The most socially distant sport falls to coronavirus

Even the Indianapolis 500 has fallen to the coronavirus' sports purge.

This year's Indy 500 car race will be pushed to Aug. 23, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced Thursday. It'll be the first time the race hasn't been run on Memorial Day weekend since the end of World War II.

While racing cars seems socially distant on its face, fans, pit crews, and broadcasters all have to be considered in the equation. So to protect "the health and safety of our event participants and spectators," the track made the decision to postpone, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske said. And while the Memorial Day date usually lets the race honor the military, "this August, we'll also have a unique and powerful opportunity to honor the contributions and heroism of the doctors, nurses, first responders and National Guard members serving on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19," Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said.

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In the meantime, the speedway is sponsoring virtual races featuring its top drivers, leaving e-sports as one of the coronavirus-proof competitions still standing.