NASCAR set to return on May 17, first race at Darlington

DARLINGTON, SC (WBTW) – The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series seasons, delayed since mid-March, will resume next month at Darlington Raceway.

The NASCAR Cup Series will race on Sunday, May 17, at Darlington, followed by the Xfinity Series two days later, on Tuesday, May 19. The track will also host an additional Cup Series event on Wednesday, May 20. All three events will compete without fans in attendance.

The Cup Series May 17 race will start at 3 p.m. ET live on FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. It will be 400 miles.

The Xfinity Series event on May 19 at Darlington will start at 8 p.m. ET and be live on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. It will be 200 miles.

The Cup Series May 20 race will start at 7:30 p.m. ET and be live on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. It will be 500 kilometers.

Fans can also follow along on all of Darlington Raceway’s social channels for minute-by-minute event information and action.

The track’s traditional Southern 500 race weekend is still scheduled for September 4-6 and will feature its throwback platform of celebrating NASCAR Champions…Past, Present and Future.

COMMENT FROM DARLINGTON RACEWAY PRESIDENT KERRY THARP

“It’s an honor for Darlington Raceway to resume the 2020 NASCAR season in just a few short weeks with three races in four days. Darlington is one of the most iconic and historic tracks in the sport and will be a tremendous backdrop when NASCAR returns to racing. We certainly appreciate the support from our state’s leadership in working with NASCAR to allow us to host these events.

“In accordance with the CDC and public health agency standards and protocols, no fans will be admitted to these events; however, we encourage all fans to tune in to FOX, FS1, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.”

COMMENT FROM SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR HENRY McMASTER

“As our nation restarts, I can think of no better place for NASCAR to drop the green flag than at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. Team South Carolina stands ready to help NASCAR restart the season at Darlington Raceway with three races next month that can be enjoyed by fans from home on television, radio, and online.”

Darlington Raceway has never hosted three Cup Series races in a single season. The last time the track hosted two NASCAR Cup Series races in the same season was 2004 when Jimmie Johnson won both events. The track, which opened in 1950 and is considered the oldest superspeedway in the sport, regularly hosted two Cup races a year from 1960-2004.

Below are the races announced Thursday:

Courtesy – NASCAR, Darlington Raceway