It is finally May and time to declare this a crummy year to have purchased Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Racing was supposed to begin this weekend at the historic speedway where Roger Penske would have unveiled the initial phase of his renovations after completing the purchase of IMS and its assets in January. Penske, with a demand for perfection and relentless attention to detail, had touted 700-something new bathroom hand dryers and paved parking lots among the immediate capital improvements.
Then came the coronavirus pandemic and the IndyCar Series was suspended 48 hours before its March 15 season-opening race.
FILE - In this Nov. 4, 2019, file photo, Gate one at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is shown before a news conference announcing the sale of the race track, IndyCar and related business from Hulman & Company to Penske Corporation in Indianapolis. It is finally May and acceptable to declare this a crummy year for Roger Penske to have purchased Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (AP PhotoAJ Mast, File)
Before sports shut down, IMS was scheduled to open this week for the GMR Grand Prix on the road course. Scott McLaughlin, a two-time V8 Supercars champion, was to make his IndyCar debut. The gates would have officially opened for “The Month of May” and fans would begin trickling into the old gray lady on the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street.
Its new owner was determined to make the 111-year-old landmark “Penske Perfect” in time for the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend.
Instead, everything waits.
FILE - In this Nov. 4, 2019, file photo, Penske Corporation Chairman Roger Penske responds to a question about the sale of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar and related business from Hulman & Company to Penske Corporation at a news conference in Indianapolis. It is finally May and acceptable to declare this a crummy year for Roger Penske to have purchased Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (AP PhotoAJ Mast, File)
Nothing has happened since IndyCar put Penske’s first season as owner on hold. The schedule, changed over and over and still in need of adjustments, is on pace to finally begin June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway.
IndyCar and track promoter Eddie Gossage of Speedway Motorsports will come to a deal neither side can refuse so that Texas can overcome the loss of income from not permitting spectators — and it deserves to be noted that few track operators have been as accommodating as Gossage in IndyCar's sustainability.
But the Indianapolis 500 has already been moved to August, marking the first time since 1945 the race won’t be held on Memorial Day weekend. McLaughlin is stuck in Australia, his anticipated series debut on hold as the two-time IndyCar iRacing winner hopes the revised calendars afford him another opportunity to race in America in 2020.
FILE - In this May 26, 2019, file photo, Simon Pagenaud, of France, leads the field through the first turn on the start of the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis. It is finally May and acceptable to declare this a crummy year for Roger Penske to have purchased Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The iconic track was scheduled to open this week for racing, but everything has been put on hold, including the Indianapolis 500, because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP PhotoDarron Cummings, File)
Everything has been pretty awful — nothing close to the way anyone expected for The Captain’s first year at the helm of this piece of Americana. In the four-plus months since Indy became his, the 83-year-old billionaire businessman has been stymied at every attempt to showcase his prized new asset.
Races have dropped off the calendar and there could be more collateral: Toronto scheduled for July 12 has yet to be canceled but Mark Miles, who heads IMS and IndyCar under Penske, isn't hopeful the street course event will happen under Canada’s current regulations.
Much like NASCAR, the IndyCar teams are financially hanging by a thread and desperate for racing to begin for badly needed revenue. The drivers have been good sports with an iRacing league that showcased their personalities, and for the most part they avoided the controversies that ensnared some of their NASCAR peers.
But everyone is ready for iRacing to go back to its space and for engines to roar again.
Miles said IndyCar is ready to race and should be at Texas as planned. The series, he said, wasn’t waiting for NASCAR to go first — NASCAR plans to restart May 17. IndyCar is simply planning to start with the next event on the schedule that has yet to be canceled or postponed.
Miles also hopes there can be fans socially distanced across the 640 acres at Road America in Wisconsin on June 21. The governor of Indiana is planning to allow fans in July at the speedway, when IndyCar and NASCAR hold what could be (the revised schedules are unpredictably changing) an unprecedented doubleheader between the series.
When Penske was forced to reschedule the Indianapolis 500, he used an optimistic view in discussing the opportunities ahead of his staff. He's owned race tracks before, promoted races and was chair of Detroit's host committee for the Super Bowl in 2005.
He didn't once lament the bad timing of a pandemic spoiling his purchase or his plans. Time and again, IndyCar's stakeholders have publicly expressed their gratitude that it is Penske in charge. It's been a bumpy start and the road ahead may still be rough — this month particularly as May, which signifies racing Indy cars at the speedway, drags along and IMS sits idle.
But few doubt Penske and his staff can guide the series through this crisis and ensure “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” goes on one way or another.
U.S. Olympic hurdler Christina Clemons sent numerous emails to those in the track community raising concerns over a gap in health care insurance coverage for new mothers who still wanted to compete.
Those baby steps turned into big strides as USA Track & Field unveiled a program Thursday that expands an existing maternity support system to give athletes more time to work their way back. It's one less hurdle for women in the sport who want to start a family in the middle of their careers.
For Clemons, it's a way to help carry the baton and follow in the footsteps of Allyson Felix and others who have been advocating for equality for mothers on and off the track.
“There is a huge lack of support in sports in general when it comes to mothers, which is crazy to me," said the 33-year-old Clemons, who gave birth to her son, Kylo, on Feb. 4, 2023, and is trying to make the U.S. team for the Paris Games this summer. "This program (by USATF) really is filling a gap and coming in and saving the day. You don’t feel so pressured to perform at a time when no matter what you do, you really can’t — not a year after pregnancy.”
Under the current system, a Team USA athlete can gain assistance through the Elite Athlete Health Insurance set up by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. It provides insurance for one year after the end of a pregnancy, with the caveat that an athlete still expects to compete. There's also an athlete stipend.
USATF's new plan increases the time frame to give an athlete more of an opportunity to recover and more chances to requalify for their funding, which is based on results and rankings through a tiered system that need to be achieved by a certain date. To qualify for tier status, an athlete must meet certain criteria such as being a medalist or finalist in the most recent major meet (Olympics or world championships) or finish in the top 15 in the world rankings. There are other levels, too, based on performance.
This season, USATF's expanded policy includes six athletes, with funding part of the organization's overall budget. It reimburses for COBRA health care premiums, along with providing additional support through the USATF's high-performance programs.
“For us, it’s a pretty simple fix — and an important fix,” said Renee Chube Washington, the chief operating officer for USATF. “It’s stressful being a new mom or dad. ... If we can help ease a little bit of that stress, we can and we will."
For so long, women in track and field encountered the same sort of message — get pregnant and face barriers. Through the actions over the years of some of the sport's top runners like Felix, Kara Goucher and Alysia Montano, more light is being cast on the subject. They successfully lobbied for more protections over endorsement-contract terms.
Clemons wants to help pave the way, too.
“It’s extremely important because these changes that us mothers are making will change the outlook women have on becoming mothers while still competing,” said Clemons, a silver medalist in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2018 world indoor championships. “Many women wait until after they finish their careers to become mothers because of the fear of not being supported. We shouldn’t have to put our lives on hold when men don’t have to.”
In addition, USATF is exploring ways to provide child care options at big events for athletes who are parents.
“It’s all a part of a holistic approach to help our athletes," Washington said. "It's part of the secret sauce that makes the difference to get us on the podium, which is where we want to be.”
For Clemons, the new health insurance policy became a game changer.
Clemons competed until she was 2 1/2 months pregnant, with her last race at the 2022 U.S. outdoor championships that June. She didn't officially return to training until last October, which didn't give her a chance to requalify for tier benefits by the September deadline. She sent email after email to officials to voice her concerns.
The new program grants her a grace period to obtain tier status. Clemons made the U.S. squad for the world indoor championships last month, advancing to the semifinals in the hurdles. But it wasn't until a race two weeks ago when she truly felt back, matching a personal-best time.
“What USATF did to correct this (gap) is huge for mothers,” said Clemons, who is preparing for U.S. Olympic trials in June in an effort to earn a ticket to Paris. “I’m very appreciative.
“I have the support that I need behind me. I really, truly feel like I’ll make this team and I’ll come home with a medal.”
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
FILE - Christina Clemons, of the United States, reacts after a women's 100-meter hurdles semifinal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo. U.S. Olympic hurdler Christina Clemons sent email after email raising concerns over a gap in health-care insurance coverage for new mothers who still wanted to compete. Those baby steps turned into big strides as USA Track and Field unveiled a program Thursday, April 25, 2024, that expands an existing maternity support system to give new moms even more time to return to an elite level. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
FILE - Christina Clemons, of the United States, and Helena Jiranova, of the Czech Republic, compete in a women's 60 meters hurdles heat during the World Athletics Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Sunday, March 3, 2024. U.S. Olympic hurdler Christina Clemons sent email after email raising concerns over a gap in health-care insurance coverage for new mothers who still wanted to compete. Those baby steps turned into big strides as USA Track and Field unveiled a program Thursday, April 25, that expands an existing maternity support system to give new moms even more time to return to an elite level. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
