Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2020

21 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.VOICEofMPpodcast.com So, what if a NASCAR Cup Series race were held? How would that shake out? Aren’t NASCAR races typified by thousands of drivers, crew chiefs and crew along pit road and the garage areas; an infield packed with sponsor hospitality areas and tailgate parties; and grandstands filled with 100,000 or more loud, enthusiastic fans? Wouldn’t all those people — from the Grand Marshal to the concessionaires to the pit crew guy whose sole responsibility is to tighten the lug nuts on the left front tire of his team’s car — be exposing themselves to the virus? Those are just a few of the questions the planners at NASCAR HQ in Charlotte had to wrestle with as they scrambled to save their racing season – and possibly their iconic American organization – in the face of a modern plague that had already infected a million and a half people and killed more than 90,000 in the U.S. alone. But on Sunday, May 17, at Darlington Raceway here in South Carolina, also known as “The Track They Couldn’t Tame,” NASCAR gave it their best shot. Darlington Raceway is the oldest track on the Cup circuit, and some say the most challenging, with its unusual egg shape, asphalt surface and 23- and 25-degree banked turns that draw drivers into racing against the wall. On May 17, it was also historic: hosting the first major sports event under social distancing conditions with no qualifying or practice laps, no skeleton crews in the pits and not a spectator in sight, except for a handful of hardy souls who set up portable TVs and barbecue grills in the parking lot “just to hear the engine noise”, as one man put it. To get inside the track itself, everyone, from the most famous driver to the least known mechanic, was temperature checked. Once in, face masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing were required. This race would bear a special name as well — the “Real Heroes 400,” honoring all the medical and health care professionals who put their lives on the line caring for COVID-19 patients. On each car, the name of the driver Photos cour tesy of NASCAR®.