It’s official: Darlington Raceway will help kick off NASCAR’s return to racing
Darlington Raceway will play a big role as NASCAR returns to racing.
NASCAR announced Thursday that the South Carolina track dubbed “Too Tough to Tame” will host two Cup races and one Xfinity race. This comes after weeks of speculation of how, when and where the sport would resume its season.
The Cup races in Darlington will take place May 17 and 20 and be the first ones since the coronavirus pandemic forced the suspension of races. The Xfinity race will run May 19.
The races won’t replace the track’s historic Southern 500 that will still happen Labor Day weekend and be the first race of the playoffs. It will be the first time the track has ever hosted three Cup races in a season.
“We are honored, humbled, excited to have NASCAR racing back and live sports back to our country,” Darlington Raceway president Kerry Tharp said on a teleconference. “Darlington is one of the most iconic and historic tracks in the sport and will be a tremendous backdrop when NASCAR returns to racing. It is a big responsibility and we take it very seriously. We want to be model for how sports comes back to American culture.”
NASCAR will be the second sport in the United States to resume its schedule. UFC will host an event in May, while IndyCar is set to return on June 6. The PGA Tour is set to return June 11 and LPGA the following week.
The RBC Heritage, the PGA Tour’s stop in South Carolina, had its original April 16-19 dates taken away because of the coronavirus. But the PGA announced that the Hilton Head Island event will be held June 18-21 — without spectators.
All of the May races will be held without fans and be part of revised schedule for the 2020 season. Other Cup races scheduled for May are the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte on May 24 and Charlotte 310 on May 27. An Xfinity race will be at Charlotte on May 25 and a truck race on May 26.
““That is going to be unusual to race here at Darlington without stands or infield packed.. Now isn’t the time for that,” Tharp said.
NASCAR said it will release a remaining schedule at a later date and hopes to run all 36 scheduled Cup races this year.
There will be no practice sessions for any event, and qualifying will only be held for the Coca-Cola 600. Starting order for the first Darlington race will be based on points.
Other adjustments include mandating the use of protective equipment, health screenings for all individuals before entering each facility and maintaining social distancing protocols throughout the events. Only essential personnel will be permitted to attend the events, and cloth face masks will be required.
Darlington’s proximity to Charlotte, where most of the race teams are located, is why NASCAR considered the track for the races. NASCAR said it wants the next seven races to be in driving distance for the teams.
“As our nation restarts, I can think of no better place for NASCAR to drop the green flag than at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina,” SC Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement. “Team South Carolina stands ready to help NASCAR restart the season at Darlington Raceway with three races next month that can be enjoyed by fans from home on television, radio, and online.”
NASCAR hasn’t hosted a race since March 8 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The sport has been hosting computerized iRacing events since then.
New NASCAR schedule
Sunday, May 17, Cup Series
3:30 pm, at Darlington Raceway (400 miles)
TV: FOX
Tuesday, May 19, Xfinity Series
8 pm, at Darlington Raceway (200 miles)
TV: FS1
Wednesday, May 20, Cup Series
7:30 pm, at Darlington Raceway (500 kilometers)
TV: FS1
Sunday, May 24, Cup Series
6 pm, at Charlotte Motor Speedway (600 miles)
TV: FOX
Monday, May 25, Xfinity Series
7:30 pm, at Charlotte Motor Speedway (300 miles)
TV: FS1
Tuesday, May 26, Gander Trucks
8 pm, at Charlotte Motor Speedway (200 miles)
TV: FS1
Wednesday, May 27, Cup Series
8 pm, at Charlotte Motor Speedway (500 kilometers)
TV: FS1
This story was originally published April 30, 2020 at 3:01 PM.
