Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Race Approved by NC Governor; Scheduled for May 24

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper approved NASCAR's plans to hold the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24 without fan attendance provided the coronavirus pandemic does not get worse in the state.

“We believe that unless health conditions go down, we believe we can hold the Coca-Cola 600,” Cooper said, per Jenna Fryer of The Associated Press.

NASCAR is currently planning to resume its schedule May 17 at Darlington Speedway in South Carolina. There would then be a second Darlington race May 20 followed by two races in Charlotte on May 24 and May 27.

NASCAR has been deemed an "essential business" in the state of North Carolina, and most teams are expected to return to work next week. 

Florida and Texas have both said they are open to hosting NASCAR events without fans.

NASCAR has not yet announced its plans publicly, but the sport is expected to limit the number of team employees that can be at the track. Other safety measures, like eliminating practice and qualifying, are also being discussed.

NASCAR has postponed eight races so far due to the pandemic. It is uncertain whether those races will be made up, particularly in states where more strict precautions have been taken.