Bruton Smith strongly considering moving fall Charlotte race

I would of thought it would have been the spring Bristol race getting the can instead of the fall Charlotte race.....this years spring Bristol race had a ton of empty seats(last years had a lot to) and Bruton Smith does own Bristol as well.

But that wouldn't work because it would mean 2 spring races in Vegas. It would have to be a fall date and the SMI-owned tracks with fall dates currently are Charlotte, Atlanta, Texas, and New Hampshire. I doubt Bruton would want to pull his 2nd race out of Atlanta, plus Labor Day would still be pretty hot in Vegas.

Not that they would have much if any say, but I can't imagine the race teams would be very happy about losing a virtual home date in Charlotte.
 
This is an obvious "buy tickets to Sunday's race or else" tactic, but nothing would surprise me with Bruton. He has no problem wiping his ass with tradition if it'll make him a few extra bucks. Remember, this is the guy who bought N. Wilkesboro just so he could take it off the schedule, and also took a date from Atlanta to give to Kentucky, a track which obviously wasn't yet ready for a Cup race at that time, another issue that Bruton handled like a moron. I have to gag a little when I hear people talk about "all he's done for NASCAR". I think Bruton is the epitome of all that is wrong with NASCAR right now.

Ok, end of rant...
 
I'm not a big fan of Bruton or some of his tactics but his venues are top notch. They really cater to the fans and especially us camping fans. I can't really comment on the ingress and egress to his tracks. I'm usually there long before/after the event and traffic is never an issue.
 
I'd dump the spring Bristol race and try to make the night Bristol race a something special. Add driver introductions like the All-Star Race, make it 600 laps, move it even closer to the Chase so you had added short track desperation.
I know attendance has been down for the Spring races there recently but considering the capacity it's still bringing in a lot more fans than most tracks. The Spring race there this year has been one of the best of the season so far and the last thing NASCAR needs is less short track dates.

I can see the Spring race being shortened to 400 laps.
 
Sounds like a lot of posturing to me. But Charlotte does have a lot of empty seats these days. Looks like the turn 2 seats will be covered with tarps for the 600.
 
I'm not a big fan of Bruton or some of his tactics but his venues are top notch. They really cater to the fans and especially us camping fans. I can't really comment on the ingress and egress to his tracks. I'm usually there long before/after the event and traffic is never an issue.
This is also true with his drag strips. His tracks are the best tracks on the tour for the racers and the fans. He spares no expense when it comes to making his tracks the best that they can be for the fans and the racers. The motor coach camping lot at Charlotte is awesome and there is even a large motor coach dealer with parts and service right across the street. You can't get any more convenient is that.;)
 
Mike, the Cacklefest is Oct 18th through the 20th which is the week between the Nascar race and the Nhra National event in Vegas. That is if they kept the Nascar race on the same weekend that they do now. Which would work perfect for me because I would just fly to Chicago and pick up Bodes hauler a week earlier and then drive it to Vegas and watch the Nascar race and then park the hauler there at the track after the race is over and rent a car to drive to Bakersfield for the Cacklefest and then drive back to Vegas for the National event on Mon. Nhra doesn't mark the pro pits until Tues and we can't pull into our pit until they mark them out for us so we usually don't set up until Wed morning anyway. Hey, it's a good plan if it works.;)
If we go to the Cacklefest.Could probably ride with us.That is if you don't mind riding in a OLD car????
 
I am certainly no expert when it comes to Bruton Smith( Let's call him Uncle B.S.) But it sounds to me that he does a great job with and for the fans that attend his tracks. That would be great but it also sounds like he likes to throw around his political weight. trying to pressure Nascar into moving races and other things. Uncle B.S. needs to stick to his tracks and how to make them Fan friendly.
 
If we go to the Cacklefest.Could probably ride with us.That is if you don't mind riding in a OLD car????
Thank's Mike, that is a nice offer from you and your dad. Some times the old cars are better.;) I forgot that Jim Heads team will have one of their haulers and his motor coach and a crew van going to Bakersfield also, and I could catch a ride with them if I need to. They will come through Vegas and leave one of their haulers at the track also.
 
I'm still waiting for Bruton to convert Sonoma to a 1.5 mile tri-oval. Because that's the kind of track everybody loves, right?

Nah, he likes road courses. He was talking about building a inch-by-inch replica of Nurburgring in the desert outside of Las Vegas for an America F1 race a few years ago.
 
The vast majority of people that bitch about moving a race are people that never have or will attend a race at that particular track anyways. It's like a natural reflex among NASCAR fans.

"They need to fix it!!!" followed by "They need stop changing things!!!"
 
The vast majority of people that bitch about moving a race are people that never have or will attend a race at that particular track anyways. It's like a natural reflex among NASCAR fans.

"They need to fix it!!!" followed by "They need stop changing things!!!"

Damn skippy.

I remember a few years ago people were complaining about MIS. When asked, very few of them had ever been to a race there.

By the way, they were turning fast speeds there last week at the tire test and ran multiple lines. :)
 
Latest: Bruton blasts Cabarrus politicians and taxes

“…It’s frustrating to think about the future and consider that the local government doesn’t share the same excitement about (the track) that our fans do,” he stated. “The Cabarrus County politicians may say nice things to the media, but raising taxes does not support the tourism business, the area economy or companies trying to grow.”

The speedway’s taxes have, in fact, doubled over the past few years, but it is appealing the tax valuations that led to those bills.
 
I am certainly no expert when it comes to Bruton Smith( Let's call him Uncle B.S.) But it sounds to me that he does a great job with and for the fans that attend his tracks. That would be great but it also sounds like he likes to throw around his political weight. trying to pressure Nascar into moving races and other things. Uncle B.S. needs to stick to his tracks and how to make them Fan friendly.
I don't doubt his facilities and all the amenities that come with them are top-notch (that Neon Garage at LVMS looks really cool), but the racing at most of them leave something to be desired. I wouldn't mind if some of these second dates were going to new tracks with better potential for good racing. Transferring second dates between similar tracks doesn't seem to have much of a benefit. Unfortunately many of the tracks I want to see in Cup are privately owned so they don't stand much of a chance against ISC and SMI.
 
I don't doubt his facilities and all the amenities that come with them are top-notch (that Neon Garage at LVMS looks really cool), but the racing at most of them leave something to be desired. I wouldn't mind if some of these second dates were going to new tracks with better potential for good racing. Transferring second dates between similar tracks doesn't seem to have much of a benefit. Unfortunately many of the tracks I want to see in Cup are privately owned so they don't stand much of a chance against ISC and SMI.

I totally agree, FL. While Bruton's tracks may have lots of cool frills, neon garages and circus-like pre-race ceremonies mean nothing to the TV audience, which is what's really important when it comes down to it.

And, since the Hall of Fame is a hot topic of discussion this week, I wonder what the ramifications of Bruton yanking the fall race from Charlotte would have on the HOF? I would imagine that place gets a lot of traffic during race weekends, but the Hall of Fame isn't exactly swimming in cash. Guess they shoulda voted Bruton in.....
 
I totally agree, FL. While Bruton's tracks may have lots of cool frills, neon garages and circus-like pre-race ceremonies mean nothing to the TV audience, which is what's really important when it comes down to it.
Then I've got to wonder what sense it makes to move the race to a track that produces the same racing.

Don't get fooled by Bruton's words. This doesn't have anything to do with Vegas. This has everything to do with his pocket in Concord and tax issues. He wants concessions like other sports venues get in his area and he's not getting them. It is the same story over and over with this guy. If he doesn't get what he wants he threatens to move. SSDD.
 
Then I've got to wonder what sense it makes to move the race to a track that produces the same racing.

Don't get fooled by Bruton's words. This doesn't have anything to do with Vegas. This has everything to do with his pocket in Concord and tax issues. He wants concessions like other sports venues get in his area and he's not getting them. It is the same story over and over with this guy. If he doesn't get what he wants he threatens to move. SSDD.

Probably isn't making him too happy that the Carolina Panthers just got $50M in publicly funded money to renovate their stadium.
 
Then I've got to wonder what sense it makes to move the race to a track that produces the same racing.

Don't get fooled by Bruton's words. This doesn't have anything to do with Vegas. This has everything to do with his pocket in Concord and tax issues. He wants concessions like other sports venues get in his area and he's not getting them. It is the same story over and over with this guy. If he doesn't get what he wants he threatens to move. SSDD.

yep.....just local economy leverage bruton is usin. charlotte...not concord....ain't gonna let fall race get moved.

i still say all star race.....in vegas.....is in play too.
that kinda hoopla is vegas' playbook -----showbiz !
full stands/hotels/etc.......incr tv ratins.......an big bruton pay-off.....from vegas.
we'll see.
 
So who makes the schedule, B. Smith or NASCAR?

Good question.

Bruton and the guy who used to own New Hampshire bought North Wilkesboro just so they could reassign its two Cup dates to their own tracks. Seems NASCAR gives SMI wide latitude on their venues.
 
This doesn't have anything to do with Vegas. This has everything to do with his pocket in Concord and tax issues.

Concord taxing him
LV hotels offering him huge money (I don't want to fathom the room markup for race weekend, though)

Leave the expensive place, and go to where people give you money. Makes sense to me?
 
This may be a bit of a stretch, but I could totally see Bruton pulling a Tony George one of these days and taking all his tracks and forming his own series if NASCAR were to cross him too many times.
 
He is in a legal dispute with local politicians in Cabarrus County, Concord, over incentives and property tax values of the CMS track. As soon as he gets what he wants he'll fade away until he gets the mic in hand at his next venue.
 
And, since the Hall of Fame is a hot topic of discussion this week, I wonder what the ramifications of Bruton yanking the fall race from Charlotte would have on the HOF? I would imagine that place gets a lot of traffic during race weekends, but the Hall of Fame isn't exactly swimming in cash. Guess they shoulda voted Bruton in.....
Bad news for the HoF. I have to imagine that's one of the very few weekends they make some money, or at least don't lose a bunch.
 
Don't get fooled by Bruton's words. This doesn't have anything to do with Vegas. This has everything to do with his pocket in Concord and tax issues. He wants concessions like other sports venues get in his area and he's not getting them. It is the same story over and over with this guy. If he doesn't get what he wants he threatens to move. SSDD.
I'm sure he's fishing for more incentive packages from the city. Eventually the city/county/state are going to have to stop bending over for him and giving him all the funding in the world though, and if or when that happens I can see him going to Vegas, where he can rake in the most money.
 
I totally agree, FL. While Bruton's tracks may have lots of cool frills, neon garages and circus-like pre-race ceremonies mean nothing to the TV audience, which is what's really important when it comes down to it.


Does this mean that the stay at home Nascar fan should be more important to a track promoter than a ticket buying fan?
 
Does this mean that the stay at home Nascar fan should be more important to a track promoter than a ticket buying fan?
No, not necessarily. Only point I was trying to make is that most of Bruton's tracks are all flash and little substance. Fans at the track are more important to the promoter, but to NASCAR as a whole, the 7 million people watching on TV probably take some priority over the 100,000 people at the track.
 
Who knows...maybe some day Bruton will just throw in the towl and bull doze the track over and build a shopping mall or just sell off the land and then he doesn't have to deal with it anymore. Then he won't have to worry about taxes or if a fan likes the track or not. The plus side of that is that the fans that don't like 1.5 races won't have to worry about it anymore either. I hope that never happens but I have seen stranger things happen.
 
Fun, entertaining on-site activities and amenities for ticket buyers and exciting on-track racing for the general TV audience do not have to be mutually exclusive.
 
If I were Bruton, I would move the All-Star race to Vegas and move the current spring race at Vegas to the fall. Then both tracks would have two dates; one each in the spring and one each in the fall.
 
So who makes the schedule, B. Smith or NASCAR?

NASCAR gives certain race weekends to track owners, and the owners decide the schedule within the weekends they are given with the tracks they own.

Here is a summary of the Cup schedule (including exhibition races):
Bruton is given 13 weekends by NASCAR, and he decides the schedule within those weekends (all at tracks he owns).
SMI is given 20 weekends by NASCAR, and they decide the schedule within those weekends (all at tracks they own).
The owner of Dover is given 2 weekends, and he decides the schedule within those weekends (obviously both at Dover).
The owner of Pocono is given 2 weekends, and he decides the schedule within those weekends (obviously both at Pocono).
The owner of Indianapolis is given one weekend, and he decides the schedule on that weekend (obviously at Indy).

A couple of years ago, Bruton wanted a Cup race at Kentucky, but NASCAR wouldn't give him another weekend. So he removed a race at another one of his tracks (the spring race at Atlanta) and gave it to Kentucky. When that happened, NASCAR shifted the weekends that the owners got, and Bruton shifted the races within his schedule a little, so that's why the Kentucky race isn't on the same weekend that the spring Atlanta race was on.
 
Who knows...maybe some day Bruton will just throw in the towel and bull doze the track over and build a shopping mall or just sell off the land and then he doesn't have to deal with it anymore. Then he won't have to worry about taxes or if a fan likes the track or not. The plus side of that is that the fans that don't like 1.5 races won't have to worry about it anymore either. I hope that never happens but I have seen stranger things happen.

let's not forget that this guy is pushing 90

be interesting to see what happens to his empire when he's gone
 
CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR chairman Brian France is not in favor of moving a Sprint Cup race from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Las Vegas.
Earlier this week, Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith said there was a 70 percent chance he would seek to move the October Chase race from CMS to his 1.5-mile track in Sin City.
That would leave the hub of NASCAR with only one point race, the Coca-Cola 600 in May, and the All-Star race held the week before.
France said during a Saturday state-of-union address at CMS there have been no discussions with Smith or SMI, but his preference is to "make the events where they are more successful.''
"We have gotten a long way with our position in motorsports because we've had historically important events, like this weekend, that happen every year that people can count on,'' France said.
"That said, for one reason or another, a certain market is not performing as well, it may be a better opportunity. We've seen that in the last five, six years or longer. We'll take a look at it. My preference would be to keep the event here in Charlotte.''
 
CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR chairman Brian France is not in favor of moving a Sprint Cup race from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Las Vegas.
Earlier this week, Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith said there was a 70 percent chance he would seek to move the October Chase race from CMS to his 1.5-mile track in Sin City.
That would leave the hub of NASCAR with only one point race, the Coca-Cola 600 in May, and the All-Star race held the week before.
France said during a Saturday state-of-union address at CMS there have been no discussions with Smith or SMI, but his preference is to "make the events where they are more successful.''
"We have gotten a long way with our position in motorsports because we've had historically important events, like this weekend, that happen every year that people can count on,'' France said.
"That said, for one reason or another, a certain market is not performing as well, it may be a better opportunity. We've seen that in the last five, six years or longer. We'll take a look at it. My preference would be to keep the event here in Charlotte.''

musta been what Brainiac was thinkin' when he stripped the Labor Day Southern 500 from Darlington and gave the date to California . . .
 
Bruton and the guy who used to own New Hampshire bought North Wilkesboro just so they could reassign its two Cup dates to their own tracks. Seems NASCAR gives SMI wide latitude on their venues.
Giving SMI plenty of wiggle room let's ISC dodge any charges of monopolistic practices.

Oh, and let's not forget how Bruton bought Rockingham to give its weekend to Texas.
 
I know Las Vegas supports the track, but how good are they going to support it with 2 races a year? I think the best bet is to find some new venues, some more suitable for racing then these cookie cutters 1.5 mile tracks too.
 
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