AP photo by Bob Jordan / Fans watch from the infield at Charlotte Motor Speedway during a NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Sept. 29, 2018, in Concord, N.C.CONCORD, N.C. – Come Sunday, Tennessee residents Harry and Judy Wiley plan to walk down their driveway in Johnson City, climb inside their 39-foot motorhome, flip on the television and do the best they can to enjoy NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 – a staple of their Memorial Day weekend for decades.
It won’t be the same as being in North Carolina.
“To me, I feel lost,” Harry said.
The race, considered one of the crown jewel events for the top-tier Cup Series, will go on as planned as NASCAR cranks up its schedule after a 10-week shutdown during the coronavirus pandemic. There are 20 races scheduled through June 21, including three this past week at South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway, but NASCAR does not plan to allow spectators to attend.
It’s heartbreaking for the Wileys, who have made the yearly pilgrimage to Charlotte Motor Speedway in suburban Concord since the late 1970s to see the longest race on the NASCAR calendar. They spend about 18 days every May camping at the track and reuniting with lifelong friends amid the backdrop of auto racing.