The thrill of the NASCAR Cup Series produced a surprise winner on Sunday.
But there weren’t any fans in the stands to witness Cole Custer's victory burnout because sports have been in a tailspin since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“Well it’s been devastating to sports just like it has been to so many other businesses,” Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said.
Gossage has kept a keen eye on everything as he prepares for NASCAR’s return to Fort Worth later this week.
With the state allowing 50% capacity, fans will be allowed to attend the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 on Sunday.
“We ran IndyCars in June without anybody there. That was a bummer," Gossage said. "This is way better than that and looking forward to the day that we can have everybody there like we always have had in the past.”
There will be numerous safety precautions in place before anyone passes through the gates.
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“Even if you have printed tickets for the original race date back in March, our ticket office must relocate you for social distancing purposes," Gossage said.
Race fans will also need to bring their phones to show an electronic version of their tickets to the event.
“Your hard ticket is no longer good for admission," Gossage said.
All the precautions are an attempt to diminish the spread of the coronavirus.
“This is a step in the right direction. Still won’t be like it is when the place is full and rocking, but they’re going to hopefully hear some fans Sunday and it will be nice to have them back,” Gossage said.
