Through all of the uncertainty and unknowns after more than eight months since the last IndyCar race, Scott Dixon and another pair of former champs relied on their experience for podium finishes Saturday night in Forth Worth, Texas.
There were no spectators, and there won’t be for the next race on July 4, but the series finally started its season that was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic with a long, well-screened day — from the health screenings everyone had to go through just to get inside Texas Motor Speedway to the new protective windscreens over the cockpits of the cars.
“We knew coming in it was going to be a tough situation for the IndyCar Series putting together the race and making sure we could put on the show to entertain people," said Simon Pagenaud, who was runner-up behind Dixon. “That’s what we do, that’s what this business is about."
And people watched, even though the only spectators at the track — where the grandstands can seat well over 100,000 people — were those with access to the condos overlooking Turn 2.
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NBC Sports said Sunday that the prime-time telecast drew nearly 1.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched IndyCar race outside the Indianapolis 500 on any network since 2016. It was the biggest audience for an NBC telecast of any IndyCar race away from the Brickyard.
Dixon, the five-time champion, sped away in the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Honda on a restart with three laps left for a comfortable 4.4-second winning margin over a pair of Team Penske drivers, 2017 IndyCar champ Pagenaud and pole-sitter Josef Newgarden, the defending and two-time series champion.
“Just awesome to be back here. It was awesome to get into racing again,” Pagenaud said.
Nearly three months after the season was about to start on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., and the extended hiatus that followed because of the pandemic, the all-in-one-day opener ended with Dixon taking the checkered flag at dusk. The 200-lap race on the 1½-mile, high-banked oval came after practice and qualifying earlier in the day when the heat index was consistently around 100 degrees Fahrenheit — and much hotter in cars and on the track.
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“We hadn’t tested here, the Aeroscreen was new, hadn’t run the tires. A lot of big changes going on,” Dixon said. “You really had to go in with an open mind and kind of make sure that all the work you’d done really worked out . . . . Really hard on the rookies, a lot of people that haven’t been here before. For the veterans, I think [experience] was definitely an advantage."
IndyCar’s next race is at Indianapolis, on the road course and not the 2½-mile track that hosts the Indy 500, which was pushed back from its traditional Memorial Day weekend date until Aug. 23.
Dixon’s 47 wins are the most among active drivers and third on the career list behind A.J. Foyt (67) and Mario Andretti (52). Dixon extended his own record by winning a race in his 16th consecutive season, and matched Foyt’s mark of 18 seasons overall with a victory.
“I feel very lucky and privileged to do what I do, to get to race with the best in the world,” Dixon said. “To still have A.J. and Mario come to the track, I think that’s the coolest thing. And the Unsers, a lot of legends of the sport."
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The season opened at one of the series’ fastest and trickiest tracks, without testing, with limited practice time, and revised tire rules. It was also the debut of the new protective clear windscreens that are anchored to the cockpit with a titanium frame.
“Other than the handling differences, I didn’t notice the screen . . . You can take that as a very good thing. I didn’t notice it," Newgarden said. “It’s there now. I mean, it felt like a normal IndyCar race to me. I didn’t notice a big difference to last year. The handling is different in the car, but as far as the driver’s experience, I don’t even notice the thing anymore.”
Fight card hit by Mayer’s positive test
Junior lightweight contender Mikaela Mayer has tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t fight in the co-main event of Las Vegas’s first major boxing card since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayer announced her positive test on social media Sunday, two days before her scheduled bout against Helen Joseph in the Top Rank show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Mayer (12-0, 5 KOs) is a former US Olympian and a rising star in the 130-pound division. Mayer is asymptomatic, but she tested positive for the virus Saturday, she says.
“The rest of my team tested negative and they are all in good health,” Mayer said. “I was really looking forward to bringing back boxing for all of you and I’m disappointed for myself, my team, my supporters, and for my opponent.”
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Mayer was scheduled to face Joseph in a 10-round bout as she angles for a world title shot later this year.
The bout cancellation is the second in three months for Mayer, who hasn’t fought since October through no fault of her own. She was scheduled to fight Melissa Hernandez in New York on the undercard of a show featuring Michael Conlan in March before the pandemic forced its cancellation.
“After two hard back-to-back camps, not being able to step in to the ring both times, you can imagine how disappointed I am,” Mayer said. “However, these protocols were put into place for a reason and it’s more important to care about the health and well being of my team and the people at this event.”
The Nevada Athletic Commission mandated strict health and safety protocols when it allowed the return of combat sports late last month. UFC has followed those testing procedures and safety measures during its two shows at the gym on its corporate campus, and Top Rank has done the same in its plan to hold two boxing shows in the upcoming week.
Tuesday’s show will be headlined by unbeaten WBO featherweight champion and US Olympian Shakur Stevenson.
Spain considers return of fans
The Spanish soccer league is not ruling out the return of fans to stadiums this season.
League president Javier Tebas said Sunday he is in favor of having fans back as soon as regions are cleared by health authorities, contradicting an earlier message by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who said it wouldn’t be fair for some clubs to have fans and others not.
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“Fans should be back as soon as they are allowed to be back,” Tebas said in his weekly interview with league broadcaster Movistar, adding that he doesn’t think it's a problem that only some teams would likely benefit.
The league’s first game back will be between Sevilla and Real Betis on Thursday, nearly three months after it was suspended because of the pandemic.
Spain has been gradually lifting confinement restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic, with some regions entering advanced stages that could allow them to have matches with at least some fans in the stadiums.
Second-division club Las Palmas had wanted to host its match next weekend with fans at its base on the Canary Islands, which has made more progress than other areas controlling the outbreak. Madrid and Barcelona are among the regions lagging behind.
Until recently, Tebas and the government were not considering having fans back in any of the stadiums until next season.
Tebas said no player or team member has tested positive for COVID-19 recently. He said it’s important for everyone to be extra cautious now that the confinement restrictions are being lifted across Spain, which was one of the hardest-hit countries by the pandemic but recently has appeared able to control the outbreak.
The league is expected to oversee all of the clubs’ trips for matches to minimize the risk of infections.
Tebas also confirmed that fans will have the option to watch matches with virtual crowds including supporters’ chants when it restarts this week. Fans will be able to either watch the original feed from the empty stadiums or an alternative one with crowds superimposed on the stands, similar to video games. Tebas said the league had been testing virtual crowds along with video game company EA Sports, which will provide the audio that it uses in its FIFA titles.
“The virtual atmosphere will be very good,” Tebas said.
'Restrictions protest’ race draws fans
A North Carolina speedway drew a crowd of more than 2,000 spectators in defiance of the state’s coronavirus restrictions after declaring the race a “protest.”
The governor’s office had warned Ace Speedway in Elon last week that a crowd of more than 25 would violate the state’s Phase 2 coronavirus restrictions.
But news outlets report that more than 2,000 attended a race Saturday night. A sign from management outside the speedway said, “This Event is held in Peaceful Protest of Injustice and Inequality Everywhere.”
The Alamance County Sheriff’s Office said it is “evaluating the events.”
Chinese U-19 players suspended for coronavirus control violations
The Chinese Football Association says six members of the national under-19 squad have been suspended for six months for violating coronavirus control measures by leaving training camp at midnight to go drinking.
The 35-player training camp in Shanghai began May 17 and ended Saturday.
“It was a severe violation of the team’s epidemic control regulations, and caused negative impacts on the whole team,” the CFA was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.
The six players will have to sit out all matches through Nov. 30. They also face further punishment from their respective clubs. Players in China have no official organization to represent their interests and it wasn’t clear if there was any way to appeal the ban.
“They all realized the seriousness of the situation. It is a loss to the team, and of course, it will have greater effects on the players themselves,” head coach Cheng Yaodong was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
The under-19 team is to play in the Chinese third division in the upcoming season to give players more competition in preparation for upcoming Olympics.
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Stands empty, but TV full of IndyCar fans for season opener - The Boston Globe
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