Dedicated Fans Attend NASCARs Restart

Darlington Raceway saw thousands of fans make their annual pilgrimage for the 2020 NASCAR Race. This event was unlike any other seen at Darlington throughout the last five decades. Attendees weren’t permitted inside the facility, prompting the grandstands to remain empty. Supporters were forced to watch the race from a private parking lot nearby, which held a large projection screen for fans to watch. Nearby were food trucks serving local favourites and alcohol. Others could be seen BBQing from the back of their Pick-Up Truck. Though these supporters weren’t located directly in Darlington Speedway, the environment felt similar and provided attendees with a sense of normalcy.

Drivers noted that the differences seen throughout the grid were hard for them to accept. These individuals are accustomed to hundreds of thousands being located in the grandstands, team personnel engaging in strategic conversations, and on-site workforces maintaining their regular duties. These drivers would instead see zero fans nearby the Darlington Speedway parking lot, team personnel would be forced two metres apart, and on-site workforces won’t be permitted. The drivers did remark that their excitement to return to racing outweighed all concerns they had for the virus or changes to NASCAR.

Restaurants Open for Business

There were local restaurants also serving civilians that travelled to Darlington Speedway. This included the Raceway Grill, which is located less than two minutes from the track. Patrons inside this location were met with an incredible feast and the best beer from local distilleries. However, those inside the facility were forced to wear protective face equipment and implement social distancing measures by two metres. Individuals located at the Darling Private Parking Lot weren’t told to abide by any laws. This follows after health officials determined that being outdoors doesn’t increase civilians’ chances at contracting the coronavirus.

Those located on-site inside Darlington Speedway were also forced to wear face masks. This extended to Pit Crew Members, Drivers, Commentators, and Stewards. Refusal to abide by NASCAR’s COVID-19 Protocols prompted the immediate termination of that respective individual. Regardless of what happens moving forward with the NASCAR 2020 Season, the May 16th weekend won’t be forgotten by Darlington locals for decades to come.