Interest builds around possible changes to NASCAR schedule

There’s going to be so many points of interests NBC can send Rut to in the city. Top of the Sears Tower? Wrigley Field? Pizza places? Navy Pier? Soldier Field? The Mag Mile? Let’s make July 1-2 2023 the weekend of Rutledge!
 
Like all these things I’ll see how it looks, but do not see Cup cars being very good for street racing. Watched the iRacing video…some areas look pretty wide, but the many multiple 90 degree tight turns coupled with relatively short chutes for passing will diminish racing quality.

Frankly this is nothing but another big market splash show (like the coliseum deal) designed to grab new audience. So, I’m curious. Can anyone review TV ratings to see how much bigger the LA and California ratings are this season following the BIG show dog event there?
 
Kiante said:
Maybe a Carrera Cup and MX-5 weekend? I can imagine they want to streamline haulers getting in and out of the city.
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That’d be fine, and probably pretty fun. I just don’t want to see two solid events in the WeatherTech championship dropped for a Mickey Mouse course and a roval. Net negative.
 
Jorge De Guzman said:
also condolences to the Road America/Wisconsin Racing fans... you all packed the hell out of that place and got your reward. It's $hitty but I think NASCAR needed Road America more than Road America needed NASCAR Cup. The Indy Car weekend seemed way cooler anyways.
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This idea would be a lot more palatable if it weren’t at the expense of Road America. The place spent years upgrading their venue in hopes of getting a Cup race, gets their shot and fills it to the brim, and then gets canned after two years. I’m hardly opposed to the idea of a street course race, but this move feels a bit whimsical. I won’t get my expectations up but I do hope this is successful in some way. It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

That casino deal really saves Kansas’s ass too.
 
I don't think anything has been said about Xfinity or the Trucks not racing at Road America, at least I haven't heard anything.
 
FLRacingFan said:
This idea would be a lot more palatable if it weren’t at the expense of Road America. The place spent years upgrading their venue in hopes of getting a Cup race, gets their shot and fills it to the brim, and then gets canned after two years. I’m hardly opposed to the idea of a street course race, but this move feels a bit whimsical. I won’t get my expectations up but I do hope this is successful in some way. It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

That casino deal really saves Kansas’s ass too.
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I’m with ya. Still hope in the future they get a date. I’ve always advocated Road America as a playoff date, still do. It’s a tough deal imo what happened to them today, I thought they had a nice thing going with the July 4th date.
 
wi_racefan said:
Maybe we need to send some people in Nascar management in for drug testing. Yeah lets take a race away from a place that continues to pack in fans for a street course in the hole they call Chicago.
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ouch
 
FLRacingFan said:
This idea would be a lot more palatable if it weren’t at the expense of Road America. The place spent years upgrading their venue in hopes of getting a Cup race, gets their shot and fills it to the brim, and then gets canned after two years. I’m hardly opposed to the idea of a street course race, but this move feels a bit whimsical. I won’t get my expectations up but I do hope this is successful in some way. It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

That casino deal really saves Kansas’s ass too.
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I was hoping the rumors were true about Kansas losing a race in order to save RA's spot.
 
I'm late to this anti-Chicago street race party, but I'll add my voice to the folks saying it's a good idea and I certainly hope it is successful, both financially and provides good racing... BUT I'm pissed to see Road America losing it's date to make room. I'd rather see Indy return to the oval where it belongs, and this would cap roadracing at six events keeping Road America and adding Chicago. Then subtract another race... Richmond or St. Louis or something else. Maybe even lose the All Star Race and expand to 37 points races, why not?

I dislike most street races I've seen, but I recognize the appeal of bringing the race to the population instead of trying to convince the population to travel to the race. It is the exact same argument that spawned Supercross racing, which is hugely successful commercially compared to outdoor MX, regardless of what you think of the purity of the racing. And BTW, I've long had the opinion that Nascar street racing might be the best kind of street racing... cars that can brush a wall or brush a competitor and keep on racing. We'll find out next July.
 
I don't think NASCAR will be going back to Road America anytime soon. To go from getting the coveted July 4th date to kicked out in just two years.... something must've been happening behind the scenes that NASCAR or the track owners couldn't agree on, and probably severely. It was a great look- a well sponsored race with sold out camping on a premier road course in the country on one of the most coveted racing weekends of the year... someone really must've been pissed, whether on the RA side or the NASCAR side, to axe it so soon.
 
Speedbowl14 said:
I don't think NASCAR will be going back to Road America anytime soon. To go from getting the coveted July 4th date to kicked out in just two years.... something must've been happening behind the scenes that NASCAR or the track owners couldn't agree on, and probably severely. It was a great look- a well sponsored race with sold out camping on a premier road course in the country on one of the most coveted racing weekends of the year... someone really must've been pissed, whether on the RA side or the NASCAR side, to axe it so soon.
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I interpret it as different centers of power pulling in different directions. We saw this during the years in which NASCAR flipped back and forth on HP and downforce levels and philosophy.

It is plain that Road America's success in terms of attendance and regional support wasn't highly valued by NASCAR or NBC. One can kinda see why, from a pure TV entertainment on a prime holiday weekend standpoint. But why the hell was that the formulation to begin with? What did they think Road America was going to produce?

NASCAR has certainly established that they are willing to chase new markets, new formats, and so on. Which is good. However, decisions like this call into question what exactly it is that they are building.
 
pjmolo said:
ouch
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Call me bitter but if the Chicago area is such a great place to be in the summer then my do they so many of them flee to northern Wisconsin every weekend? Travel I-41 or I-43 northbound on a Friday afternoon sometime and see for yourself

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aunty dive said:
Like it or not, big-time motorsports is a business first.

Chicago is the 3rd largest market in the US.
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I think all things considered, time has shown that the largest national markets are the ones that care the LEAST about NASCAR. You can either keep beating your head against the wall chasing the unlikely or impossible, OR go to markets where you ARE wanted and where you can make a real difference in the local economy and garner local support. Sort of like Road America............. I also think that if you are THAT dead set on trying to win people over in the biggest market, you try to do it with the BEST you have to offer, not pointless gimmicks like football stadiums and street courses. To me it's like trying to convince people to start watching baseball by having the Dodgers and Yankees play soccer.
 
NASCAR: Chicago Street Course?
Fans: Not totally against it just leave Road America alone
Nascar: Ditch RA for Chicago?
Fans: No keave Road America alone and give July 4th back to Daytona
Nascar: Chicago on July 4th?
Fans: No
Nascar: Ok, Chicago on July 4th 2023!!


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Speedbowl14 said:
They didn't come to Chicagoland, why would they come here?
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Well for 1 thing, Chicagoland is over an hour away from downtown Chicago.

It's also easier to get fans to come to a race that's taking place in your city, vs driving an hour to the middle of nowhere.

The same thing in Indycar. Indycar packs the streets of Long Beach every day of the race weekend, every year. But they tried to race at Auto Club an hour away and were lucky if 15k showed up.
 
Biggreen695 said:
NASCAR: Chicago Street Course?
Fans: Not totally against it just leave Road America alone
Nascar: Ditch RA for Chicago?
Fans: No keave Road America alone and give July 4th back to Daytona
Nascar: Chicago on July 4th?
Fans: No
Nascar: Ok, Chicago on July 4th 2023!!


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As much as I liked the tradition of Daytona on July 4th, it was a horrible date. It seems like that race was delayed or shortened by rain almost every year.

They should ditch one of Kansas' dates for Road America ... but Kansas has a casino so that ain't happening.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
As much as I liked the tradition of Daytona on July 4th, it was a horrible date. It seems like that race was delayed or shortened by rain almost every year.

They should ditch one of Kansas' dates for Road America ... but Kansas has a casino so that ain't happening.
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And they said on DBC this week that the town of Daytona was happy with the change because economically moving it didn't change much on the 4th weekend and it gives them another big weekend.
 
kkfan91 said:
And they said on DBC this week that the town of Daytona was happy with the change because economically moving it didn't change much on the 4th weekend and it gives them another big weekend.
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The only problem with the new date is that it's peak hurricane season. But those storms that threaten Florida's east coast usually end up hitting North Carolina instead. That's what Matthew, Dorian and Isaias all did in recent years.
 
I think we should all pitch in and purchase a Racing-Forums.com Cabana for race day.
 
The Racing On Mars thread made sense. It never happened because they don’t have public transit.

It’ll be interesting to revisit this thread post-race.
 
aunty dive said:
The Racing On Mars thread made sense. It never happened because they don’t have public transit.

It’ll be interesting to revisit this thread post-race.
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What difference will it make? NASCAR will declare it an unprecedented success regardless of what the facts may be.
 
My Declaration of Independence: "When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one person to dissolve the interests that have connected them to another, and to assume amongst the powers of the racing world a separate and disparate desire to break those bonds".

I did not leave NASCAR, it has left me.
 
Formerjackman said:
What difference will it make? NASCAR will declare it an unprecedented success regardless of what the facts may be.
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I referred to the reaction among us ... r-f members.

People capable of making up their own minds - like yourself.
 
aunty dive said:
I referred to the reaction among us ... r-f members.

People capable of making up their own minds - like yourself.
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What I'm trying to say is a few may like it, most will hate it, and a handful will declare that we need to keep doing it because according to NASCAR, it checked off all these important boxes. Remember the races in Japan? Totally pointless and accomplished nothing, but NASCAR still talks about it like it was some kind of seminal moment in the sport.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
The only problem with the new date is that it's peak hurricane season. But those storms that threaten Florida's east coast usually end up hitting North Carolina instead. That's what Matthew, Dorian and Isaias all did in recent years.
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No it's hurricane season, it's too hot, too cold, too early, too late, no, not that track, not there, no there, why not here. I have to believe the powers that be don't listen to this and I am glad they don't lol.
 
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