RALEIGH, N.C. — The push for NASCAR to return to racing got an extra boost from North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore on Monday.
Speaker Moore sent a letter to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper asking him to amend his executive orders in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak to allow NASCAR to compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend without fans.
The current North Carolina stay-at-home order runs through April 29 and Governor Cooper also previously banned gatherings of of more than 10 people and ordered all non-essential businesses to close.
“As our state economy continues to slowly reopen with appropriate safety measures in place, I write to urge you to modify your Executive Order to permit Charlotte Motor Speedway to host NASCAR races without fans on Memorial Day weekend,” Speaker Moore said in his letter. “NASCAR has affirmed its intention to return to racing in May and the Coca-Cola 600 offers an excellent opportunity to host a historic event in our state while prioritizing health and public safety by holding the race without fans.”
The NASCAR season has been on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic since mid-March, when NASCAR postponed the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 event that was slated for March 15 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
NASCAR officials have postponed eight NASCAR weekends, including most recently the race weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway that was slated for May 7-9.
The next NASCAR event on the schedule that hasn’t been postponed is the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend, which is scheduled for May 15-16 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s annual Memorial Day race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, is scheduled for May 24.
“Our state must find appropriate measures to reopen our economy and begin a full recovery as soon as possible,” Speaker Moore went on to say. “Allowing NASCAR to return Memorial Day weekend without fans would not only benefit the motorsports industry that calls our state home, it would mark a rebeginning for North Carolina’s tourism, entertainment and service industries that are desperate to open for business.
“Other states like Florida have stepped up to invite NASCAR to return in a safe manner as soon as practicable. North Carolina should take this opportunity to show our state will take commonsense safety measures to reopen our economy and renew a sense of normalcy for millions of citizens who are hurting.”
Click here to read the full letter from North Carolina Speaker Tim Moore.