NC speedway allowed to race with spectators, even though mass gatherings are banned
Alamance County officials have given a local race track permission to hold a season-opening night of auto racing Saturday with fans in the stands, even though such mass gatherings are prohibited by the state’s executive order.
Ace Speedway owner Robert Turner said Thursday he had no intention of abiding by Gov. Roy Cooper’s latest coronavirus-related executive order, according to the Burlington Times-News newspaper.
Cooper’s order, which went into effect Friday at 5 p.m., prohibits crowds of more than 25 people from gathering at outdoor events and limits indoor gatherings to 10 people.
“I’m going to race and I’m going to have people in the stands,” Turner told the Times-News Thursday. “And unless they can barricade the road, I’m going to do it. The racing community wants to race. They’re sick and tired of the politics. People are not scared of something that ain’t killing nobody. It may kill .03 percent, but we deal with more than that every day, and I’m not buying it no more.”
Friday, Alamance County officials said “they’ll neither prohibit Ace from holding events Saturday nor forbid fans from entering the facility,” according to the Times-News. The county manager said “doing so would infringe on First Amendment protections,” The Times-News reported.
“If Alamance County were to attempt to restrict the operation of a business not otherwise restricted by Executive Order 141 then such action may itself be in violation of the First Amendment,” Albright told the Times-News.
Cooper announced Wednesday that the state was easing many social restrictions as it moves into Phase Two of his reopening plan Friday at 5 p.m. Since the coronavirus pandemic was declared in March, Cooper has signed a series of executive orders closing down businesses and schools and banning large gatherings of people.
He and Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, credit the social restrictions with slowing the spread and severity of COVID-19 in the state.
The new executive order has provisions for entertainment and sporting events in large venues. It includes exceptions for the number of performers or athletes allowed, along with their coaches, support staff and broadcast staff.
But the order’s restrictions for spectators mirror the overall rules for mass gatherings — no more than 25 people outside with athletes staying six feet away from spectators.
The Alamance County sheriff told the Times-News he would not enforce the executive order Saturday.
As of Thursday morning, state officials reported 20,860 people have tested positive for the virus and 716 people have died. At least one person has tested positive in all 100 of the state’s counties.
Turner owns and operates Ace Speedway, located in Elon, along with his son, Jason. The facility, with a capacity of 4,000, has already canceled five scheduled nights of racing this year due to restrictions imposed by Cooper’s executive orders.
Jason Turner told the News & Observer in a phone interview on Thursday the racing is set to begin at 7 p.m. Saturday.
He said his father on Thursday met with Alamance County government officials to discuss his plans. Sanitation stations and social-distancing markings have been installed. Spectators will be screened and their information recorded in case contact tracing is needed, The Times-News reported. Face coverings will be encouraged for race teams.
Robert Turner told The Times-News he didn’t know how many people would be allowed to attend but wanted to ensure a safe environment.
“We’re not going to try to put 10,000 people in here,” Jason Turner said. “We are going to practice social distancing. But they are choosing to be here.”
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 4:39 PM.