Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Good news, racing fans! NASCAR will resume its three major national series this month, with the first event set to run at Darlington Raceway on May 17. Obviously, due to the current situation, fans will not be allowed to attend, but FOX Networks will broadcast all the action.
NASCAR decided to suspend all racing in mid-March after events in Atlanta and Homestead had already been postponed. Initially, the stock-car racing sanctioning body planned to return to action on May 9, at Martinsville Speedway, but that didn't come to fruition.
"NASCAR and its teams are eager and excited to return to racing, and have great respect for the responsibility that comes with a return to competition," said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer.
What "responsibility" means is that, in addition to racing behind closed doors, the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Gander Truck series events in Darlington (May 17, 19, and 20) and Charlotte (May 24-27) will have no practice sessions and only the Coca-Cola 600, on the 24th of May, will have a qualifying session. On top of limiting the number of actual events at these races and essentially turning them into one-day shows, NASCAR will mandate the use of personal protective equipment, conduct regular health screenings for everybody, implement social distancing protocols, and limit the number of people who are granted access to the facilities.
"We thank local, state, and federal officials and medical experts, as well as everyone in the industry, for the unprecedented support in our return to racing, and we look forward to joining our passionate fans in watching cars return to the track," O'Donnell added.
This initial schedule of seven races at two race tracks includes mid-week, primetime events, which is a first for NASCAR and something fans have long been asking for. Let's hope everything goes well and we get to see more races being scheduled over the next months.
"NASCAR and its teams are eager and excited to return to racing, and have great respect for the responsibility that comes with a return to competition," said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer.
What "responsibility" means is that, in addition to racing behind closed doors, the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Gander Truck series events in Darlington (May 17, 19, and 20) and Charlotte (May 24-27) will have no practice sessions and only the Coca-Cola 600, on the 24th of May, will have a qualifying session. On top of limiting the number of actual events at these races and essentially turning them into one-day shows, NASCAR will mandate the use of personal protective equipment, conduct regular health screenings for everybody, implement social distancing protocols, and limit the number of people who are granted access to the facilities.
"We thank local, state, and federal officials and medical experts, as well as everyone in the industry, for the unprecedented support in our return to racing, and we look forward to joining our passionate fans in watching cars return to the track," O'Donnell added.
This initial schedule of seven races at two race tracks includes mid-week, primetime events, which is a first for NASCAR and something fans have long been asking for. Let's hope everything goes well and we get to see more races being scheduled over the next months.
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