NASCAR is getting closer to resuming its season, and Darlington Raceway will be one of the early stops, a state tourism leader said Thursday.
S.C. tourism chief Duane Parrish confirmed reports that NASCAR's oldest superspeedway would host a race once the sport's season resumes.
Parrish, speaking on the coronavirus pandemic's impact on tourism and sporting events in the state, didn't specify a date for a Darlington race _ though mid-May has been speculated as a possible spot. The comments were made during Gov. Henry McMaster's first "accelerateSC" meeting Thursday.
"Some good news," Parrish said. "The RBC Heritage announced they will be playing a made-for-television event, no spectators. Before that, Darlington will broadcast a race as well with NASCAR. So we do have some lights at the end of the tunnel in regards to events."
The RBC Heritage, the PGA Tour's stop in South Carolina, had its original April 16-19 dates taken away because of the coronavirus. But the PGA announced last week that the Hilton Head Island event will be held June 18-21 _ without spectators.
Hosting both events puts South Carolina at the forefront of sports' return from a shutdown that started more than a month ago.
It's unclear if a potential spring Darlington race would count as the Southern 500, or if that would mean the track would host two races for the first time since 2004. It's possible this first race would take the place of an already-canceled date and Darlington could still host its traditional Labor Day event.
A raceway spokesman declined to comment Thursday when contacted by The State.
The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled for May 24, and NASCAR has privately told teams it is hopeful that race will take place. N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday that he is working with NASCAR and government officials and hopes to have an announcement soon regarding that race.
NASCAR last week suspended its May 9 race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia and has not publicly said or suggested when the season will resume.
"Our intention remains to run all 36 races, with a potential return to racing without fans in attendance in May at a date and location to be determined," NASCAR said in a statement last week.
McMaster's accelerateSC effort "is a coordinated economic revitalization plan involving small and large business owners, leaders in manufacturing, healthcare professionals, education professionals, and local government officials," according to the a statement from the governor.
Darlington hosted races on Mother's Day weekend from 2005-13 and then hosted a race in April before moving back to its traditional Labor Day weekend date in 2015. The venue has also hosted the sport's throwback weekend every year since 2015.
This year's Labor Day date _ before the shutdown _ was going to be the first race in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
According to a 2017 study commissioned by Darlington Raceway and conducted by the USC Darla Moore School of Business, a normal Darlington race weekend (with spectators) generates $53 million for the state.
