NASCAR will hold its next two race weekends behind closed doors without spectators, due to concerns surrounding the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the racing series announced in a statement Thursday afternoon.

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“At this time, NASCAR will hold its race events at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway without fans in attendance. These events will be restricted to competitors, crews, officials and other necessary personnel to conduct the race. We will work with public health officials as we determine future scheduling beyond these events,” it said.

The decision comes after Miami-Dade county announced earlier in the day that it was canceling or banning spectators from several upcoming events, including the NASCAR race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. All three of NASCAR's top series -- Trucks, Xfinity and Cup -- are scheduled to run at both tracks.

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The IndyCar season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla., will also bar fans from the event being held on a temporary street course in the city this weekend, Mayor Rick Krisman announced Thursday, while the IMSA sports car racing event scheduled for March 18-21 in Sebring, Fla., has been postponed until Nov. 11-14.

This is a developing story, check back for updates