IndyCar to keep drivers away from fans

Penske says Disney World remains open and we will race

In a memo sent Wednesday to its teams, IndyCar has implemented changes to keep drivers away from fans this weekend at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Drivers are being advised “to pre-sign items items whenever possible, including hero cards" and also bring their own Sharpies. Restricting fan autographs to hero cards is recommended, and drivers are expected to sign a minimum of 100 hero cards that will be distributed by IndyCar.

A Friday autograph session with drivers will replaced with a 15-minute social Q&A taped with drivers (whose attendance is mandatory) that will be shown on videoboards around the course during breaks on track. Drivers will answer questions from fans via social media.

IndyCar drivers still are expected to participate in a fan Q&A Thursday night in a downtown St. Petersburg park but the drivers will be up on a stage away from the fans. A prerace drivers meeting Sunday at noon will remain open to the public, though drivers will be kept at a distance of more than 6 feet from fans and other attendees.

IndyCar teams also were advised to follow advice and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Controls.

Officials cite the fact that there has been no known community spread of the virus in the area, and are asking anyone who is sick or recently traveled to an affected region to take common-sense precautions if they come to the race.

“Public health and the safety of our community are always priority No. 1," Mayor Rick Kriseman said at a news conference on Wednesday. “But we also need to make sure that we’re not panicking. We need to go about our lives, at least until we have data that suggests otherwise."

IndyCar owner Roger Penske said, “We’re monitoring every single move, and we met with (the mayor of St. Petersburg) again today, and continue to coordinate with health department as well. We’ll take this one day at a time, and do everything to make a prudent decision.

“We had 25,000 people at Amelia Island last weekend with no problems. DisneyWorld is still open, there’s a big golf tournament in Florida this weekend, and there’s no reason to make any change in St. Pete unless we’re instructed by the government and/or health department."