New York will allow motor sports at Watkins Glen International raceway and horse racing at tracks across the state to proceed without spectators beginning June 1, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.
Watkins Glen International, which usually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, already rescheduled multiple early summer events to later in the summer, or to 2021, and offered attendees refunds.
But the decision Sunday likely clears the way for NASCAR's annual race, Go Bowling at The Glen, to take place without spectators in the stand. The race was originally scheduled for Aug. 16.
New York has begun the process of reopening from its coronavirus shutdown, which has been in place since March 22. On Friday, five of the state's 10 regions were permitted to allow certain nonessential businesses to reopen with social distancing and density plans in place.
But on Saturday, Cuomo said his administration has begun taking a more nuanced look at which events can open with limited risk of spreading the virus en masse, leading to his announcement.
“You want to increase economic activity as much as you can without spiking the infection rate," Cuomo said of his decision to open the tracks, adding that staying home is easier with some televised entertainment. “There’s a lot of reward for minimal risk.”
NASCAR resumes racing Sunday
NASCAR is scheduled to resume racing at fan-less tracks beginning with a race Sunday at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.
The organization announced its returning schedule through June on Thursday; The next leg of the schedule — which would cover August, when the Watkins Glen race is scheduled — will be released soon.
“We are eager to expand our schedule while continuing to work closely with the local governments in each of the areas we will visit," Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said in a statement Thursday.
“We thank the many government officials for their guidance, as we share the same goal in our return — the safety for our competitors and the communities in which we race.”
Horse racing can resume across state
Horse racing, meanwhile, will be permitted to resume racing at tracks throughout the state beginning June 1 under Cuomo's decision.
That clears the way for the Saratoga Race Track's annual meet to occur this summer, though without fans. The meet, which last from July into early September, generally draws more than 1 million attendees each year.
The New York Racing Association — which oversees horse racing at Saratoga, Belmont Park and Aqueduct — suspended horse racing in March after a backstretch worker at Belmont Park tested positive for the coronavirus.
Late last month, NYRA announced it was putting together plans to allow racing without spectators in the stands. The association announced Thursday that it had secured voluntary COVID-19 antibody testing for all staff and backstretch workers at Belmont Park.
Notable events in the horse racing schedule throughout the country have been disrupted this year, including the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, which was rescheduled to Sept. 5. Races in other states have gone forward in recent weeks without spectators.
What about other sports?
Allowing racing is a matter of balancing the reopening of the economy with public health concerns, Cuomo said Saturday.
Racing venues and sports stadiums are coming up with plans to clean facilities adequately and protect employees from infection, he said.
Cuomo on Saturday reiterated his openness to allowing Major League Baseball to play in empty stadiums in New York this summer.
But the governor said it will be up to the organization to put a plan in place to ensure safety and come to an agreement with its players first.
Includes reporting by USA TODAY Network New York staff writer Jon Campbell.
Sarah Taddeo is the consumer watchdog reporter for USA Today Network's New York State Team. She investigates stories about your consumer rights, including scams, negligent landlords, safety issues and wayward businesses.
Got a story tip or comment? Contact Sarah at STADDEO@Gannett.com or (585) 258-2774. Follow her on Twitter @Sjtaddeo. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.
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