NASCAR, Formula 1, IndyCar update: No racing for the foreseeable future

What was a depleted schedule of upcoming sporting events was effectively a depleted schedule of NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar races. Now that depleted schedule of races is empty.

Even after the NBA and NHL suspended their seasons, the NCAA canceled the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments for the first time, the MLB suspended the start of their season and much, much more was altered in the sporting world due to the coronavirus outbreak and the growing threat of COVID-19, multiple racing series looked forward.

NASCAR had aimed to continue their season as planned at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, albeit without fans in attendance.

The same plans were made for next weekend’s festivities at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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Formula 1 had aimed to open up their season as planned at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, ahead of next weekend’s scheduled Bahrain Grand Prix at an empty Bahrain International Circuit.

IndyCar had aimed to open up their season as planned on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, albeit without fans in attendance.

The only official change to the 2020 schedule was that the race on the streets of Long Beach, California, initially scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 19, would be either postponed and rescheduled or canceled.

Now there is no racing for the foreseeable future.

NOTE: ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BECAUSE OF HOW UNPREDICTABLE THIS SITUATION IS!

Stay up to date with all postponements and cancellations: POSTPONEMENT AND CANCELLATION TRACKER

NASCAR quickly went from no fans to no races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Texas Motor Speedway is scheduled to host the next race weekend in two weeks at the end of March, but that situation is currently being monitored and is likely to change in some fashion.

As for Formula 1, after a McLaren team member tested positive for the coronavirus, Formula 1 teams opted not to go ahead with the Australian Grand Prix.

The race was not officially canceled right away; updated plans had the event still taking place without fans. But again, nobody was going to compete. Unsurprisingly, it was axed.

Shortly thereafter, the next two races on the schedule, including the aforementioned Bahrain Grand Prix and what would have been the inaugural Vietnamese Grand Prix at Hanoi Street Circuit, were axed as well. The fourth race on the schedule, the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit, had also been canceled exactly one month prior.

With the fifth, sixth and seventh races on the schedule being European races (Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort, Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Monaco Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco), there is mounting speculation that the season won’t get underway until June with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit.

IndyCar‘s situation was perhaps the most alarming. With the series all set to open up their season in front of no fans this weekend, the start of the season was quickly shifted from March all the way to May.

This race weekend was axed, the race weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in three weeks was axed, and the race weekend at Circuit of the Americas, one week after the race weekend at Long Beach, was also abandoned. There are hopes of rescheduling these events, but again, nothing has been confirmed.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is now provisionally slated to host the season opener on the track’s road course on Saturday, May 9. The focus of the series has shifted to the month of May, which also includes the Indianapolis 500, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 24.

To all of our fans, followers, readers, etc. and all of your friends and family, stay safe and healthy.