UPDATE: Lancaster Motor Speedway Decides To Cancel Saturday Race

UPDATE: Officials with the Lancaster Motor Speedway have decided to cancel tomorrow night’s race out of concern for the health and safety of its fans and public.

See the Facebook post below posted by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.

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LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) Despite Governor Henry McMaster’s executive order to limit public gatherings to 50 people or less, the Lancaster Motor Speedway announced it plans to hold a race on Saturday.

“Everybody is dying for something to do. This is a big old open space, there is 40 acres down here,” said the speedway’s promotor Shannon Munn, “You don’t have to get close to each other.”

The Lancaster Motor Speedway has been around for 66 years.  Munn says there have been very few cases of COVID-19 in Lancaster County, and they are taking precautions for the outdoor event.

“Plenty of room, plenty of seating,” said Munn, “You don’t have to touch each other’s hands. We’ve got extra hand sanitizers out.”

Some residents, like Oscar Whitley, agree with Munn. Whitley says the speedway, like any other business, has to make money.

“It keeps people out of trouble. I don’t see [a] problem with it,” said Whitley, adding that it’s a person’s right to attend the event if they wish to do so.

Yet others, like Paul Kourkoubes, say a large gathering means the virus will spread more easily.

“Large crowds will draw a virus and probably spread it,” said Kourkoubes.

On Tuesday, Governor Henry McMaster issued a mandatory requirement that all restaurants and bars close their dine-in service, and prohibited “organized events of 50 or more people to be held in any state, county, city or publicly owned facility.”

Doug Barfield with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office says he reviewed the executive order several times.  According to Barfield, the race at the Lancaster Motor Speedway is not illegal because it’s not public property.

“It seems pretty clear about limiting it to gatherings on publicly owned property, and based upon that there is not a whole lot the sheriff’s office can do at this point,” said Barfield.

Lancaster County Administrator Steve Willis says he also reviewed the executive order, and though the county strongly urges people not to attend such large gatherings, the decision to stop the race has to come from the state or the governor.

“We simply lack the legal authority and the legal standing to tell the motor speedway that they cannot open,” said Willis.

We did reach out to Governor McMaster’s team for clarification, but have not yet heard back.  DHEC confirmed there are three cases of COVID-19 in Lancaster County.

 

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