Lady in Black deserves Labor (Day) of love
Stretch of Bristol, Darlington, Richmond should lead into Chase
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
Come on, NASCAR. Time to throw Darlington a bone.
The folks who work there sold out the race. They didn't even complain all that loudly when you took one of their dates away. They knew it was coming. They were just happy they avoided the hangman's noose.
Ask the folks at Rockingham if they'd like to have a single date.
Even though Darlington still has one Cup date, it does not seem right that this track, all 1.366 miles of it, lies at NASCAR's front and center for a mere 48 hours out of the year.
It just doesn't seem right that the track should sit idle the rest of the time. The track doesn't even have its annual Truck Series race anymore, which was taken away in 2005, without much fanfare.
With another schedule change looming in 2007, NASCAR has a golden opportunity to score a major public relations boon by switching Darlington's date back to Labor Day.
NASCAR is famously attempting to go global with its product, but such a move would be lauded from Aiken to York.
The Mother's Day date is nice because it gives teams an extra day at home before the all-star weekend, which is already one of the lower-key weekends of the year. It's a welcomed thing, sure.
It is just not the same.
Yeah, I know. Labor Day was hotter than Hades, but the track solved the problem by putting in lights.
Even if the race was run in the daytime 95-degree heat, I doubt it would hurt attendance all that much.
The track recently added 3,000 seats and sold every one of them in advance, and they could easily could shoot for a capacity of 80,000. With a Labor Day date, all would be sold.
If any track should have a three-day show, it is Darlington.
At the very least, it would be fitting for NASCAR to have Bristol, Darlington and Richmond -- three of its crown jewel events -- as the three races predicating the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
Having the second Fontana event as one of the events leading up to the final 10-race stretch is a little too predictable for my tastes.
It would also be good to spread out the markets by moving Darlington back to September.
NASCAR has essentially scheduled three races in row (Darlington, All-Star weekend, Coca-Cola 600) that serve the Charlotte, N.C. market. Can a fan living in Columbia, S.C. afford to go to three straight events? Probably not.
It is perfectly understandable that Darlington is saddled with just one date. With tracks like Chicagoland and Kansas City that carry heavy mortgages, it is normal for a large company like ISC to have to answer to stockholders.
But Darlington shouldn't have to deal with a red-headed Nextel Cup date.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.
BUT I doubt it will ever happen, and that's SAD
Stretch of Bristol, Darlington, Richmond should lead into Chase
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
Come on, NASCAR. Time to throw Darlington a bone.
The folks who work there sold out the race. They didn't even complain all that loudly when you took one of their dates away. They knew it was coming. They were just happy they avoided the hangman's noose.
Ask the folks at Rockingham if they'd like to have a single date.
Even though Darlington still has one Cup date, it does not seem right that this track, all 1.366 miles of it, lies at NASCAR's front and center for a mere 48 hours out of the year.
It just doesn't seem right that the track should sit idle the rest of the time. The track doesn't even have its annual Truck Series race anymore, which was taken away in 2005, without much fanfare.
With another schedule change looming in 2007, NASCAR has a golden opportunity to score a major public relations boon by switching Darlington's date back to Labor Day.
NASCAR is famously attempting to go global with its product, but such a move would be lauded from Aiken to York.
The Mother's Day date is nice because it gives teams an extra day at home before the all-star weekend, which is already one of the lower-key weekends of the year. It's a welcomed thing, sure.
It is just not the same.
Yeah, I know. Labor Day was hotter than Hades, but the track solved the problem by putting in lights.
Even if the race was run in the daytime 95-degree heat, I doubt it would hurt attendance all that much.
The track recently added 3,000 seats and sold every one of them in advance, and they could easily could shoot for a capacity of 80,000. With a Labor Day date, all would be sold.
If any track should have a three-day show, it is Darlington.
At the very least, it would be fitting for NASCAR to have Bristol, Darlington and Richmond -- three of its crown jewel events -- as the three races predicating the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
Having the second Fontana event as one of the events leading up to the final 10-race stretch is a little too predictable for my tastes.
It would also be good to spread out the markets by moving Darlington back to September.
NASCAR has essentially scheduled three races in row (Darlington, All-Star weekend, Coca-Cola 600) that serve the Charlotte, N.C. market. Can a fan living in Columbia, S.C. afford to go to three straight events? Probably not.
It is perfectly understandable that Darlington is saddled with just one date. With tracks like Chicagoland and Kansas City that carry heavy mortgages, it is normal for a large company like ISC to have to answer to stockholders.
But Darlington shouldn't have to deal with a red-headed Nextel Cup date.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.
BUT I doubt it will ever happen, and that's SAD