Start your engines because NASCAR is coming back. Racing will return on May 17 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina with a 400-mile NASCAR Cup Series race. The race will kick off a wild 11-day stretch in which drivers will compete in seven races.
The races will be held at Darlington and Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina without any fans. NASCAR has implemented strict social distancing guidelines to ensure the safety of everybody who is working during the events.
Those guidelines include random temperature checks, a requirement for all staff members to wear masks, and a limit on the number of people who will be allowed on the racetrack.
Another big change is the addition of primetime races during the week. The second race from Darlington will take place on Tuesday (May 19) at 8 p.m. ET, with another scheduled for the following night as well.
Racing fans will then have a few days to catch their breath. On Sunday (May 24), NASCAR will head to Charlotte, where they will hold the first of four consecutive races, which will wrap up on Wednesday (May 27) at 8 p.m. ET.
“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. “NASCAR will return in an environment that will ensure the safety of our competitors, officials, and all those in the local community. 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.”
NASCAR has tentative plans for races throughout the summer. According to ESPN, those races will take place at tracks that are within easy driving distance of Charlotte.