![A lone spectator watches a vintage car drive by during a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday. The Vintage Auto Racing Assn. held the races over the weekend as California slowly reopens after coronavirus shutdowns.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/eaf17a6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4834x3222+173+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0e%2Fa3%2F59c8c6d94cf9b01fab8b50189056%2Fla-photos-1staff-540998-me-0516-vintage-car-race2-wjs.jpg)
A lone spectator watches a vintage car drive by during a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday. The Vintage Auto Racing Assn. held the races over the weekend as California slowly reopens after coronavirus shutdowns.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
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The Vintage Auto Racing Association held the first publicly sanctioned auto race since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Buttonwillow. The event, British Extravaganza, was held at Buttonwillow Raceway and maintained a COVID-19 safety protocol in order to receive clearance from the racetrack and Kern County. The president of the club hopes the event will be a model for other races to reopen across the country.
![A team member prepares a race car before a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fc0a4b7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5317x3376+0+0/resize/2000x1270!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7d%2Fdd%2F230158704bd29c0624ff49bab77d%2Fla-photos-1staff-540998-me-0516-vintage-car-race17-wjs.jpg)
A team member prepares a race car before a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
![A race car makes its way around the track at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cef5ddc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5200x3299+0+0/resize/2000x1269!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0b%2F10%2Fbf951a814c2a889e44364dbad6e8%2Fla-photos-1staff-540998-me-0516-vintage-car-race8-wjs.jpg)
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2q-NpxcpreI/hqdefault.jpg)
![Race car team members help keep shade on their drivers before a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8237545/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4455x2943+0+0/resize/2000x1321!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F73%2Ff5%2Fe089d68443d08fa129e7ea2015d2%2Fla-photos-1staff-540998-me-0516-vintage-car-race16-wjs.jpg)
Race car team members help keep shade on their drivers before a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
![Vintage race cars make their way around the track at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/03913b8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4178x2676+0+0/resize/2000x1281!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F12%2Fa2%2F7c6dbca44f94b69de596f8da1a6e%2Fla-photos-1staff-540998-me-0516-vintage-car-race4-wjs.jpg)
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
![Vintage race car drivers get the green flag during a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c40086b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5527x3539+0+0/resize/2000x1281!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe9%2F0a%2Fac3a3a8a46edacfd228f693ea9d7%2Fla-photos-1staff-540998-me-0516-vintage-car-race14-wjs.jpg)
Vintage race car drivers get the green flag during a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
![A small crowd watches during a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9a99475/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5325x3351+0+0/resize/2000x1259!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb8%2F24%2Fde372f2645c091961d53e5ad7513%2Fla-photos-1staff-540998-me-0516-vintage-car-race6-wjs.jpg)
A small crowd watches during a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
![Dennis Howland climbs into his race car before a practice run at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/40f1d21/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5568x3528+0+0/resize/2000x1267!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd2%2Fc8%2F9f9a33c64a1d975132698e36163a%2Fla-photos-1staff-540998-me-0516-vintage-car-race3-wjs.jpg)
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
![A race car loses control during a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8dcbcce/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3358x1861+0+0/resize/2000x1108!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F43%2Fe5%2F94b8c92148bdb25ec34e203f25b6%2Fla-photos-1staff-540998-me-0516-vintage-car-race18-wjs.jpg)
A race car loses control during a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
![James Kuhns, 78, who has been racing since 1968, prepares his car before a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/97f867c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5011x3112+0+0/resize/2000x1242!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8f%2F82%2F7998164b4187aad7b9692f6453cc%2Fla-photos-1staff-540998-me-0516-vintage-car-race9-wjs.jpg)
James Kuhns, 78, who has been racing since 1968, prepares his car before a race at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, Calif., on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
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