NASCAR Boss Reveals What NBA’s Mark Tatum Said to him About the Return

Published 05/16/2020, 2:15 PM EDT

NASCAR boss reveals what Mark Tatum of NBA said to him about the efforts to return racing. He said that everyone in the sporting community was eager for their return.

Notable NASCAR journalist Adam Stern posted a tweet revealing the message. The tweet says, “@NASCAR President Steve Phelps said that @NBA Deputy Commissioner/COO Mark Tatum told him a couple of weeks ago: ‘Someone needed to be bold, someone needed to be first, and we’re rooting for you.’ ‘That’s what sports is — it’s a community.”

🏀@NASCAR President Steve Phelps said that @NBA Deputy Commissioner/COO Mark Tatum told him a couple weeks ago: 'Someone needed to be bold, someone needed to be first, and we’re rooting for you.'
🗯: 'That’s what sports is — it’s a community.' pic.twitter.com/uxxLUQfAmm
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) May 15, 2020

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In a recent interview with Fox News he revealed some details about the impact of COVID-19 on the game. Phelps was talking to FOX Business Network anchor Liz Claman. He said, “Certainly [there is] lost revenue there, but the sponsorship for the teams, the sponsorship for the league, those will be intact,”“It really has to do about the visibility of the sport. I would suggest the visibility of NASCAR will probably be even greater in this post-COVID world than it was pre-[COVID].”

The mass shutdown has forced sporting events across the country to redo their 2020 calenders. And NASCAR is one of the first ones to return back on track.

NASCAR is running its first fanless race week in Darlington

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It is being called ‘The Real Heroes 400’, NASCAR’s race at the famed South Carolina track. And it will be the first in the circuit’s 72-year history to take place without fans.

The first fanless race weekend is about to start and NASCAR has already given a surprise gift to the fans. The series will telecast the Darlington Qualifying race tonight. Earlier it was announced that they will only start the broadcast on Sunday.

Yesterday, Arizona allowed fanless racing in the state, paving the way for a race in Phoenix soon. Similarly, multiple speculations are coming on social media about which venue will be on the calendar next.

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Jim Utter, NASCAR editor motorsports.com posts, “Hearing another couple weeks of a NASCAR schedule (without fans) will drop at 4 p.m. ET today. Looks like Bristol (M31), Atlanta (J7), Martinsville (J10, mid-week), and Miami (J14) barring last-minute changes.” And today New York announced that they will allow fanless racing at Watkins Glen International.

NASCAR Might Announce More Races Soon as States Reopen

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Mrinal Kuniyal has been a contributor to EssentiallSports since early 2020 and has focused on Formula 1, NASCAR, and IndyCar. He's a management graduate and his areas of interest include motorsports, marketing, and music.