Gov. Roy Cooper’s office sent a letter to Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson Friday encouraging him to enforce his executive order at ACE Speedway.
According to the rules of phase 2 of reopening North Carolina, outside gatherings should include no more than 25 people and social distancing should be practiced. On opening night at the speedway, hundreds of people were allowed entry and not many seemed to be wearing masks nor socially distant.
Citing the First Amendment of the constitution, the right to peaceably assemble, Johnson said he would not stop crowds from attending races.
In the letter, William McKinney, counsel to the governor’s office said, “ACE Speedway has continuously and flagrantly violated the plain and unambiguous language of the phase 2 order.”
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The letter said the violation is a health risk to those in Alamance County and throughout the state.
According to the letter, there were reports that ACE Speedway allowed more than 2,250 people at its track on May 23. Shortly after the event, Gov. Cooper said it was “dangerous and reckless.”