Report: NASCAR seeking to stage races before end of May

NASCAR has contacted North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper regarding permission to reopen team shops to begin the process of restarting the 2020 season within the next month, according to Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic.

The reported proposal would see teams reconvene and prepare for races staged in Florida or other Southeastern states without fans present.

Cooper's executive order implementing social distancing practices amid the coronavirus pandemic granted "essential business" exemptions to North Carolina's "auto repair" industry and "related facilities," according to Gluck and Bianchi.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who granted WWE the "essential business" exemption earlier this week, has expressed his desire for Florida to host NASCAR races "without having large crowds."

Daytona seems like a logical venue for potential races in Florida, but a source told Gluck and Bianchi that NASCAR's preference is to resume the season at an intermediate track because cars had been built for Atlanta and Homestead-Miami at the time of the shutdown.

NASCAR suspended its 2020 season a few days after the Cup Series race in Phoenix on March 8. Kevin Harvick led the standings at the time of the halt, with Joey Logano a close second.