A big attraction during Christmas time is not happening this year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The annual Lights at the Brickyard has been canceled. It's an event where IMS puts up different displays of Christmas lights all over the inside of the track and you can drive around the track in your car and look at them.

The speedway saying it's "to allow for end-of-season testing and track maintenance." IMS would not say if the event will return in 2021.

They also would not say if the coronavirus pandemic played a direct role in the decision to cancel the event, but that "it's fair to say the pandemic underscored the need to provide additional flexibility" going forward.

The statement adds "we appreciate everyone who has come out to celebrate the holiday season with us in recent years. It has been a pleasure to share such a special time of year with our fans."

Ball State University on Tuesday hosted alumnus and television legend David Letterman and two-time Super Bowl champion and longtime Indianapolis Colt, Peyton Manning. 

Letterman and Manning arrived early Tuesday morning to film an episode of “Peyton’s Places,” a football-themed documentary series hosted by Manning that is produced and broadcast by ESPN. The show was filmed at Ball State upon the suggestion of Letterman. 

“It was exciting to have David Letterman and Peyton Manning on our campus today,” Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns said. “Mr. Letterman is proud to be a Ball State graduate, and I am grateful that he returned to our campus with Mr. Manning. They’re two stars with strong connections to our state. 

“I look forward to seeing the program that they filmed here today that will air in January,” Mearns said. “The location they chose will showcase our beautiful campus.” 

Letterman, ’69, former host of Late Show with David Letterman, has given back generously to his alma mater over the years, most notably through a lecture series. His name also resides on The David Letterman Communication and Media Building, which was completed and opened in 2007. 

Because of the pandemic, and because of a tight schedule, the production of the show was done privately. Work wrapped up at approximately 4 p.m. 

The day’s events included filming at Scheumann Stadium and at Frog Baby in the heart of Ball State University’s campus.  

“It was an exciting day for our football program.,” said Beth Goetz, Ball State University’s Director of Athletics. “The team was thrilled to engage with these two Indiana legends for ‘Peyton’s Places.’ We are grateful for the opportunity to help showcase our campus, as it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our student-athletes and coaches.” 

Visual assets from today are not being shared at this time, but can be viewed during the upcoming season of “Peyton’s Places.”   

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has created a “Mike Pence Fly” bobblehead. It commemorates the moment from Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate when a fly landed on Pence’s head and stayed there for over two minutes.

On a base bearing his name, the bobblehead features former Indiana Governor and Vice President Mike Pence in his debate-night suit, wearing a white shirt and red tie, with a fly on his head. The bobblehead also incorporates a plexiglass-like barrier and includes a removable mini fly swatter.

“Social media has been abuzz with talk of the fly at last night’s debate, and when we received several requests for a bobblehead with Pence and the fly, we knew we had to get to work,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “We think this will be another fun bobblehead to put a smile on people’s faces as they look back at 2020.”

This is the second bobblehead featuring Vice President Mike Pence that the Hall of Fame and Museum has released.

It is available for $25 each. There is also a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order and are expected to ship in January.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Eddie Van Halen died Tuesday at the age of 65.

In a tweet, his son said Van Halen lost his long battle with cancer this morning.

He's considered one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time. He founded the group Van Halen with his brother Alex, bassist Mark Stone and singer David Lee Roth.