NASCAR races at Dover to run without fans due to COVID-19 concerns

By Gary Gastelu

Published July 27, 2020

The upcoming NASCAR races scheduled for Dover International Speedway will be run without fans, the track announced on Monday.

The mile-long track celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. (Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Six races, including two Cup Series races, are scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 21-23 at the Delaware track.

Delaware is in the middle of a 30-day state of emergency and essentially remains in phase 2 of its reopening plan due to an uptick in COVID-19 infections.

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"We submitted a comprehensive plan to state officials outlining our planned procedures and protocols for keeping our fans safe throughout our August race weekend," speedway president Mike Tatoian said in a press release.

"Unfortunately, due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, the decision was made to not allow fans. We understand it, and while we are disappointed, we also realize that we need to err on the side of caution and yield to the opinions of public health experts to help reduce the further spread of COVID-19."

The upcoming races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway are currently slated to have fans in attendance, while the races at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 8 and 9 will not.

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