It was a very different atmosphere than normal at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday as the IndyCar Series finally got its season underway.
Three months after the season was supposed to start at St. Petersburg in March, the first major open-wheel race to be held since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold was held in front of empty grandstands after practice and qualifying had been staged earlier the same day.
Scott Dixon eased to a comfortable win for Chip Ganassi Racing after team-mate Felix Rosenqvist's late crash, and despite fears that reduced stint lengths could result a return of pack racing, there were few incidents of note. There were, however, plenty of talking points to discuss.