On August 29 at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR hosted fans at a Cup Series race for the fifth time since returning to racing on May 17 after a 10-week hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thus far, it’s been a success.
The All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in mid-July was the first venue to have fans back in the grandstands, to date the most for a single U.S. sporting event post-shutdown (30,000). Later that week, Texas Motor Speedway welcomed fans back to the track after postponing its first scheduled date in March. On Aug. 2, New Hampshire Motor Speedway hosted approximately 19,000 fans, before the series went to Daytona on Aug. 16 for the first of two races at the track over a two-week span.
At Bristol, Texas and New Hampshire, there were no COVID-19 outbreaks traced to fans who attended the Cup race at those tracks. In that regard, NASCAR has fared better than several short tracks who have dealt with tough situations. Ace Speedway (N.C.) had at least one pit crewman test positive after a late model race prior to the track’s forced closure. Meanwhile, Knoxville Raceway in Iowa canceled the remainder of their 2020 season, including the annual Nationals sprint car race, after having several in attendance at a weekly race test positive for the virus.
But that didn’t stop an eager racing fan base from making a trip to Florida. On this last Saturday in August, a lot was on the line in NASCAR’s regular season finale and many fans were overwhelmingly happy to be back in attendance. The track reportedly had close to 20,000 people in the grandstands.
A small cross-section of those interviewed by Frontstretch felt safe attending the event.
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“Our fans are the most loyal and passionate in all of sports, and their enthusiasm on race day is the reason we compete each week,” Steve Phelps, NASCAR president said in a statement provided to Frontstretch. “It’s been fantastic to see them back at the track for select races, including this past weekend at Daytona, even if in a limited capacity. We have great respect for the tremendous responsibility that comes with creating a safe environment for our fans and the local communities in which we race, and will continue to take a measured approach.”
See much more at Frontstretch.