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Hunter: Darlington might keep spring date
March 14, 2003
5:58 PM EST (2258 GMT)
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has suggested that Darlington Raceway could lose the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 to another track next year. But there's at least one person at the sanctioning body who's not so certain that will happen.
NASCAR vice president and chief spokesman Jim Hunter, who spent eight years as Darlington's president, thinks there is a good chance the Winston Cup Series will be back next spring.
"I think it's premature for people to assume that this place is going to lose a race next year, for example," Hunter said Friday. "I don't think that's going to happen. I would be surprised if that happened."
NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. said in January that Darlington, along with North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., could lose a race.
Current Darlington president Andrew Gurtis has split time since then between promoting Sunday's race and compiling a case to bring leaders at International Speedway Co., the raceway's owner, about the track's worth.
Hunter, a Charleston native who first watched a race at Darlington in 1961, said the old "Lady in Black," is always an easy target because it seldom fills its 60,000 seats each spring. "So the talk pops up, 'Well, they're going to take one away from Darlington,"' he said.
It's an issue close to Hunter's heart. He's often said as long he lived that Darlington would keep both its events.
"I'm trying to look at it pragmatically, but I don't think it's any secret at NASCAR that I'm a little biased to this place," Hunter said.
So are most drivers. Jerry Nadeau, who qualified third for Sunday's race, said Darlington's such an exciting track, he'd hate to see Winston Cup cut back to just the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend.
"I know this place doesn't fill up like Texas or Atlanta," he said. "I wish there were five or 10 more of these racetracks. It's just too bad it's in this area, nearby other raceways like Rockingham, Atlanta and Charlotte."
Nothing will be determined soon, Hunter said. NASCAR is talking to all track owners to determine the best schedule for 2004. Hunter said that should be completed by late summer.
"I may be wrong, but I would be surprised if this track did not have two races in 2004," Hunter said
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Hunter: Darlington might keep spring date
March 14, 2003
5:58 PM EST (2258 GMT)
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has suggested that Darlington Raceway could lose the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 to another track next year. But there's at least one person at the sanctioning body who's not so certain that will happen.
NASCAR vice president and chief spokesman Jim Hunter, who spent eight years as Darlington's president, thinks there is a good chance the Winston Cup Series will be back next spring.
"I think it's premature for people to assume that this place is going to lose a race next year, for example," Hunter said Friday. "I don't think that's going to happen. I would be surprised if that happened."
NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. said in January that Darlington, along with North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., could lose a race.
Current Darlington president Andrew Gurtis has split time since then between promoting Sunday's race and compiling a case to bring leaders at International Speedway Co., the raceway's owner, about the track's worth.
Hunter, a Charleston native who first watched a race at Darlington in 1961, said the old "Lady in Black," is always an easy target because it seldom fills its 60,000 seats each spring. "So the talk pops up, 'Well, they're going to take one away from Darlington,"' he said.
It's an issue close to Hunter's heart. He's often said as long he lived that Darlington would keep both its events.
"I'm trying to look at it pragmatically, but I don't think it's any secret at NASCAR that I'm a little biased to this place," Hunter said.
So are most drivers. Jerry Nadeau, who qualified third for Sunday's race, said Darlington's such an exciting track, he'd hate to see Winston Cup cut back to just the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend.
"I know this place doesn't fill up like Texas or Atlanta," he said. "I wish there were five or 10 more of these racetracks. It's just too bad it's in this area, nearby other raceways like Rockingham, Atlanta and Charlotte."
Nothing will be determined soon, Hunter said. NASCAR is talking to all track owners to determine the best schedule for 2004. Hunter said that should be completed by late summer.
"I may be wrong, but I would be surprised if this track did not have two races in 2004," Hunter said
