NASCAR has returned to live racing over the past week with events at Darlington Speedway in South Carolina, but what could it mean for Dover's planned August races?
At his bi-weekly press conference on Tuesday, Governor Carney brought up Delaware's most-attended sporting event, and how NASCAR is currently working around social distancing rules by running races without fans.
"I had conversations with them this week about what they're trying to do, obviously that's something different, it's pretty much made-for-TV, it doesn't require folks in the stands. Obviously, everybody who is a sports fan would like to see that come back."
NASCAR is scheduled to come to Dover from August 21-23, after their May weekend was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. It's unclear whether NASCAR will make up that race in Delaware, or move the race to another track.
Carney was also asked if Delaware would be willing to serve as a host site for the Philadelphia Eagles and 76ers at the 76ers Fieldhouse, who are struggling with Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey officials to get the go-ahead to train at their normal training facilities.
"If we had the opportunity and we were approached, it's obviously something we'd want to take a look at, make sure it could be done safely, and follow the science there in terms of people being socially distant. It's something that would have to be done consistent with our 14-day out-of-state travel quarantine, and that's an issue that, frankly, has limited longer-term utility, but is something that's part of the emergency declaration right now."
Also on Carney's mind was college football. Carney earned All-Ivy League honors at Dartmouth and coached freshman football at the University of Delaware, but openly wondered how the traditional fall Saturday in Newark could be accomplished safely.
"The idea that somehow as governor because of something that I ordered we wouldn't have a Blue Hen football season makes me unhappy, but it is difficult to imagine how that might take place in a 20,000 seat stadium a couple months from now."
