INDIANAPOLIS — IndyCar has essentially canceled the 2020 Indy Lights season this year due to cancellations because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a press release, IndyCar saying they have “deferred” the 2020 season to 2021. The series said because there have been so many modifications to the NTT IndyCar Series, which normally goes hand-and-hand with the Indy Lights calendar, as a result, the 2020 Indy Lights season is “no longer viable.”
”The Road to Indy is extremely important to INDYCAR,” said Jay Frye, President of INDYCAR. “This was a difficult decision, knowing the impact it would have on the competitors and how disappointing it would be for the fans. However, it became clear, that we needed to focus our collective efforts on preparing for a strong 2021 Indy Lights season.”
The Indy Lights Series presented by Cooper Tires is the penultimate series for young drivers who are developing to eventually try and earn a spot in the NTT IndyCar Series.
Frye also said that in spite of the cancelation of the Indy Light season, the lower series’ consisting of the Indy Pro 2000 Championship and USF2000 Championship will still run a normal 2020 schedule — albeit modified to fit rescheduled events because of the pandemic.
The move also means there will be no Freedom 100, which is normally run on the oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the Friday before the Indianapolis 500 on Carb Day. The Indianapolis 500 is set to be run on Aug. 23.
