Friday’s NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway will be short a driver. On Thursday morning, Spencer Davis announced he has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not compete in the Henry Ford Health System 200.
“With 2020 starting off as a lot of first for myself on many levels, starting a truck team, and venturing out with the start of a new business it seemed to be going well,” Davis began in a statement. “But with the start of the pandemic it has changed how we have to stay alert to keep everyone safe and healthy. With that being said we have been taking all the proper steps during traveling for races and at the events.
“This week I had to go take tests and one positive test result is keeping us from racing Michigan. I support the protocols in place by the CDC and NASCAR, and plan on taking the correct steps to come back to the track.”
The 21-year-old began operating his own Truck team, Spencer Davis Motorsports, in 2020 after racing part-time for a variety of organisations over the previous two seasons. After skipping the season opener, SDM’s #11 Toyota Tundra débuted at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and has contested every race since. After nine races, the team’s best finish is twelfth at Las Vegas, while the #11 is currently twenty-third in the owners’ standings.
Davis is the third NASCAR national series driver to test positive for the coronavirus. In July, seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson missed the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 after testing positive. Part-time Cup racer Brendan Gaughan revealed the same later in the month, but has not run an event since the GEICO 500 the previous month.
There will not be a replacement driver in the #11, meaning only thirty-nine trucks will take the green flag on Friday. The development comes at an unfortunate time for David Ragan, who has been unable to run a race in 2020 for DGR-Crosley as his #17 entry is too low in owner points to qualify.
