After several weeks of silence during the COVID-19 pandemic, the time to once again hear the sounds of screaming engines and the cheers of thrill-starved racing fans is near. Officials from the South Texas Speedway are making preparations for that day.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Monday that he will permit the state's stay-at-home order to lapse on April 30, at which point Texas will begin "phase one" of its reopening plan. This will allow certain retail businesses, movie theaters, and museums to reopen on May 1, as long as occupancy is limited to 25%.

As outlined in Governor Abbott’s executive order GA-18, individuals may engage in outdoor sports, provided that the sports do not include contact with other participants, and no more than four participants play the sport at any time. Please note, under executive order GA-18, individuals shall avoid public swimming pools.

To view Governor Abbott’s order click here.

On Wednesday, Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales issued an order in support of Abbott's proclamation.

As of April 29, the city of Corpus Christi has recorded 99 positive cases, including 3 deaths, attributed to the COVID-19 virus among the more than 300,000 residents of the city.

Fans, competitors, and other supporters of the South Texas Speedway are encouraged to bookmark and follow cctexas.com/coronavirus for the latest information.

Phase two of the state plan, which Texas will move to as early as May 18 if phase one is successful, is expected to expand occupancy to 50% for the businesses allowed to reopen on May 1st, with further increases allowed in the future.

Currently, racetrack officials are navigating the provisions of the Governor's executive order with plans to resume full-throttle racing on Saturday, May 23, with CC Rental Night

"As for us, we plan to race at a time when we are allowed to operate," said South Texas Speedway promoter Steven Whiteaker Jr. "Should that be May 23 we are ready to go. If it is later, we will adjust accordingly to the directives we are given. Our plan is to resume normal racing operations with fans and host the events on our 2020 schedule with the possibility of adding additional events if the situation warrants.

The May 23 opener will feature the Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series featuring Sunoco USRA Factory Stocks, USRA Limited Mods, Emods, Limited Late Models, Bombers and USRA Tuners plus Adult, Junior, Senior and Youth Stock Predators.

The track also has planned visits from the Dwarf Car Series of Texas, The Southern United Sprint Car Series and the POWRi Lonestar 600 Series with the season wrapping up in the first week of December with the 9th Annual South Texas Shootout for topless USRA Limited Mods battling for $5,000 to win.

"I really want to emphasize our commitment to our fans, drivers, Nueces County and Corpus Christi authorities and our local community to operate the Speedway in the safest and most responsible manner possible," Whiteaker added.

Thank you to our incredible marketing partners—Tecate, Dos Equis, Andrews Distributing, AOC Auto
Parts, H-E-B Manufacturing, Caliber Collision Centers, RaceOnTexas.com, CC Rentals, H&V Equipment,
GTek Communications, Sames Ford, Pro Line Fabrication, Maxima Racing Oils, Top Hat Signs and 1st Class Towing—for their commitment to the South Texas Speedway, and to the race fans as we go through this unprecedented time together.

The South Texas Speedway is a semi-banked 1/4-mile dirt oval located east on I-37 to exit 4A, then 3.4 miles south on FM 665/Old Brownsville Rd., then merge onto S. Padre Island Dr., then right onto FM 665 W/Old Brownsville Rd., then 2.6 miles west (6701 Old Brownsville Rd, Corpus Christi, TX 78417).

For more information, call (361) 815-8989 or visit southtxspeedway.com. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.