In accordance with Indiana health guidelines regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, track owner and IndyCar owner Roger Penske should exclude fans, from 250,000-plus of whom traditionally this is the largest sporting event in the world. to make. The grandstands have been insanely low due to the practice and qualifying days of last week.
And seeing the inside of the track missing fans on Carb Day (two days ago) was especially strange. Traditionally, this is the day when not only the NTT IndyCar Series runs its final pre-race practice, there is also the Pitstop Challenge, the gala event of the Indy Lights series (the Freedom 100), and concerts.
The lack of fans has put the emphasis on NBC / NBCSN / NBC Sports Gold to broadcast the activities, and they have come through in style. We expect them to do the same today.
NBC Live coverage begins at 1 p.m. and the build-up ahead will include: feature stories and interviews about polar bear Marco Andretti and his iconic grandfather, 1969 Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti; interviews with Indy winner Simon Pagenaud of 2019 and winner Alexander Rossi of 2016; a live interview with NBC Sports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. from Charlotte; the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by the “Singing Surgeons,” former residents of Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgery Dr. Elvis Francois and Dr. William Robinson; and the singing of “Back Home Again in Indiana” by Chicago Blackhawks folk song singer Jim Cornelison.
Mike Tirico hosts live coverage for pre-race alongside guest analyst and former IndyCar driver Danica Patrick of the Yard of Bricks. Pre-race coverage will include NBC Sport ‘leads IndyCar commentary team of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy, who will also call up the race NBC, such as pit reporters Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast and Kevin Lee. Rutledge Wood will provide reports from around the track, and chat with fans via social media throughout the broadcast.
SCHEDULE: (All times Eastern)
1 pm: All cars on grid
1 pm: NBC Live coverage begins
1:20 pm: “On the banks of the Wabash”
1:47 pm: Indianapolis 500 Driver Introductions
14:08 o’clock: Presentation of colors, military joint services
14:09 o’clock: Invitation – Archbishop Charles C. Thompson, Archbishop of Indianapolis
14:10 o’clock: Rifle Volley
2:11 a.m .: “Cranes”
2:12 a.m .: National anthem
2:14 a.m .: First Flyover – US Air Force Thunderbirds
2:14 a.m .: “Drivers, To Your Cars”
2:20 a.m .: “Back home in Indiana”
2:22 pm: Second US Air Force Flyover Thunderbirds
2:22 pm: Command to start engines from Roger Penske
14:30 hours: Green flag, 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge (200 laps) Flag waved by Dan Towriss, President and CEO, Gainbridge.
In addition, there are IndyCar Radio Network broadcasts live on network branches, Sirius 211, XM 205, indycar.com, indycarradio.com and the IndyCar Mobile app powered by NTT DATA.
How the grid aligns
Photo by: IndyCar
