INDIANAPOLIS – At an eerily empty Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Takuma Sato snatched a second Indianapolis 500 victory in an odd and unsatisfying finish to “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis 500 has been stripped almost to the bone for the 104th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

INDIANAPOLIS – Roger Penske won’t try to hide his disappointment that he can’t open the gates to spectators for his first Indianapolis 500 as steward of the iconic event.

Roger Penske has reversed course and decided not to allow fans at the Indianapolis 500 later this month.

The Indianapolis 500 will run in August with 50% fan capacity, a total that could still hit six figures at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Indianapolis 500 scheduled for May 24 has been postponed until August because of the coronavirus pandemic and won’t run on Memorial Day weekend for the first time since 1946.

Simon Pagenaud says he still has more than 2,000 messages to respond to from his Indianapolis 500 victory. He plans to get to every one of them. He just needs a break. He has been going non-stop since the May 26 win at the Brickyard. There have been plenty of appearances, plus two races last weekend at Detroit. Pagenaud and the IndyCar Series are now at Texas. He was the runner-up last year at the high-speed oval.

Simon Pagenaud earned $2.67 million with his first Indianapolis 500 victory. The pole winner led 116 of the 200 laps on Sunday and became the race’s first French champion since 1920.

Simon Pagenaud arrived at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this month with his job on the line and rumors swirling around Gasoline Alley that Alexander Rossi could soon replace him at Team Penske.

Roger Penske’s love affair with Indianapolis Motor Speedway dates to 1951, when he was a child.

The spectacular flop of Fernando Alonso and his McLaren team to qualify for this year’s Indianapolis 500 may have raised some eyebrows overseas.

Jarrett Andretti will become the seventh member of his family to race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he competes in the Indy Lights race ahead of the Indy 500. It should be a special moment for his entire family, coming 50 years after Mario Andretti’s memorable 500 win and after his father, John Andretti, learned that his cancer had returned.

Sage Karam carried the burden of an entire team into his final four-lap qualifying attempt for the Indianapolis 500 last weekend. He could extend his season by putting Dennis Reinbold’s No. 24 car in the starting grid. Or he could go home and wait another 12 months for another shot. Karam delivered under the pressure by qualifying 31st for Sunday’s race. The win-or-go-home mentality is a cruel reality for a handful of IndyCar drivers who come to Indianapolis each May.

Mario Andretti sees the reminders of 1969 everywhere. His face, his race car number and the familiar STP logo are on memorabilia for this year’s Indianapolis 500. It is all part of the golden anniversary of the first and only Indy 500 win for one of the greatest drivers in racing history.

The soap opera surrounding McLaren’s failed bid to qualify Fernando Alonso for the Indianapolis 500 is over. Attention has shifted to the 33 drivers in the field. The spotlight is now wide open with contenders abound for Sunday’s race. Team Penske, Ed Carpenter Racing and engine-maker Chevrolet have shown the most consistency. Honda and its flagship Andretti Autosport and Chip Ganassi Racing teams have work to do before the 500.

Simon Pagenaud earned his first career Indianapolis 500 pole by posting a four-lap average of 229.992 mph. He barely edged out three-time pole winner Ed Carpenter for the top spot in next week’s race. Carpenter will start second after going 229.889. Spencer Pigot took the final front-row spot with an average of 229.826. Pigot had the top seed in the nine-car pole shootout after posting the best speed in Saturday’s qualifying.

Fernando Alonso and McLaren are in serious danger of missing the Indianapolis 500 after a rocky first day of qualifying. Alonso needed four attempts to crack the top 30 that would have locked him into the field for the May 26 race. But Graham Rahal made a final qualifying effort at the buzzer and knocked Alonso out of the field. Alonso and five other drivers will have one chance Sunday to snag the final three spots in the 33-driver field.

Bobby Rahal remains firmly against guaranteeing spots in the Indianapolis 500 to fulltime entrants of the IndyCar Series. It’s a hot-button issue since championship contender James Hinchcliffe last year missed the race. Three drivers won’t make the field of 33 this year. Roger Penske is among those who think there should be guarantees for those who are committed to running the entire IndyCar season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the pace car for the Indianapolis 500. The retired NASCAR driver is going to the Indy 500 for the first time this year. Earnhardt will drive the Corvette Grand Sport Official at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to lead the 33 drivers to the green flag on May 26. He’ll also be part of NBC Sports’ broadcast coverage of the race.