A 46-year-old man was arrested after being investigated for sending threatening messages to Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. According to the Darlington Sheriff's Office, Michael Avin, who resides in South Carolina, has been charged with "possession, threatened or attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction for act of terrorism, not resulting in death." The authorities state in the arrest warrant that Avin left messages at the raceway on April 27 "describing a possible explosive device."
The raceway has a race scheduled for May 17, which will be the first NASCAR event to take place since the coronavirus pandemic paused the season. Alvin also allegedly sent a letter to another location in the county saying that he was able to access 125 tons of bomb-making materials.
Alvin is currently in custody at the W. Glenn Campbell Detention Center in South Carolina and, as of Wednesday, was awaiting a bond hearing. The case remains under investigation.
According to the Charlotte Observer, Darlington Raceway has not yet commented on the situation.
The event on May 17 is still set to go on as scheduled and will take place without fans due to concerns over the coronavirus. To limit exposure and the time crews spend on the track, starting positions, practices and pit selection will all be modified.
