NASCAR to run 2021 Daytona 500 with limited fans. Here’s what we know
The Daytona 500 will run with limited fan in attendance, Daytona International Speedway announced Wednesday. The race to open the 2021 NASCAR season is scheduled for Feb. 14.
All other Daytona Speedweeks events — including the Busch Clash, Daytona 500 qualifying races and the lower-level series races that precede the Daytona 500 (Feb. 9-14) — will run with limited fan capacity as well due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
An exact capacity was not revealed. Tickets for Daytona Speedweeks events went on sale in mid-August. Daytona International Speedway seats more than 100,000 people in grandstands and thousands more in the infield.
NASCAR raced half of its 32 Cup races during the pandemic with limited fans or guests in 2020. The number of fans allowed to attend each race has varied by local restrictions and speedway seating capacity. Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee seats around 146,000 people and hosted roughly 22,000 fans for the All-Star Race in July. Fan attendance appeared closer to its sold out allotted capacity of 30,000 spectators for a playoff Cup race at the track in September.
In Florida, the NFL is scheduled to play Super Bowl 55 one week before the Daytona 500 in nearby Tampa, where Raymond James Stadium is set to host fans at 20% capacity.
The decision to host fans, the speedway said, fell “in accordance with enhanced safety protocols and procedures to provide a safe environment for guests, NASCAR competitors, employees and the local community.”
“The Daytona 500 is one of the greatest spectacles in all of sports, and fans from all over the world converge in Daytona Beach to be a part of motorsports’ biggest day,” Daytona International Speedway president Chip Wile said in a statement. “While we won’t be able to have a capacity crowd here in February, we are excited that we can host the Daytona 500 with those in attendance, as well as for the millions who will tune in live on FOX.”
NASCAR president Steve Phelps told reporters in November that the sanctioning body was considering running the Daytona 500 with limited fans.
“Do I believe we’re going to have fans in the stands? I do,” Phelps said last month. “What percentage of fans in the stands? I’m not sure.”
Daytona International Speedway said it will work to accommodate guests who have already purchased tickets to Daytona Speedweeks in 2021. Many fans will be reseated in new locations to ensure social distancing, with the reseating process expected to be complete by early January.
The main race has sold out for the last five years.
NASCAR is also planning to allow limited camping at Daytona, according to a report by Sports Business Journal.
Guests attending the races will also be screened before entering the track and are required to wear face coverings and social distance. Information on ticket options and safety protocols can be found on Daytona International Speedway’s website or by calling the track at 1-800-PITSHOP.
