Another Northern California sporting event gets red light due to coronavirus concerns

As concerns over the coronavirus continue to cause postponements and cancellations across the sports world, another regional event has been forced to reschedule.

The National Hot Rod Association and Sonoma Raceway announced Monday the NHRA Sonoma Nationals Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event, scheduled for July 24-26, is postponed. A reschedule date has not been set.

The postponement is due to the coronavirus pandemic. Halting the schedule has been done in accordance with federal guidelines in hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus. The NHRA announced Monday its season is expected to resume in August.

The reschedule means racers such as Robert Hight, Andrew Hines, Billy Torrence and more will have to wait a bit longer to defend their 2019 victories in Sonoma.

“The effects of this health crisis are impacting every aspect of our society, and though this delay is frustrating, our first priority is the health of our patrons and the larger NHRA drag racing community,” Steve Page, raceway president and general manager, said in a statement.

Sonoma Raceway officials say tickets that have been purchased will be honored when the event returns. Ticket holders can also receive an event credit for the amount they’ve paid plus 20 percent, or receive a full refund – not including service charges.

On Friday, the raceway announced the Toyota/Save Mart 350, one of NASCAR’s few road course races each season, has been canceled for 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to raceway officials, this is the event’s first cancellation or reschedule since NASCAR began appearing there in 1989. Sonoma is expected to host the event next year.

The NASCAR season is set to resume May 17, but the stands at Darlington Raceway will be empty.

This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 2:11 PM.