NASCAR will not mandate COVID-19 vaccine for drivers

NASCAR will not require drivers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, president Steve Phelps said Sunday, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

"It is important, in my opinion, that people get vaccinated," Phelps said before the race at Talladega Superspeedway. "We will continue to monitor and change our policy as necessary in order to make sure that people are safe. We are certainly monitoring. I won't get into the numbers specifically, but the number of people who are in this garage that have been vaccinated continues to steadily rise."

Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin are among the few NASCAR drivers who have made it known that they received the COVID-19 vaccine. Other drivers, such as Chase Elliott, said the decision to be vaccinated is a personal choice and that he wouldn't discuss his stance publicly. 

NASCAR's decision to not require COVID-19 vaccination lines up with what other leagues have done, including the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB.