Here's What's Missing From This Year's Indy 500 Event

The Indy 500 is set to take place Sunday, May 30, but as racing fans gather at Indianapolis Motor [...]

The Indy 500 is set to take place Sunday, May 30, but as racing fans gather at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and others tune in from home, one aspect of the race is set to be absent. Although the annual race, considered the premier event of the IndyCar Series, traditionally kicks off with thousands of balloons being released during a pre-race celebration, the Indianapolis 500 will go without a balloon release this year.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway confirmed to the IndyStar that it would not proceed with the release, citing COVID-19 safety protocols. In an emailed statement to the local outlet, a spokesperson explained, "the balloon release will not be part of the pre-race show due to the limited footprint of our infield. Our event protocols make this activation, which requires committing both significant space and staff, very hard to pull off." This will mark the second year in a row that the race has gone on without the pre-race balloon release tradition, with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has also canceled the release for the 2020 race for the same reasons.

The balloon release has been a pre-race tradition for more than 70 years, though its decades of observance have led to plenty of controversies. Many environmentalists have called in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to end the tradition altogether, citing the harm it has on the environment and wildlife. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Emma Nelson previously noted that once the balloons deflate and fall back to the ground, they can land in lakes and rivers and can eventually flow into the ocean. Nelson said the balloons can be consumed by turtles or other animal species that suffocate from the debris or starve as it builds up in their stomachs. The practice has also been opposed by Balloon Council, which represents the balloon manufacturing industry.

Following the continued backlash, an Indianapolis Motor Speedway spokesperson walked back an initial 2018 remark stating there was no intention to end the release, later changing tune to say IMS was reevaluating the practice. The IndyStar reports that the spokesperson, in confirming that the 2021 race would go without the tradition, is still reevaluating and there are no updates at this time as to whether the balloon release will continue in the coming years. The 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 begins at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 30. Pre-race coverage starts at 9 a.m. on NBCSN, with NBC taking over coverage at 11 a.m.

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