The Coronavirus has shut down the prominent sport’s leagues in the United States, and now it has shut down dirt track racing’s premier series.
On the heels of NASCAR postponing its events at Atlanta and Homestead, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series has postponed this weekend’s races at Cotton Bowl and LoneStar Speedway.
The series also announced that it would be postponing races through April 9. The series is still scheduled to appear at Merced Speedway on April 10 and Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., April 11.
“We were going ahead with it, and we were considering going down the route of limited pit access since we are a traveling tour that could keep our teams and the local fans safer,” World of Outlaws Director of Communications Cristina Cordova said.
“Considering the undefined and limited guidance of county and state health officials, we felt it was best to play it safe and postpone until we have more information. That seems to be the route everybody is going and seems to be the safest route for everyone involved.”
On Thursday, series officials were set to move forward with the racing weekend in Texas and evaluate future events based on any new information. That changed Friday as news on the virus continued to grow.
Officials with the World of Outlaws have been in contact with its road crew, as well as full-time teams, throughout the decision-making process. The final decision came just after lunchtime.
“I think we’ve got to support whatever they decide at this point,” Daryn Pittman said. “I don’t think anyone knows what is right or wrong. I think we are in uncharted territory as far as my lifetime is concerned.
“From a liability standpoint, it’s pretty hard to stand on your own island as the only island continuing to operate and put people in close contact.”
Continued Pittman, “I have no idea what is right or wrong. I compare it to 9-11. We didn’t know what to do when that happened. All you can do is move on and make the best decisions possible and make our way through it.”
California governor Gavin Newsom has recommended that mass gatherings of 250-plus people should be canceled. That led to World of Outlaws officials postponing events on the West Coast swing.
The series is scheduled to resume April 10 at Merced Speedway before moving to Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., one night later. Officials will continue to monitor the virus and how it could affect those events.
“We have to keep monitoring and working with our tracks, our promoters, the CDC, and local officials to figure out how to move forward,” Cordova said. “At this point, we are just monitoring and watching the situation develop, and we will base all ongoing decisions on that process.”
The postponements didn’t come as a surprise to most drivers. It was almost expected, at some point, after other major sports postponed or canceled their seasons.
With many teams already in — or on their way to — Texas when the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and other sports halted their season, the Outlaws pressed on. Things seemed to change as more information came out and NASCAR postponed events for the next two weeks on Friday morning.
“It wasn’t a surprise,” said David Gravel, who is slated to run a handful of NASCAR Truck Series races along with most of the World of Outlaws events in 2020. “With IndyCar and NASCAR still racing, it looked like we were going, too. Once they both postponed their events, we followed suit.
“The scary thing is, saying up to April 9th, I don’t see how we can get 100 percent control on this thing. I don’t know how you contain it and control it in a short amount of time. There is supposedly no cure for it. I’m not panicking, but I just don’t know when things are going back to normal.
“I don’t disagree with what they did. I just don’t know how we are going to fix this issue in a short amount of time. I feel, for sure, that the rest of the California races are in jeopardy. There needs to be a cure for it to treat these people and get rid of it.”
Like Gravel, Pittman stood behind the World of Outlaws decision to postpone this weekend and other events in the coming weeks.
There are too many unknowns with the virus. New information seems to be coming out by the hour, and lawmakers continue to put initiatives in place to limit the chance of the virus spreading.
“I don’t even know that it was a decision,” Pittman said. “I think the decision was made for them. Local and state governments are putting in limits with the size of mass gatherings, so, I can’t say I agree or disagree on whether they made the right decision or not. It was going to be made for them by the government, at some point.
“We can only do what each state is going to allow us to do, and we are headed to a hot bed of where a lot of cases are in California. Was I scared to race? No. But, I understand where they are coming from.
“When everyone else is doing something, that island you are on gets really small. If that’s the case, you better make sure you are damn confident on that island. If not, it’s a tough one to swallow.”
Professional Sprint Car drivers and teams could start feeling the bite of Coronavirus in another way … in the wallet.
Teams had off from November to the beginning of February. After running five races in Florida, the World of Outlaws regulars had another four-week break, which will now turn into eight.
“Sprint Car drivers make a good living, which World of Outlaws drivers do,” Gravel said. “But when you live a certain way, and you have an offseason, then four weeks off after Florida and another four weeks … so now, we’ve got 12 to 20 weeks off.
“The only way we make money is to drive racecars. It’s not really a settling feeling for me. It’s a bummer for everybody. Everybody has been in the shop the last four weeks, preparing, sitting around, and now we have another four weeks off. It’s, definitely, a shame.”