For many high school seniors, the coronavirus pandemic has turned graduation from a once in a lifetime experience into yet another day at home.
But for lucky students in Denton County, Texas, their graduation ceremony will be an affair to remember.
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Texas Motor Speedway (TMS), located in Fort Worth, Texas, said it is partnering with superintendents at 23 high schools in the county to give each graduate a chance to receive a diploma in “Victory Lane.”
"A high school graduation ceremony is such an important achievement and lifelong memory for students as well as their families and friends," Eddie Gossage, TMS president, said in a statement.
"We are honored by the opportunity to support each and every Denton County high school graduate as best we can in these difficult times."
Students will wear their graduation gowns, as well as face masks, while walking across a staging area, TMS said. Because of the venue's large size, each high school will be able to host its ceremony on or close to the original date while maintaining social distancing guidelines.
The diploma presentation will also be hands-free.
The ceremony will be projected on the NASCAR speedway's "Big Hoss," a 12 story, 218-foot-wide video board. Friends and family members can watch the ceremony live from their vehicles while parked in the TMS infield. The event will also be livestreamed.
High-risk family members are advised to stay home and watch the ceremony online.
"We can't thank the leadership of Texas Motor Speedway enough for the ability to use the speedway for our graduation ceremonies," Dr. Ryder Warren, superintendent of Northwest Independent School District, said in a statement.
“By using TMS, we can keep our promise to our seniors for a true in-person graduation while ensuring there’s plenty of space for attendees to use social distancing. We’re extremely excited to celebrate the Class of 2020 as they deserve to be celebrated.”