Auto Racing
Roger Penske will take a pay cut for the duration of the coronavirus crisis. Penske made the announcement yesterday, but also stated that construction work at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is being postponed. There will also be potential staff reductions. It was announced last week the Indianapolis 500 will be moved to August 23rd and won’t run on Memorial Day Weekend for the first time since 1945.
Timmy Hill took home bragging rights in the second iRacing event at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway. He surpassed William Byron for the lead with less than five laps to go. Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and Jimmie Johnson all landed outside the top-10.
Horse Racing
The final deadline to nominate horses for the Triple Crown series is being extended indefinitely because of the coronavirus. It was scheduled to be today.The extension was agreed upon by officials at Churchill Downs, Maryland Jockey Club and New York Racing Association.
The Kentucky Derby has been pushed back from May 2nd to September 5th. Maryland and New York racing officials are continuing discussions to decide when the Preakness and Belmont stakes will be run. The Preakness is scheduled for May 16 and the Belmont for June 6. When the Triple Crown dates are settled, a deadline for late nominations will be announced.
Olympics
The Tokyo Olympics that were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic will be held in 2021. Japan’s NHK news says the International Olympic Committee and Japanese organizers are planning to set the opening date on July 23rd of next year. It’s the first postponement of the games since the modern Olympics began in the 19th century.