INDIANAPOLIS — COVID-19 has changed the way the entire world operates. Most countries have had stay-at-home orders, or a variation of one, over the last month plus. As some places are starting to see a number of these cases drop, it’s allowing local governments to start to think about lifting restrictions.

As a result of this though, the sporting world has taken a huge hit. We haven’t had a live sports event in over five weeks now and won’t really witness a new one until at least month at the very earliest.

For racing, the next scheduled NTT IndyCar Series race is in Texas on June 6. NHRA starts the same weekend in Gainesville, Fla on June 7. Formula One is likely going to start the first weekend of July at the earliest in Austria. NASCAR is eyeing a start next month though in either Homestead, Atlanta or Charlotte.

The thing is though, as we get back going, it’s going to happen without fans. While that isn’t ideal, it’s a start that hopefully can get spectators back in those grandstands by the end of the year. If that is to happen, the state of Indiana is going to be a motorsports hub for the end of the summer.

Just look at what racing events are scheduled in Indiana from July through September.

It all starts with the Brickyard/GMR Grand Prix weekend. The USAC Midgets, all three ladders of the Road To Indy (USF 2000, Indy Pro 2000, Indy Lights), the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Cup Series will race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway between July 1-5.

Then, you get Indiana Sprint Week from July 24-Aug. 1. They go from Gas City, Kokomo, Lawrenceburg, Terre Haute, Putnamville, Bloomington and Haubstadt in a span seven days.

From there, it’s the Month of May being transformed to August. Indy 500 Practice will run from Aug. 12-14. Then, it’s Indy 500 Time Trials from Aug. 15-16. The USAC Silver Crown cars will be in Salem on Aug. 15 too.

On Aug. 20, you get Indy 500 Practice again with Indy Lights practice on the famed 2.5-mile oval. A day later (Aug. 21) you get Carb Day with IndyCar practice and a pit stop competition sandwiched around the Freedom 100. That night, you’ll have the Silver Crown cars, Indy Pro 2000 and USF 2000 at Lucas Oil Raceway. The next day, you’ll have a USAC Midgets/Sprints pavement doubleheader at Lucas Oil Raceway. Then, the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 a day after that (Aug. 23).

That’s not all either. Three days later, you’ll have the USAC Sprints in Kokomo again with four straight days of action. The next weekend, you get the annual US Nationals for the Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing Series. On the Saturday night of that weekend, you’ll have the Little 500 up at Anderson Speedway for Sprint Cars.

Speaking of Sprint Cars, move forward to Sept. 18-19 and you get Terre Haute and Haubstadt again. A week later (Sept. 24) you get them back in Gas City again.

That leads up to the new Harvest Grand Prix the next weekend and the 8-hour sports car race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The only good thing about this virus — look at the racing we get condensed into just a few short months.