This Could Be First Live Sporting Event in a Month

Hundreds to gather in SD for weekend motor races
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 23, 2020 7:01 AM CDT

In what is perhaps the first live sporting event in a month in the US, hundreds of people are set to gather for motor races this weekend in South Dakota. That state lacks a stay-at-home order, and two Jefferson tracks will welcome race-lovers. The Park Jefferson Speedway, with a capacity of 4,000, says all 700 tickets it made available for Saturday have been sold. Attendees must wear face coverings, a requirement also in place for Sunday's race at New Raceway Park, which says 310 of 500 tickets have been sold, per the Guardian. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, whose executive order pushes social distancing, is not a fan. "I'm going to strongly recommend to the people of South Dakota that they not go and that they stay home," she said Tuesday, per the Argus Leader.

Without a stay-at-home order, the events are legal. In a tweet, an Iowan said they intended to drive 5.5 hours to attend the race at Park Jefferson Speedway, which intends to "go overboard on following CDC guidelines" while offering "a little bit of a break from some of this madness that’s going on right now," says owner Adam Adamson. He says the event will be cashless and the 700 attendees will have plenty of space. South Dakota had 1,858 COVID-19 cases and nine deaths as of Wednesday, per Keloland.com. Last week, Noem told Fox News that it wasn't necessary that "people give up their liberties for just a little bit of security." She added Tuesday, "I still recommend that we follow the plans that I have laid out for South Dakota where we don't gather in sizes of over 10 and that folks continue to social distance." (More South Dakota stories.)

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