In the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic, NASCAR is returning to the race track for the first time since March 8 with the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
Like with just about every other sports organization, the coronavirus outbreak forced NASCAR to suspend its season. But that hiatus lasted for 10 weeks and eight races as officials tried to determine if racing could safely and reasonably come back.
Now, with nine upcoming Cup Series races announced through June 21, NASCAR says it “has a plan in place to minimize any risks associated with the virus.”
“I don’t foresee any further shutdown for us,” NASCAR president Steve Phelps said Saturday on the TODAY show. “There are all kinds of different scenario plannings that we’ve done for both ourselves, our own officials, as well as the race teams, productions people. It takes a village to put on a NASCAR race, but it’ll be a smaller village.”
NASCAR will restart its racing season Sunday without fans in the stands for the first time. NASCAR president @stevephelps joins @kwelkernbc and @PeterAlexander to explain how drivers and staff are getting back to the speedway. pic.twitter.com/a9jShq64cV
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 16, 2020
But with nearly 1.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 88,000 deaths in the U.S., per USA TODAY‘s tracking, uncertainty about the future is ever-present, and people have questions. That’s true of NASCAR and general sports fans who are pumped for competition to resume but aren’t sure how exactly things will work or how these athletes will be kept safe while competing over an extended period of time.
So here’s our breakdown explaining why NASCAR says it isn’t providing on-site testing, how it’s trying to keep the essential personnel at the track safe and what the plan is if someone does test positive.
NASCAR will not have testing on-site available.
Unlike other sports organizations — such as Major League Baseball, which has said it needs to be able to frequently test players and personnel for COVID-19 (including rapid point-of-contact testing) and receive the results quickly before competing — NASCAR will not have on-site testing. And it’s directly related to nationwide access to tests, or lack thereof.
NASCAR vice president of racing operations John Bobo said during a media teleconference on April 30:
“Those tests remain in short supply. Getting results can take two to three days. Really those tests should be targeted for people most in need.”
Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champ Kyle Busch misspoke when he told SiriusXM Radio this week that antibody testing will be an option. It won’t be, and Bobo explained on the April call with reporters that the infectious disease experts NASCAR consulted with raised questions about whether a positive antibody test actually translates to immunity. There are also concerns about false positives.
But for races to happen, NASCAR still had to establish some health and safety protocols.
Obviously. And the governing body is ready to fine team members up to $50,000 for breaking the rules.
Health screenings: Though not the same as testing, there will be health screenings, including temperature checks, for people entering and exiting the track and randomly inside the venue. Medical professionals will evaluate everyone and will decide if athletes are able to compete utilizing additional factors, like heart rate and pulse oxygenation, to make a decision, FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass reported.
Mandatory PPE: Throughout the race days, people at the track will be required to use personal protective equipment, like masks.
No qualifying or practice: The only exception to this in the first four Cup Series races back is the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, which will have qualifying.
No fans: That’s a given. For the first four Cup Series races NASCAR initially announced in its return and the subsequent five through June 21 announced Thursday, fans will not be in attendance. Additionally, NASCAR said there will be “strict limits” for who is allowed at the tracks and infields.
NASCAR president Steve Phelps told the TODAY show Saturday:
“If you think about a normal NASCAR race, we have between 2,000 and 2,500 people who will be part of putting a race on. That number will be down to about 900. There’s a footprint that is there. Only essential personnel will be allowed to be in the footprint. I am not essential personnel; I will not be in the footprint.”
Social distancing: Garage and hauler areas will be more spread out with at least a six-foot buffer required between haulers and race cars. Once drivers are at the track, they will go to their motorhomes and stay there until it’s time to get behind the wheel. NASCAR is also encouraging teams to minimize internal contact, like between pit crews and road crews, and at-track work spaces will be distanced from each other.
“With the way it’s gonna go on Sunday, I’m gonna get to the race track that morning, sit in my motorhome, and then when it’s time to go out there, I’m walking right to my car,” Ryan Blaney explained on a Zoom call with reporters Thursday. “And when I’m done, I’m walking right back. There’s gonna be really limited contact.”
From the NASCAR Cup Series director … https://t.co/CCeinDT6Nf
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 17, 2020
Roster limits: Teams are limited to 16 people per car roster, and that includes the driver, crew chief, team owner and spotter.
Contact tracing: Team members and other personnel at the tracks are being asked to keep a log of everyone they physically interact with with throughout race day, so if someone does test positive at some point, they’ll know who they’ve been in contact with.
One-day shows: NASCAR’s first four Cup Series races announced in its return were specifically designed to be one-day trips, so the tracks are within driving distance of the sport’s base in Charlotte.
Weekend schedules related to practice, qualifying and one-day trips for the second slate of upcoming races have not been announced yet.
So what if a NASCAR team member shows symptoms or thinks they need a test?
While NASCAR is not testing drivers and other personnel, it said its medical liaisons can provide counsel and support for someone who might need a test or help getting one. It’s likely that every potential situation will be different, and let’s not forget that drivers and team members have their own doctors to consult too.
What happens if someone who’s been to a NASCAR race tests positive for COVID-19?
This is where that contact tracing log will help. If someone tests positive for the novel coronavirus, NASCAR said that person will likely have to self-isolate for at least 14 days, along with anyone they’ve had contact with at the track.
Phelps described NASCAR’s plan as “rock solid” on the TODAY show, explaining:
“We’ve looked at scenario planning for hundreds of different things happening, including, obviously, someone showing symptoms of having the virus. So protocol’s in place that would allow for us to have that person removed.”
NASCAR has a replacement plan for drivers or team members who test positive.
Drivers and crews are assigned specific, staggered times to report to the track for an entry screening. Per NBC Sports, drivers at Darlington are required to arrive at least four hours before the green flag, so that if someone fails their health screening and cannot compete, there is enough time for a backup driver to get to the track and race.
As Chad Knaus, the crew chief for Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 Chevrolet team, explained while on a Zoom call with reporters Thursday, his team has a backup roster already and is actively monitoring the health of the members on it just in case.
He continued:
“Let’s say Joe Mechanic gets up on Sunday morning, and he’s getting ready to drive to Darlington and he’s got a fever. He calls me, and I tell Joe to stay home, and we call Bob and bring him in. We call the proper people at NASCAR that this person has already been cleared and tested, and we’re ready to rock and roll with this fellow. That’s how we’re doing it.
“I hope we don’t have to deal with that, but we like to be prepared nonetheless in a case of emergency. We’ve dealt with everything from drivers all the way down to crew chiefs.”
But what if more than one person on the same NASCAR team tests positive?
Judging by the responses Bobo and Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer, gave in April, they don’t have all the answers to this one. Bobo said:
“If there are multiple positives, of course we’re obviously going to look at everything that’s gone on around there and investigate, see what we need to do to continue to be safe.”
NASCAR already has a plan in place for a driver or crew member returning after self-isolating.
If a team member cannot compete after testing positive or coming into contact with someone who has, the process for that person returning is the same as for any other medical issue. NASCAR said that person will have to be cleared to compete by their physician and then inform the medical liaisons of that before coming back.
And a driver (probably) won’t be penalized in NASCAR’s playoffs for missing a race.
Similarly, the governing body already has a system set up where drivers who miss races because of an injury or illness can apply for a waiver to be deemed playoff- and championship-eligible. These are granted fairly freely and are all but guaranteed if a driver has to miss some time for coronavirus-related reasons.
[jwplayer BUpQRs0r-q2aasYxh]
[vertical-gallery id=917865]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393221]