce it on July 15. There’s a lot of work to be done. Can we do it? Yeah, we can do it but we need to know fairly soon.”
