The 2020 Indy 500 is going to be unlike any other ever held. With no fans in the stands at Indianapolis Motor Speedway the environment will be both eerie and striking as compared to the masses that usually fill the stands. It’s also being held in August and other than the fact that the cars are going to be traveling fast and making left hand turns, it’s the kind of strange that’s become an odd normality in racing. For starters let’s just come right out and say that we’re thankful that Roger Penske owns the series now because if it didn’t it would be gone for all intents and purposes. Penske has been able to do things and absorb financial things that no other owner ever could or would for IndyCar racing. It’s been an astounding illustration of just how much he loves the series and the sport.
One of the things that’s happened for this 2020 Indy 500 is an increase in allowed boost for the racing engines in the series. This is going to knick up the horsepower some and we are seeing speeds in the mid 220s as far as practice goes and qualifying over the course of this week. Back in the day there were guys running 1,000hp engines and making nearly 240mph around the Brickyard so these are not record speeds but they are faster than they have been in the last couple of years.
The big question. Does it matter? Will you watch or not watch the 2020 Indy 500 because of the speeds? We’re thinking for the hardcore series fans this is a fun little nugget but to the majority of people who tune in, they’re not really going to be on the edge of their seats looking to see the fastest lap in five years as much as they are going to be looking for the best racer and team.
Maybe we’re wrong. More horsepower is always good for us, but does it actually move the needle for the series?
Hit the image to check out the Racer.com story about the Indy 500 horsepower boost
Brian, it’s one thing to write ever when you meant every in the body of a story, (yesterday) but you’re a professional journalist now, proofread your story titles. Please CARE enough about your work to check it.
I don’t care about increased boost at The 500 and as a lifelong Hoosier (crossing the Ohio River doesn’t negate your heritage even when fleeing the city) I will watch/listen to The Race just as I have either in person or in front of a box every year since 1959. Thanks for asking.
I haven’t cared about nor watched the Indy 500 since they became just another public version of arguing siblings who are too immature to work out their differences like civilized adults.
Don’t care about increased hp. I would watch again if the rules were loose enough to bring back diesels, sitting beside a turbine, more privateers, etc and the field was a zoo. Safety + hard spending limit + inlet size restrictor and let em rip.
Yes I car, more power is usually a good thing in auto sports
I lost interest about the time CART/IRL split up. Not so much because of it, bat that’s when I stopped paying attention.
Yes- I’ll watch the race for two reasons, neither of which has to do with HP.
1) It’s almost the only racing game in town. NASCAR isn’t worth watching and NHRA & IMSA (and others) are cancelling left & right. Car shows, both local & national, are also being cancelled.
2) I can’t progress on my own hot rod project since I’m waiting on parts to be shipped.
On another subject, *please* get someone to proofread your future articles before posting them. The first two sentences are really awkward- waaaay lamer than what you’ve demonstrated to be capable of writing.
Except for Bonneville, racing is usually all about relative speed – each car relative to the other(s). So a 5 mph difference in absolute top speed when they all run together is a so what. I will continue to follow and watch the Indy 500, unless they promote and paint BLM on the track and cars.