NASCAR: Huge void left by the coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc across the globe over these last few months. What is the biggest void it left in the NASCAR world?

Nobody expected the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, March 8 to be the final race until Sunday, May 17. But because of the coronavirus pandemic, NASCAR was put in a position where that was the case.

Following the 10-week stoppage that took place after just four of the 36 scheduled races had been run, NASCAR returned to action with a previously non-scheduled race at Darlington Raceway, followed by another previously non-scheduled race at the same track.

NASCAR then went to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the initially scheduled Coca-Cola 600 and then another non-scheduled race at the track. Bristol Motor Speedway hosted the next race, the first among the rescheduled events.

More from NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR’s goal is still to run all 36 races this season, and a full schedule is coming together. However, with three races added to the schedule which were not previously on it, this meant that cancellations were inevitable.

Unfortunately, NASCAR ended up axing races at Richmond Raceway, Sonoma Raceway and Chicagoland Raceway. Fortunately for Richmond Raceway, there is still a race scheduled to take place at the track in the opening round of the playoffs on Saturday, September 12.

But Sonoma Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway don’t have any other race dates aside of the now canceled Sunday, June 14 and Sunday, June 21 dates.

Officially, the two races at Darlington Raceway served as the replacements for the races at Richmond Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway while the second race at Charlotte Motor Speedway served as the replacement for the race at Sonoma Raceway.

When asked whether or not he would miss anything specifically about the races at Sonoma Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway this season, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer illustrated the fact that the cancellation of the race at Sonoma Raceway leaves a huge void on the schedule.

“Sonoma. Number one,” said the 2012 winner at the California road course. “Sonoma, phenomenal product, phenomenal race track, phenomenal fanbase, all across the board, that is going to be a huge void in our season with our sport. Make no mistake about it. But unfortunately these extreme times are going to take extreme measures and that’s one of them.”

Kevin Harvick, one of Bowyer’s three teammates, echoed the same sentiment about Sonoma Raceway.

“I always look forward to heading to Sonoma,” said Harvick. “That one, for me, is kind of a kick in the gut, just because obviously the circumstances dictate that. It’s just the way that the world is turning this year, in not being able to go there with everything that’s going on with the pandemic.”

As for Chicagoland Speedway, Bowyer says that NASCAR needs a race in the Chicago area. But the void left by that cancellation won’t be nearly as huge.

Next. Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark

“I hate to say it, we need a track in the Chicago area,” he said. “That fanbase up there is phenomenal. Not a big fan of the track. We’ve got too many of those. I mean, literally, it’s dubbed a cookie-cutter track. I wouldn’t think in today’s day and age you can afford, with any sport, to be dubbed a cookie-cutter track. I didn’t mind racing there, but it was more or less because of the fanbase and interaction within, not necessarily the race track.”

Home/NASCAR Cup Series