Most major sports around the world are still on a wait and see approach and really don't know what a season will look like under the COVID-19 Pandemic.
While the NBA is allowing players back in their facilities and the MLB inches towards an opening date for a season initially scheduled for March 26, NASCAR was front and center with The Real Heroes 400 race at the Darlington Speedway in Darlington, SC on May 17.
Kevin Harvick took the checkered flag of the first NASCAR Cup Series race since the March 15 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 was postponed due to the Pandemic. NASCAR followed up last Sunday's race with the Toyota 500, also at Darlington, on Wednesday.
After rain delays, the Toyota 500 finally got underway at 8 pm but was called with 20 laps remaining. Harvick was unable to secure back-to-back wins at the track, but he placed third behind Kyle Bush and winner Denny Hamlin.
In Darlington, on both nights, was former Clemson linebacker Jonathan "Tig" Willard, a pit crew member of the StarCom Racing team for driver Quin Houff. The Loris, SC native and former Tennessee Titan, is in his sixth year in the pits since hanging up his football cleats in 2014.
Willard, a jackman, helped Houff, who is in his first full year in the Cup series, finish 26th on Wednesday. On Sunday, the team couldn't overcome electrical problems and finished 36th overall (DNF - Did Not Finish) after completing 137 laps of the 293-lap race. Each race was held without fans in a stadium that seats nearly 50,000.
Jonathan Willard
Jonathan Willard waits for driver Quin Houff in the pit stop area.
Overall, Team Houff struggled at Darlington Speedway, the track known as "The Track Too Tough to Tame," a moniker earned because past drivers felt the racetrack was as much their competition as the other drivers.
"It's a really tough track," said Willard after The Real Heroes 500. "It eats out your tires, and they have to be changed more often. The surface is rough, and the car is all over the place. It's tough to handle."
So how did it feel to be back on the track?
"I mean it was kind of strange," the pit crew veteran replied. "Not like a bad thing, but it was kind of strange not to have the fans around. We did have more space to move around, and that's a good thing with this Pandemic going around."
In preparation for Sunday's race, each team member was given a 32-page booklet to familiarize themselves with the CDC, OSHA, and state and local government-mandated protocols. One change that assuredly affected drivers and especially drivers like Houff, who had never raced at Darlington, is there were no qualifying or practice runs before the green flag on either night.
"Nobody got a practice run. Pretty much the car came out of the truck over to tech and out on the track," Willard said. "It was kind of crazy because we had a couple of drivers that was their first time at the race track, so they were trying to feel it out. That's probably why we had that wreck on the first lap. People just pushed it too hard, and didn't know exactly what their car could do."
Teams were also not allowed at the track until their strictly-enforced time slots. According to Willard, that's the only time each team could arrive - no earlier, no later.
He also said, typically, teams would arrive about six hours before the start of a race and spend time interacting with enthusiastic, knowledge-seeking fans.
"We get there six hours before the race, and during that time we're cleaning tires along with other things. And younger and older fans they're like wanting to take pictures, get autographs and want to know the process of setting up tires," Willard recalled."They just want to know more details of how we operate in the pit and in general, more about the sport."
Not having fans to converse with is one of a few changes, Willard discussed with us at ClemsonSportsTalk.com
"Well, one of the biggest changes for us is not being able to give high fives and chest bumps. Normally, after a good pit stop, we would do those things but now we can't do that," said Willard. "We also have to wear our masks, or keep our face covered at all times."
He also said he and his crew members will have to adjust to wearing masks, not only because it's new, but also because they have been away from the sport for months.
Jonathan Willard
Jonathan Willard wearing the mask
"When we have a pit stop, we have to run around the car, and having your nose and mouth covered becomes tiring. The time away from the pit doesn't help either. Our conditioning is not where it needs to be, especially, for us who weren't active," stated Willard.
Even once he is in race day shape, his adjusting to the use of masks is more challenging and requires more patience than others.
"I have very bad asthma," Willard said. "So for me with something else restricting my breathing was kind of rough. But really it's not that bad or terrible. It's what I have to do. Plus, it keeps my teammates and me safe."
The use of masks and other protective equipment will be commonplace now at NASCAR events. There will also be health screenings and the practice of social distancing for all individuals entering race facilities.
With two races behind him and having experienced the COVID-19 Pandemic influenced race day protocols, Willard likes what he's seen and is confident NASCAR is doing the right things.
"I honestly feel good about it," he said. "I think NASCAR took every precaution to make sure everyone is safe. As much as the fans don't like not being there, it is honestly the right call to keep the drivers and crew members safe."
Next up, for Team Houff are consecutive Cup series races at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The first is the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday and then the May 27 Alsco Uniforms 500. There will be one significant change in Charlotte, and that will be the return of qualifying, which will be held four hours before the race.
After a rough start last week, Willard and his teammates look for improvement and better results in Charlotte.
