Why NASCAR’s return to racing is a proud moment for Darlington, state of SC
Curtis Boyd was a busy man Thursday afternoon.
The first-year Darlington mayor joined with community members for about six hours putting up flags around Darlington Raceway. They placed more than 200 checkered flags and almost 20 American flags along Harry Byrd Highway, the Pee Dee road along which NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway sits.
The flags extend past the track for almost two miles to the Mayflower Restaurant. They’ll serve as a welcome to NASCAR drivers, team members and haulers who make their way to Darlington Raceway for a unique moment in the sport’s history.
The 1.33-mile track will serve as the host to the sport’s return — there hasn’t been a race since March 7 because of the coronavirus. Darlington will host three races in a four-day span beginning with Sunday’s Real Heroes 400.
“We put out those flags throughout the city when the truck haulers come in to still show our support from the city,” Boyd told reporters this week. “We’re excited to be able to have three races here in our beautiful town of Darlington, and we are here to support them.”
NASCAR is the latest American sport to make its return since the coronavirus shut things down in March. Mixed martial arts returned last week and held two pay-per-views without fans in Jacksonville, Florida.
The races at Darlington and on NASCAR’s schedule through June will be made-for-TV events, with no spectators allowed in the stands. That will make for a different atmosphere around the track and nearby communities in the Pee Dee.
“Even though the fans won’t be here, they will be here in heart,” Boyd said.
It’s not normal, but that’s OK
On a normal race week, fans start pouring into the Darlington and Florence areas by mid-week. They fill up the infield and camping spots along Harry Byrd Highway. The area around the race track is busy with with vendors and people walking to and from the track.
“Welcome Race Fans” signs are the norm at area gas stations and grocery stories. Hotels are filled and restaurants such as Redbone Alley in Florence and Raceway Grill, located next to the track, are packed with customers.
But this week had a different feel, and there were only a couple of hints that would suggest a race was about to take place. On Wednesday, workers were putting finishing touches on signs inside the track, and landscapers were mowing outside.
According to a 2017 study commissioned by Darlington Raceway and conducted by the USC Darla Moore School of Business, a normal Darlington race weekend (with spectators) generates $53 million for the state.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster this week said he wasn’t sure what, if any, economic impact there is from Darlington hosting these May races. McMaster was a big proponent of having the track host NASCAR’s return to racing even if it is without fans, Darlington Raceway president Kerry Tharp said.
“NASCAR, the Lady in Black, the Track Too Tough to Tame,” McMaster said Friday. “If you have not been to Darlington and seen those cars, watch it on television this time but try to go next time, because it’s something that you will never forget.”
Generating money for the state and the Pee Dee region isn’t the No. 1 priority for this week. That will happen when the track hosts the Southern 500, its normal annual event, on Labor Day.
Tharp is optimistic fans, in some capacity, will be allowed to attend the fall race weekend. These races at Darlington and the ones in the coming weeks will be more to give sports-starved fans a chance of a little normalcy since coronavirus pandemic hit.
Other sports leagues will be watching to see how things go with NASCAR. The PGA Tour plans to return next month with one of the stops at Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island.
Major League Baseball is talking about starting its season in July.
“To know the state of South Carolina is at the forefront of bringing sports back to our country is a testament to the state and fact the state is kind of banding together to bring live sports to our country,” said Tharp, the former University of South Carolina sports information director. “The sports world and all of the world has been put on pause. We are planning to hit the reset button Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
“I think it is a big deal for the state, the sport and the community. I talked to a lot of people in the community. I know they want to come, but that is not where we are in society right now. They are proud that Darlington is the site chosen to come back racing. When you stop and think about it, it is appropriate since it has so much tradition. For the sport to restart at a place like this is fitting. It is a great opportunity for us and we intend to make the best of it.”
The stakes are high for NASCAR, Darlington
Some fans have voiced displeasure on social media with not being able to see the races in person this weekend, but most understand the reasoning. Tharp is sympathetic with that and knows about NASCAR’s passionate fan base.
There will be no tailgating allowed on the property, and there will be plenty of security in place to make sure fans don’t try and sneak into the track. Raceway Grill still plans to have a watch party for all three races and owner Tony Baird told the Morning News he can handle about 120-130 customers outside during the race and another 20 or 30 inside.
On Saturday, haulers started to arrive at the track and there were some fans that were lined on Harry Byrd Highway trying to get a glimpse at them. There also were motor homes parked in the usual camping facilities. There probably will be some more on race day who try to get a glimpse of things, even from the outside.
“We will tell them, appreciate you coming out but you gotta go home,” Tharp said. “That is our theme and messaging to the fans. These events weren’t on the schedule but I know our fans and how much they enjoy the sport and how much they will want to come and hear the cars. But you can hear the cars three or four miles away. It is not like you’ve got to park off of Turn 2 to hear the cars. You can pretty much hear them at home in most of the city limits.”
Despite a scaled-down event, Tharp expects to be as nervous as he normally is days before a race weekend. There will be more eyes than normal watching to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.
There are also more logistics and rules in place than a normal weekend. Only 16 people per race team will be allowed to enter the track. 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.
There will be plenty of space between car haulers, motor homes and competitor vehicles to practice enough social distancing. There will be no driver introductions and no mingling with other competitors and crews before the race. No drivers’ wives, girlfriends or drivers’ children are allowed to attend the race.
Drivers have been told to avoid the garage and go straight to their cars. There will be no practice, qualifying or a typical Victory Lane celebration for the winning driver.
“We know it is a big responsibility. We’ve got to get it right. We need to hit it out of the park,” Tharp said. “There are things that are going to come up and we’ve got to be flexible. The main thing is, we’ve got to maintain a safe environment for all the competitors and officials that are going to be here Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. That is our No. 1 priority.”
New NASCAR schedule, TV info for today’s race
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 May 16, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
