All-male Indy 500 field puts spotlight on racing's gender diversity

FILE PHOTO: Professional race car driver Danica Patrick poses for a photograph during an interview with Reuters in New York City, New York, U.S., April 18, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Segar

(Reuters) - Beyond the empty stands and coronavirus-induced delay, this year's Indianapolis 500 will see another profound change at the famed Brickyard on Sunday -- for the first time in 21 years, there are no female drivers on the starting grid.

"If we just quietly pretend the problem is not happening, the problem is not going to go away," said Pippa Mann, who competed at the Indy 500 eight times and was the only woman in the field last year, but was unable to get funding to compete this year.