CONCORD, N.C. _ Tommy Kelly has been camping Memorial Day weekend outside Charlotte Motor Speedway for 15 years.
Why should a pandemic that kept fans out of the Coca-Cola 600 bust up that tradition?
Kelly sat under an awning attached to his camper Sunday afternoon, across Morehead Road from the speedway. He was surrounded by a half-dozen friends and family. They had makings for a Lowcountry Boil, motorcycles to ride and a big-screen TV set up for the race's scheduled start around 6 p.m.
So even with COVID-19 restrictions keeping fans out of the track, this felt familiar and comfortable.
"This wasn't no different _ we just come, drink a few beers, cook food and have a good time. Then, watch the race on television," said Kelly, a former speedway employee.
Kelly's group set up camp on Thursday. There was a circle of four campers early afternoon Sunday that slept about a dozen people. More friends showed up Saturday night, making for a party of about 20 for cornhole, food and music. With no fans allowed to enter the speedway for the race, about half that group left Sunday morning.
