NASCAR announces return to action behind closed doors

NASCAR will become the first major American sports body to return to action amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 season has been suspended since the FanShield 500 in Arizona on March 8.

Darlington Raceway in South Carolina will host NASCAR's return on May 17.

That will kickstart a series of four Premier Cup meetings in 11-days, with the next series in Charlotte, North Carolina.

All events will take place behind closed doors and under strict sanitary rules.

Picture: NASCAR

NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O'Donnell said, "NASCAR will return in an environment that will ensure the safety of our competitors, officials and all those in the local community.

"We thank local, state and federal officials and medical experts, as well as everyone in the industry, for the unprecedented support in our return to racing, and we look forward to joining our passionate fans in watching cars return to the track."

NASCAR say they will implement the following regulations "following thorough collaboration with public health officials, medical experts and state and federal officials."

• One-day shows;
• Mandated use of personal protective equipment throughout the event;
• Health screenings for all individuals prior to entering the facility, while inside the facility and exiting the facility;
• Social distancing protocols throughout the event;
• Strict limits on the number of individuals who are granted access into each facility

Last week, UFC announced it will finally stage its UFC 249 card - also behind closed doors - in Jacksonville Florida.

And the PGA Tour is set to resume with the Charles Schwab Challenge on June 8.

NASCAR say they "will continue to work with state and local authorities based on trends and local restrictions".

They add, "In-race competition procedures remain largely unchanged, though NASCAR will eliminate practice for all events during this opening return slate, as well as qualifying for all events except the Coca-Cola 600."

Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!

Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.