By Jerry Jordan, Editor
With Virginia under a statewide lockdown until June 10, it was inevitable NASCAR would have to either get a waiver or take action to postpone its May 8-9 events at Martinsville Speedway — the formal announcement came Friday at 1 p.m. EST as the race became yet another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“NASCAR is postponing the scheduled events on May 8-9 at Martinsville Speedway,” states announcement sent out to media members. “Our intention remains to run all 36 races, with a potential return to racing without fans in attendance in May at a date and location to be determined. The health and safety of our competitors, employees, fans, and the communities in which we run continues to be our top priority. We will continue to consult with health experts and local, state and federal officials as we assess future scheduling options.”
Members of the sanctioning body have been meeting with drivers via telephone and video conferences to determine the next course of action. One such meeting occurred on Thursday and others are scheduled as stakeholders in the sport do their best to get the action back on the track and fans in the stands.
“We want to thank all of our dedicated fans who were set to join us during our May race weekend and our first NASCAR Cup Series race under the lights,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “The well-being and safety of our patrons, NASCAR stakeholders, employees and our community continues to be our number one priority. We appreciate your patience and understanding during these challenging times and we look forward to having everyone back in the near future to help us make history once again at Martinsville Speedway.”