Random NASCAR Stuff to talk about.....

There’s just too many tracks with 2 races.

Texas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Kansas, maybe even Richmond would be better served having one of their races at new tracks.

Tracks/markets such as: Chicago (Soldier Field rumor? Street race?), Denver Street race, Montreal/Trois Riveres, Toronto, Mexico City, Iowa Speedway, Eldora, Kentucky have to be considered. Obviously Nashville Fairgrounds is a no brainer too.

I wish a short track facility like Evergreen in the Seattle market would renovate up to par.

Promotion is a big deal. There wasn’t a lot of that in Vegas after 2018.
 
There’s just too many tracks with 2 races.

Texas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Kansas, maybe even Richmond would be better served having one of their races at new tracks.

Tracks/markets such as: Chicago (Soldier Field rumor? Street race?), Denver Street race, Montreal/Trois Riveres, Toronto, Mexico City, Iowa Speedway, Eldora, Kentucky have to be considered. Obviously Nashville Fairgrounds is a no brainer too.

I wish a short track facility like Evergreen in the Seattle market would renovate up to par.

Promotion is a big deal. There wasn’t a lot of that in Vegas after 2018.
Portland is a lot likelier than Evergreen. Evergreen only seats 15k at most and has no room to expand to reach the 30-40k required to host a Cup date

Eldora's bridge is likely burned, same with Montreal. MoSport is the likelier option for a Canadian Cup race.

Also, knowing NASCAR, NYC is likely a target for a stadium short track. They've made it clear they want to be in New York for years now, a stadium short track would be their chance.
 
That’s the thing about NASCAR is they like to milk the crap out of uniqueness and make things cookie cutter.

I like a Soldier Field stadium race a lot with the past history there and the Bears possibly moving out. And people can stop blaming the fact the track is in Joliet. I just think 1 stadium race a year at most is enough.

Portland is a great new market and a good track, I’m in support, but they have to balance road courses and oversaturating that product as well.

I would like to know what Tony & NASCARs sides of the story on the Eldora situation. I thought Bristol dirt was cool for what it was, but a slap in the face to what Eldora Speedway did to put on a show. Not only that, but Eldora is the most NASCAR ready track of all the dirt tracks.

I wish they’d give Trois-Riveres a shot if they want to go to Canada. It’s already there & not much money needs to be spent to upgrade things.
 
That’s the thing about NASCAR is they like to milk the crap out of uniqueness and make things cookie cutter.

I like a Soldier Field stadium race a lot with the past history there and the Bears possibly moving out. And people can stop blaming the fact the track is in Joliet. I just think 1 stadium race a year at most is enough.

Portland is a great new market and a good track, I’m in support, but they have to balance road courses and oversaturating that product as well.

I would like to know what Tony & NASCARs sides of the story on the Eldora situation. I thought Bristol dirt was cool for what it was, but a slap in the face to what Eldora Speedway did to put on a show. Not only that, but Eldora is the most NASCAR ready track of all the dirt tracks.

I wish they’d give Trois-Riveres a shot if they want to go to Canada. It’s already there & not much money needs to be spent to upgrade things.
MoSport is already a national touring series venue, that would do the job for NASCAR Cup in Canada, plus the Truck Races there have usually been absolute bangers
 
Admittedly, F1 is an inferior on track product, but their marketing is something that completely blows NASCAR's away.
F1 has a marketing advantage in that it has only one race in the USA annually.

Honestly, if it wasn't for being subscribed to the Open Wheel forum here, I don't think I would have known F1 was on the continent.
 
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There’s just too many tracks with 2 races.

Texas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Kansas, maybe even Richmond would be better served having one of their races at new tracks.
I am curious as to what you are basing this statement on. Have the financials, race attendance and TV ratings been analyzed for the tracks that previously had two races reduced to one? I have to assume someone in corporate does this analysis, but I have never seen it in published form.
 
Texas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Kansas, maybe even Richmond would be better served having one of their races at new tracks.
How would a track be better served by losing a race date? :blink: If losing one race is good, is losing both better?

"Here at Crazi Charli's, at these prices, we're losing money on every car! How can we do it? VOLUME!!!"
 
How would a track be better served by losing a race date? :blink: If losing one race is good, is losing both better?

"Here at Crazi Charli's, at these prices, we're losing money on every car! How can we do it? VOLUME!!!"

Uh, so new markets such as Chicago, Canada could get one, that’s why AND there would be MORE demand for that one race.

Kinda like Michigan & Pocono & Dover, maybe they should lose both!???!
 
But all I heard on parts of the internet was that Michigan had improved attendance back to 1 race, I guess there isn’t the issue of oversaturation & demand. Maybe they need a 3rd or 4th race somewhere else?
 
But all I heard on parts of the internet was that Michigan had improved attendance back to 1 race, I guess there isn’t the issue of oversaturation & demand. Maybe they need a 3rd or 4th race somewhere else?

I’d agree that the only race had good attendance
 
I’d agree that the only race had good attendance

Just a crazy idea for the sport to see full grandstands and good energy at the racetrack. Lol

Speaking of tracks that had two races, Atlanta fairly did well, Darlington looked decent but I expected a bit better.
 
Just a crazy idea for the sport to see full grandstands and good energy at the racetrack. Lol

Speaking of tracks that had two races, Atlanta fairly did well, Darlington looked decent but I expected a bit better.
Yeah, it's a real puzzler that people haven't been interested in gathering in packed crowds last couple years. Just can't imagine why?
 
Yeah, it's a real puzzler that people haven't been interested in gathering in packed crowds last couple years. Just can't imagine why?

Because Michigan 2019 was totally during the pandemic.

Did you even bother to read MISSpeedway before making a snarky remark?
 
There’s just too many tracks with 2 races.

Texas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Kansas, maybe even Richmond would be better served having one of their races at new tracks.

Tracks/markets such as: Chicago (Soldier Field rumor? Street race?), Denver Street race, Montreal/Trois Riveres, Toronto, Mexico City, Iowa Speedway, Eldora, Kentucky have to be considered. Obviously Nashville Fairgrounds is a no brainer too.

I wish a short track facility like Evergreen in the Seattle market would renovate up to par.

Promotion is a big deal. There wasn’t a lot of that in Vegas after 2018.
What is wrong with 2 races at a track other than them being very close together? Most races are not watched in person anyway, it is a made for television event. If a track is to survive, they must have events 49 other weekends when there is no scheduled Nascar race being televised. The way some people talk about this track or that track, you would think having 1 event a year would justify it's existence.
 
Uh, so new markets such as Chicago, Canada could get one, that’s why AND there would be MORE demand for that one race.

Kinda like Michigan & Pocono & Dover, maybe they should lose both!???!
New races in Chicago and Canada don't better serve the Texas, Vegas, or Richmond tracks. Chicago isn't a new market anyway, it's a recently abandoned one.

If attendance was the only revenue-generating source, I might agree that one weekend is better than two.

Several months ago, SOI or aunty posted SMI's annual statements for 2019. TV rights brought in as much money as ticket sales. I recall it was something like 35% or 40% each, with the balance being camping, souvenirs, non-race-weekend sources, etc.

So while a single race may draw the attendance of two, a track would be sacrificing the second TV date (big money) and the supplemental sales of the second weekend. I know plenty of fans who will buy stuff every weekend they go.
 
What is wrong with 2 races at a track other than them being very close together?
It's a problem if the individual discussing them doesn't like the tracks in question. For example:

"There's no reason to race at Daytona or Talladega. Look at all the money the teams would save by not wrecking all those cars, and not running there would reduce the image of NASCAR as a blood sport."

I don't like those tracks, and I'll ignore the other factors that keep them on the schedule.
 
New races in Chicago and Canada don't better serve the Texas, Vegas, or Richmond tracks. Chicago isn't a new market anyway, it's a recently abandoned one.

If attendance was the only revenue-generating source, I might agree that one weekend is better than two.

Several months ago, SOI or aunty posted SMI's annual statements for 2019. TV rights brought in as much money as ticket sales. I recall it was something like 35% or 40% each, with the balance being camping, souvenirs, non-race-weekend sources, etc.

So while a single race may draw the attendance of two, a track would be sacrificing the second TV date (big money) and the supplemental sales of the second weekend. I know plenty of fans who will buy stuff every weekend they go.

You’re pointing out SMI, but not NASCAR (formerly ISC). Ben Kennedy pointed out that poorly performing race tracks will be moved around & there is supposed attendance requirements.

SMI has a sponsorship deal with the Las Vegas Tourism board, and they seem hell bent on Texas. SMI seems focused on Nashville Fairgrounds I hope.

Chicagoland in Joliet is not exactly a good location for what the future NASCAR is trying to do there. They even had a whole Chicago street course event online so there is still interest, they still like that market.
 
You’re pointing out SMI, but not NASCAR (formerly ISC). Ben Kennedy pointed out that poorly performing race tracks will be moved around & there is supposed attendance requirements.
It seems reasonable to assume the income mix for NASCAR / ISC is similar to the SMI tracks.

I'm also using 2019, pre-COVID numbers. With the impact of COVID on attendance, it seems reasonable to assume TV revenue is a larger slice of the income pie these days. Indeed, many tracks were profitable in 2020 without attendance income at all. Asking to have your TV money cut in half doesn't seem like a track serving its own interests.
 
It seems reasonable to assume the income mix for NASCAR / ISC is similar to the SMI tracks.

I'm also using 2019, pre-COVID numbers. With the impact of COVID on attendance, it seems reasonable to assume TV revenue is a larger slice of the income pie these days. Indeed, many tracks were profitable in 2020 without attendance income at all. Asking to have your TV money cut in half doesn't seem like a track serving its own interests.

I’m just going off what Ben Kennedy said earlier in the week. They are interested in the Chicago market based off the iRacing stuff in my opinion. They also said there is a 70% attendance rule, which a couple tracks are below of.

So far they are full of crap regarding tracks losing their races and basically forcing Dover Motorsports, Pocono, IMS to change their races around.
 
I’m just going off what Ben Kennedy said earlier in the week. They are interested in the Chicago market based off the iRacing stuff in my opinion.
That may be, but it doesn’t support your position that voluntarily cutting back from two races to one would be in some tracks’ self interest.
 
That may be, but it doesn’t support your position that voluntarily cutting back from two races to one would be in some tracks’ self interest.

I never said the tracks would voluntarily cut back and if I did it was because I have no time to grammar check. The tracks have nothing to do with the schedule, NASCAR (formerly ISC) and SMI do.

Also Kansas, Las Vegas, Texas quite honestly are the leading candidates of under 70% attended tracks, although Texas is cutting a bunch of seats and Las Vegas has sponsorship.
 
Kyle Busch will compete in the Nitro Rallycross series November 13 – 14 at Phoenix’s Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.
 
Uh, so new markets such as Chicago, Canada could get one, that’s why AND there would be MORE demand for that one race.

Kinda like Michigan & Pocono & Dover, maybe they should lose both!???!
More demand? I am guessing NASCAR makes more money from the TV contract and corporate sponsorship than attendance. I am not sure "demand" has much affect on profit.
Did I see you post about Michigan, 2019, and the pandemic? I didn't think that got rolling until 2020.
 
Technically Indy related but I’ll drop it here. Found this cleaning out my moms house after 25ish years of living here.

May 12th 1998.

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This says a lot, the get your hands dirty workers at the bottom of the list.....
 
I wonder what an 'IT Trackside Engineer / Technician' does? I can slap together a secure temporary mobile network and link it to the outside world.

Too close to retirement.
 
It’s a shame NASCAR cares about playoffs and not tradition and horsepower and new tracks.

-Literally, going back to a Winston Cup or Chase system would be awesome.
- Move that All-Star Race to the football stadiums.
- The Clash back to Daytona because tradition & Speedweeks.
- The Firecracker 400 on the 4th of July.
- Brickyard back on the OVAL.
- Some sort of Winston Million/Dash 4 Cash for the “majors” races.
- Increased HP.
- Texas, Kansas, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Darlington losing A race in favor of Kentucky, North Wilkesboro, Iowa, Denver Street Course, and a stadium All-Star race (Soldier Field or LA).

Of course shareholders and France pocketbooks will ruin that.
 
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