The NASCAR All-Star Race just wrapped up in Bristol, Tennessee tonight, and with a crowd some 20,000 strong.
Given the times we’re living in, it almost doesn’t sound real…
The NASCAR All-Star race is usually held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but since the state of Tennessee would allow fans to attend the race, NASCAR moved it to Bristol.
Bristol holds over 160,000 people, but they capped the attendance at 30,000. Masks were required for entry, however could be removed once fans found their seats.
It kind of makes you think though… we just heard a high-ranking college official say that nobody is playing college football this year, but we have this? Can we do football with no crowds? Football with small crowds? Obviously, it’s more complicated than that, but if we can have an estimated 20,000 show up for a NASCAR race, how are we already nixing the entire college football season?
I suppose right now there are a lot more questions than there are answers…
And plus, the jury is still out on what kind of effect this will have on the state of Tennessee’s COVID numbers, this could’ve been a BIG mistake. And for Chase Elliott, it doesn’t look good. He was right up there with the fans after the race.
Chase Elliott giving himself a huge chance at getting COVID by fist-bumping fans…and walking into the spray of their cheers without a mask. #NASCAR #AllStarRace pic.twitter.com/VE8VWcrA50
— Adam Cheek (@adamncheek) July 16, 2020
Probably not a good idea…
Although, Chase Elliott took the checkered flag and the $1,000,000 dollar cash prize so I’m not so sure COVID was on his mind.
CHECKERED FLAG: @chaseelliott wins the #AllStarRace at @BMSupdates and the $1,000,000 prize! pic.twitter.com/K1S3aUjcnW
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 16, 2020
And in other NASCAR news…
Bubba Wallace however, had a rough race.
Wallace competed in the Open, a three-stage race that consists of two 35-lap stages and a 15-lap stage at the end. The winner of each stage, along with a fan-voted winner, joined the other 16 drivers that qualified for the All-Star race.
And just 17 laps into the qualifying race, Wallace collided with Michael McDowell which sent him into the wall and out of the race, ruining his chances to compete in the All-Star race.
“What a joke he is,” said Wallace of McDowell after the race.
"What a joke he is." @BubbaWallace on @Mc_Driver. pic.twitter.com/3l2RIloWqH
— NASCAR Alerts (@NASCAR_Alerts) July 15, 2020
He took what was left of his bumper and dropped it off in front of McDowell’s trailer.
.@BubbaWallace took the bumper of his wrecked #43 car and dropped it a the hauler door of @Mc_Driver.
Not a happy driver.
PC: @PaulEdSutton, @peterstratta #NASCAR #AllStarOpen pic.twitter.com/G4fVWQ3Xid
— Noah Lewis (NASCAR Writer) (@Noah_Lewis1) July 15, 2020
