The Latest: NASCAR CEO France thanks industry for efforts

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — The Latest on NASCAR’s return at Darlington Raceway (all times local):

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11:30 a.m.

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France is at Darlington Raceway and will remain outside the infield.

The 75-year-old France is considered high risk to contract the coronavirus. NASCAR executive Steve O’Donnell posted audio on Twitter in which France grabs the public address microphone in the scoring tower and thanks “the entire industry for their efforts to get us back racing.”

Roughly 900 essential people have been approved to be inside the gates.

NASCAR is returning to racing following a 10-week layoff amid the global pandemic. The Real Heroes 400 begins at 3 p.m.

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11 a.m.

NASCAR President Steve Phelps is promising “the best race and racing experience possible every time we hit the racetrack.”

Phelps released a letter to NASCAR fans Sunday, hours before the racing series returns to the track for the first time in more than two months.

“Our drivers, race teams and officials have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get back to the race track and we want to assure you that we have taken the return to racing very seriously,” Phelps wrote.

NASCAR chose Darlington, the oldest speedway on the Cup circuit, as the safest place to restart the season after eight events were postponed and the series sat idle for 10 weeks amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

NASCAR was facing a financial collapse if live races didn’t resume on national television. So the sanctioning body had its health plan approved in South Carolina and North Carolina and released an aggressive schedule that included 20 races across seven Southern states between now and June 21.

The first event is called the “The Real Heroes 400” and is dedicated to health care workers fighting COVID-19. Health care workers will give the command to start the engines.

Darlington is hosting three events over four days. Roughly 900 essential people have been approved to be inside the gates.

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