NASCAR Will Run Fanless Races Starting May 17

After a few weeks stuck in quarantine’s pit lane, NASCAR will get back on the track May 17.

Running seven events in 11 days, fans will indulge in plenty of raceway action. One of the sport’s oldest venues at Darlington Raceway will see three of those events.

The Coke 600 will run as scheduled at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the 60th consecutive Memorial Day installment in the race’s prestigious history.

Even a Gander Trucks race will occur, giving race fans a variety of autoracing content to watch.

Midweek race wishes will be fulfilled with Wednesday events, a welcome treat for those sick of watching old races or “Radioactive” highlight reels on YouTube.

This is the perfect move for NASCAR.

One of the most important objectives for NASCAR right now is getting back to racing.

Sure it won’t pull in as much money without concessions or ticket sales, but without much competition for live midday entertainment, there will be millions watching worldwide.

An interesting angle could be a pay-per-view option to view exclusive race content.

Could we see cameras in the stands to simulate being a part of the crowd? Could we see information pop across the screen analyzing the speed and metrics of each competitor throughout the race?

NASCAR has hundreds of options to recoup its lost revenue.

Gambling companies should thank their lucky stars that sports have started the tedious process of returning to normalcy. Groups like Penn National could be saved by returning sports, including NASCAR.

And fans have nothing better to do than watch the pure artistry of men making high-velocity left turns while pulling G’s comparable to an astronaut.

While social distancing will be enforced throughout the events, the sheer density of the race schedule could cause some risk of exposure if one of the hundreds of workers, crew members, or even drivers is infected with COVID-19.

But NASCAR will not test its competitors as tests are not widely available. It’s a sort of damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation.

The eeriness of crowdless races might cast a dour mood on the events, a reminder of what COVID-19 has taken from us.

Regardless, this is a solid move by NASCAR to strike early and get back to racing.

And the historic symbolism of resuming at Darlington might very well rise above any somber ambiance, kicking off the return to racing at one of the oldest tracks in the sport.

NASCAR can guarantee that millions of viewers (including myself) will be watching.