NASCAR has made their decision be known. In a statement released on Thursday, the sanctioning body announced that they still will run the next two races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway as scheduled, but with no fans in the stands in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 (the Coronavirus).
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 12, 2020
Earlier on Thursday, AJC.com reported that the state of Georgia suffered it’s first Coronavirus-related death. This may have had a hand in NASCAR eliminating fans from the stands this weekend in Atlanta.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez also banned mass outdoor gatherings due to the COVID-19 outbreak concerns. The Mayor gave NASCAR the option of postponing the event at Homestead-Miami Speedway next weekend, or running the event with no fans in the stands.
NASCAR to Officially Run Races at Atlanta and Homestead With No Fans in Attendance
NASCAR opted to keep the show rolling on despite the ongoing pandemic.
NASCAR is one of the last sporting leagues to announce their intentions, and this announcement comes on the heels of the NBA, NHL, MLS and MLB all announcing that they will be suspending operations.
