Due to the ongoing situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina, Southern National Motorsports Park announced that the prestigious Thanksgiving Classic will not take place in 2020.

Track promoter Michael Diaz had worked diligently with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to safely conduct an abbreviated season at Southern National, which saw his son Mason Diaz take home a track championship in the Late Model division.

Diaz was optimistic that the Thanksgiving Classic would still take place despite the current circumstances, but determined that it would not be feasible to conduct the race due to current safety restrictions in North Carolina.

COVID-19 cases have increased substantially in the United States over the past couple of weeks, with over 91,000 new cases and 1,000 deaths being recorded on Thursday. North Carolina ranks seventh in total COVID-19 cases and registered 2,885 new cases on Thursday, along with 38 deaths.

Southern National’s plans for the 2021 season will be announced at a later date.