The NASCAR Cup Series season continues on Sunday with the Dixie Vodka 400, which viewers can watch online with a fuboTV trial. The race takes place at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. Will fans be able to attend the upcoming event?
With the race mere days away, the track officials released a guide detailing important information for NASCAR fans hoping to attend. There will be a limited-capacity crowd in attendance to make room for mandatory social distancing. Those that head to the track will have to wear facemasks and undergo screening prior to entering the facility.
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It’s #DixieVodka400 race week, and we can’t wait to safely host fans back at the track!
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— Homestead-Miami Speedway (@HomesteadMiami) February 23, 2021
A big part of attending race weekends is tailgating and enjoying food and drinks both before and during the race. Both activities will be possible at Homestead-Miami, albeit with some changes. There will be limited concessions at the track, and fans can only bring in a reduced number of outside containers. Additionally, the officials will not allow any tents or grills in the limited tailgating area.
The NASCAR season started with the Daytona 500, which featured an estimated 30,000 fans. The track officials provided entertainment for those in Florida by having Luke Combs perform a pre-race concert. The Dixie Vodka 400 will not continue this trend. Officials at Homestead-Miami Speedway postponed all entertainment activities.
The 2020 version of the Dixie Vodka 400 was a wild event for racing fans. The race took place after NASCAR banned the Confederate flag at all tracks and events, splitting the fanbase. Hall of Fame football coach Jimmy Johnson then provided the call for the drivers to start their engines while serving as the grand marshal. He did so virtually due to COVID-19, following a trend set by previous honorees.
Once the race began, it did not last for very long. Several lightning strikes in the area forced officials to wave the red flag and bring the action to a halt. The first delay took place after only five laps and sent the drivers to their RVs. They remained away from the track for a considerable amount of time before getting the order to return to their respective cars. However, another lightning strike sent them back to the RVs once again.
The drivers did ultimately complete the race after multiple delays, covering 400 miles in the process. Denny Hamlin secured the victory after a hard-fought race while Chase Elliott finished second. Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, and Aric Almirola rounded out the top five.
