There will be no shortage of camera angles, opinions and airtime shared over various broadcasts covering the Open-Wheels 500 presented by Mitchell Transmissions this weekend.
Back for the 2020 event, RaceSpot TV has not only returned as the lead broadcast partner of the Open-Wheels 500 – but the industry-leading sim racing production team has expanded their efforts to include additional coverage of this weekend’s edition of the World’s Greatest Sim Race.
Led by Arjuna Kankipati, RaceSpot TV will kick off the weekend by airing Friday evening’s Veterans 100 qualifications, beginning at 8:00 PM Eastern. On Saturday, RaceSpot will join in the “Day Before the 500” fun by airing the Veterans 100 at 2:00 PM Eastern, followed by the Pit Stop Competition at 3:00 PM Eastern.
Everything builds into the live, worldwide broadcast of the 2020 Open-Wheels 500 presented by Mitchell Transmissions on Sunday. RaceSpot TV’s coverage begins at 11:30 AM Eastern, with the green flag scheduled for 11:45 AM Eastern.
“To bring RaceSpot TV back for our second year at the Open-Wheels 500, and to see the intense buy-in they have had for our event, is truly a treat for our staff and the competitors alike,” said Tanner Watkins, president of the Open-Wheels 500. “Arjuna and Wil at RaceSpot have provided us with a wonderful opportunity to showcase the Open-Wheels 500 this weekend, and we look forward to putting on a spectacular show.”
“RaceSpot TV is excited to be partnering with Open-Wheels for broadcast coverage of the 500 Mile Race for a 2nd consecutive year,” said Kankipati. “Expanding from our coverage of the inaugural running of the Open-Wheels 500, over 10 total hours of broadcasts will be handled by the RaceSpot team to supplement coverage on Open-Wheels TV. The additional coverage included the qualifying draw, as well as the Open-Wheels Veterans 100 and the Pit Stop Competition which will take place the on the Day Before The 500.”
Last year’s lead commentator Randy Chenowth steps out of the booth as he attempted to qualify for the field of 33 cars, and this year’s race broadcast team will consist of Wil Vincent, Arjuna Kankipati & Aaron Likens. Those who have watched any of the official iRacing Indy 500’s will be familiar with Wil’s trademark style and voice, as he continues an impressive run of 500-mile broadcasts closing in on almost 30 500-mile races called at the Brickyard.
Additionally, RaceSpot has over 240 unique TV camera views that can be accessed by the broadcast team at any time. Adding the nine on-board cameras that will be available for every competitor, RaceSpot TV will have up to 540 total camera angles that can be utilized throughout the broadcasts.
The 2020 Open-Wheels 500 race broadcast will be broadcast across RaceSpot TV’s YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels, and is brought to you by the Majors Series.
Aside from RaceSpot TV coverage this weekend, Open-Wheels TV will continue to provide supplemental coverage of the 2020 event. On Saturday, the fun kicks off with Today at the 500 at 9:00 AM Eastern, followed by the public drivers meeting at 11:00 AM Eastern. Final practice for the 2020 Open-Wheels 500 will be held at 12:30 PM on Saturday, also shown on Open-Wheels TV to lead into the RaceSpot broadcast later that afternoon.
Finally, the Today at the 500 Pre-Race Show will kick off race day festivities on Sunday – going live at 9:00 AM Eastern and bringing you all of the pre-race traditions that have become synonymous with Indianapolis.
A full broadcast schedule for this weekend at the Open-Wheels 500 is listed below. You can click each event on the broadcast schedule for its scheduled stream link.
2020 OPEN-WHEELS 500
RACE WEEKEND BROADCAST SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
8:00 PM – Veterans 100 Qualifications (RaceSpot TV)
SATURDAY
9:00 AM – Today at the 500 (Open-Wheels TV)
11:00 AM – Public Drivers Meeting (Open-Wheels TV)
12:30 PM – Final Practice for the Open-Wheels 500 (Open-Wheels TV)
2:00 PM – Veterans 100 and Pit Stop Competition (RaceSpot TV)
SUNDAY
9:00 AM – Today at the 500 Pre-Race Show (Open-Wheels TV)
11:30 AM – 2020 Open-Wheels 500 Mile Race (RaceSpot TV)