IN THE PITS
AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sports will eventually start again and all eyes are on NASCAR, which appears to be racing full speed ahead to get there.
The sanctioning body is working on a revised schedule that could have NASCAR back on track in roughly three weeks. The May 9 race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia is the eighth postponement so far, but NASCAR hopes to race the following weekend.
Any event would be without spectators, strict limitations on who can attend from each team and at a track within driving distance for the North Carolina-based teams.
That would certainly favor Darlington Speedway in South Carolina for a one-day race either May 16 or 17. The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway scheduled for May 24 could also be held on Memorial Day weekend for the 60th consecutive year if the North Carolina governor signs off.
NASCAR has held only four of its 36 races and is desperate to get back to racing and generate revenue that has been on hold since early March.
“I know we’ll be watching NASCAR. I know the IndyCar
guys are in communication with NASCAR,” said Ed Carpenter, the only driver who is also a team owner in IndyCar. “A lot of the promoters are the same promoters. We’re all working together to try to understand how to do this, how to do it the right way to not only bring our racing back to the fans that want to see it, but also do it in a safe way to where we’re not going to create new issues during this pandemic.”
NASCAR has been working on a protocol to protect team members and drivers, who are isolated in the cockpit of their car during competition. It has not shed any light on how it plans to maintain social distancing at the track or what sort of personal protective equipment will be required.
NASCAR has also only given teams proposed new schedules and there have been many revisions because so much depends on details in each state.
Just last week, Nort Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said NASCAR teams could return to their race shops as an essential business provided the work did not interfere with local stay-at-home orders and employees are able to socially distance. Previous local orders expire April 30, meaning teams could theoretically be back at work by the end of this week — if they know what to prepare for.