NASCAR all alone for 61st running of the Coca-Cola 600

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After a successful three cases at Darlington last week, NASCAR returned to the Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday for the 61st running of the Coca-Cola 600.

The green flag flew just after 6 p.m. with no fans in the stands and only essential personnel allowed to be trackside.

The race was delayed for a short time Sunday evening due to strong storms and rain that moved across the area.

There are officials from other sports on hand at the race to watch how NASCAR is handling this return to action. Every precaution is being taken to ensure the safety of the drivers and crews.

“To get back to the racetrack as a sport, as an industry and get back to work before most was an amazing opportunity I think NASCAR saw,” said Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Ford. “I know I feel plenty safe at the racetrack. I’ve said it before, I feel safer at the racetrack than I do at the grocery store.”

The Coca-Cola 600, the most celebrated day in motorsports, has been whittled down to 600 miles around Charlotte Motor Speedway in NASCAR’s longest race of the year.

What began as the World 600 in 1959 became the nightcap to a spectacular day of automobile racing.

Sunday’s race is the first of four races this week at the speedway.

There is also a new state-of-the-art mobile hospital at the speedway. It has 14 beds to isolate anyone who might have COVID-19.

Those beds are separate from the care canter where drivers get checked out after crashes.

Everyone entering the speedway has to go through several health screenings and anyone with symptoms will go to Med-1.

Officials said they used a previous version of Med-1 at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and during disasters like Hurricane Florence.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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