That’s right, guys. If you haven’t heard (I hadn’t heard until…yesterday? Wednesday?), NASCAR is resuming this weekend. In real life.
Sunday afternoon, there will be a race at Darlington Speedway in South Carolina, not far from Charlotte, where the league and many of its teams are headquartered. The plan is evidently to try to make up the ten lost races through sometimes racing twice a week, and to, for now, only race at tracks close to Charlotte. There is no practice. There is no qualifying. Which all goes to say, if you’re looking for something to watch Sunday while lying on your couch like it’s the old days, you have an option. Think it’s on FOX.
If you’re one of the handful of people who rely on The Barking Crow as your sole source of NASCAR coverage, here’s a quick rundown of what’s happened since we last wrote about it, and a reset of where the season standings sit:
- Ryan Newman has recovered from the brain injury he suffered at the end of the Daytona 500, and will be back in the driver’s seat Sunday.
- Kyle Larson was removed from his job for saying the n-word on a livestream of a virtual race. Retired driver Matt Kenseth will be in the 42 car in his place.
- Only four races have been completed. Wins are still the goal, since those are what lock drivers into playoff spots. Only Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, and Denny Hamlin have won races so far (Logano’s won two).
- Think that’s it. The broadcast, if you’re interested, will fill you in on information about Darlington, COVID-19 testing in the sport (which is more effective—facemasks or firesuits?), and plans going forward. Since this is NASCAR, there will probably be a lot of thanking of healthcare professionals. There might also be thanking of essential workers. The troops will, I would guess, get a shoutout. Should be a fun day.
