NASCAR fans were left without any races to watch on Sunday following the news that the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 and Dixie Vodka 400 were both postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. NASCAR has now announced that the stoppage will continue throughout April. Five other races were postponed on Monday afternoon, per an official statement by the racing organization.
According to The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck, the season is not scheduled to resume until May 9 at the earliest. The five NASCAR races getting postponed are Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, and Dover. This increases the list of races to seven after the events at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway were both postponed.
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“The health and safety of our fans, industry, and the communities in which we race is our most important priority, so in accordance with recent CDC guidance, NASCAR is currently postponing all race events through May 3rd, with plans to return racing in Martinsville,” the organization said in a statement.
“We appreciate the patience of our fans and we look forward to returning to the racetrack. We intend to hold all 36 races this season, with future rescheduling soon to be determined as we continue to monitor this situation closely with public health officials and medical experts. What is important now transcends the world of sports and our focus is on everyone’s safety and well-being as we navigate this challenging time together.”
With the races being postponed due to coronavirus concerns, there are now questions about how NASCAR will fill the schedule. One option is the online video game iRacing, which was explored on Sunday.
Several industry figures came together with mere hours notice in order to entertain the fans on Sunday. Dale Earnhardt Jr., William Byron, Alex Bowman, Noah Gragson, and several spotters and crew members competed with each other in The Replacements 100. This video game race was not a perfect replacement for actual racing, but the NASCAR fans appreciated the effort being put in by the drivers and crew members alike.
There is a possibility that the iRacing trend could continue in the coming weeks considering that more than 20,000 viewers tuned in on Twitter to watch the competition. Those that took part in the racing enjoyed their time on the digital track. Byron, in particular, was in contention for the victory on Sunday but he ultimately lost to Ryan Blaney’s spotter. Continuing to hold iRacing events would give him an opportunity for revenge.
(Photo Credit: Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
