Races reopened without fans this weekend, to mostly good reviews. Sports and entertainment are shifting to serve social-distancing needs.
It was back to the races Sunday—but without any fans. After a 10-week hiatus, NASCAR resumed its season, one of the first major U. S. sports to do so since the COVID-19 shutdowns began.
With drivers, officials, and crew masked, with limited press access, and with no audience in the stands, yesterday’s race in Darlington, South Carolina, still seems to have been a hit.
The race « could have gone wrong in a lot of ways, » writes Scott Fowler at the Charlotte Observer. « Instead, it served as a symbol that things can still go right, » carrying « an air of welcome normalcy. »
« Consensus: A little weird, but OK once the race got underway, » concludedNewser.
« I just want to thank everybody from NASCAR and all the teams for letting us do what we do, » winner Kevin Harvick told reporters afterward.
Four more NASCAR races are slated to take place this month. Meanwhile, more contact-heavy sports—from the professionals to the little leagues—are still struggling to figure out when and how they might even begin to relaunch.
Yesterday also saw the return of televised live golf. A charity match in Juno Beach, Florida, had no live observers; players carried their own bags.
