SMI willing to give up a date for Kentucky

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http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=ap-nascar-kentucky-2010&prov=ap&type=lgns

CONCORD, N.C. (AP)—Speedway Motorsports Inc. officials said Monday they have asked NASCAR to add Kentucky to the 2010 Sprint Cup Series schedule.

SMI chairman Bruton Smith is willing to give up a race date at one of his seven other facilities to get Kentucky on the schedule. He would not reveal which track he is considering, and SMI president Marcus Smith said no decision has been made on which track would lose a date if NASCAR adds Kentucky to its 36-race schedule.

******************
WOW!
 
Nice. Now put one of the Dover races at Gateway and I will be a happy camper. Probably be New Hampshire or Atlanta.
They wont take a date away from Bristol or Charlotte, Texas has already went through this drama, Las Vegas only has one date and Infineon wont lose one(except to another road course).
 
so vegas +1, kentucky +1. so either NHIS is falling off the schedule, or it and dover are losing a race each...Bruton invested too much in Hotlanta after the tornado, it'll have 2 dates for awhile, as will TMS.
 
I dont think Las Vegas is getting another race, just the awards banquet.

And considering Dover is its own entity, I dont see them losing a race to a competitor. The only way Dover loses a race, IMO, is if it gives one of its dates to Gateway or Nashville.
 
I worked the Richmond race. It was not a sell out.
And Richmond is a place that has plenty of motel rooms and they are reasonably priced. Probably the best of any track on the circuit.

Dover has minimal rooms and I am staying in Md. for that race because there isn't anything reasonable within a close distance.

I would think that Dover would take a pretty good hit this year in the way of attendance.

The number of hospitality tents have really shrunk at all venues. I am thinking that if you can't sell out a race at Richmond maybe Dover will have the same problem.

Hard to say who should lose a race but these tracks that have limited motel and restaurant facilities nearby should be first on the list. Rockingham was one that suffered that fate.
 
Spike said:
Nice. Now put one of the Dover races at Gateway and I will be a happy camper. Probably be New Hampshire or Atlanta.
They wont take a date away from Bristol or Charlotte, Texas has already went through this drama, Las Vegas only has one date and Infineon wont lose one(except to another road course).
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I'd say Atlanta's probably first on the chopping block.

Why should NASCAR take a date from Dover (which would probably be the crappy Spring date) and take the only Camping World Truck Series or Camping World East Series race from me? :mad:
 
Magnethead said:
so vegas +1, kentucky +1. so either NHIS is falling off the schedule, or it and dover are losing a race each...Bruton invested too much in Hotlanta after the tornado, it'll have 2 dates for awhile, as will TMS.
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Don't take Bruton for an idiot, Mag. He knows when something's not worth it's investment value, and I bet he has no problem taking a date from Atlanta after their craptastic attendance in the Spring race.

The Fall race will be worse. There's a reason Darlington doesn't want Labor Day Weekend back.
 
Dates at the Atalanta races and Fontana have been toxic for a while now. As far as Dover goes, being that they are separate entities I dont think they would attempt to force Dover to give up a date when they have 2 cup races between four tracks and Bruton Smith has like 9 dates not including Kentucky. That would be a dickhead move on NASCAR's part.
 
Spike said:
Dates at the Atalanta races and Fontana have been toxic for a while now. As far as Dover goes, being that they are separate entities I dont think they would attempt to force Dover to give up a date when they have 2 cup races between four tracks and Bruton Smith has like 9 dates not including Kentucky. That would be a dickhead move on NASCAR's part.
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which is exactly why it would be likely to happen
 
Spike said:
I dont think Las Vegas is getting another race, just the awards banquet.

And considering Dover is its own entity, I dont see them losing a race to a competitor. The only way Dover loses a race, IMO, is if it gives one of its dates to Gateway or Nashville.
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It only makes sense to give Vegas a chase date. The weather is much better there in the fall, they would sell out no problem. I'm actually surprised that Vegas has not added a second date before now. Kentucky maybe getting a date does not surprise me at all, probably NHIS will lose their chase date.
 
My guess is Atlanta is #1 on the list to lose a date and NHIS is #2 on the list.
 
My take is NHIS going. If it wasn't for the mods running there there would be weeds growing out of the track.
NNW and Cup racing there is, for lack of a better term, BORING. IMHO of course.:)
 
SST55 said:
My take is NHIS going. If it wasn't for the mods running there there would be weeds growing out of the track.
NNW and Cup racing there is, for lack of a better term, BORING. IMHO of course.:)
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But they have sold out EVERY RACE they have ever had, so it would appear there are many that do not share you opinion.
 
I don't see New Hampshire losing a date. All of the Northeast tracks (Dover, Watkins Glen, NHMS, Pocono) sell out, or come damn close, every single race they run.

Boring or not, Pocono and NHMS get butts in seats every race.

I personally think NASCAR ought to give up one of it's Southern California dates.

But that's neither here or there, Atlanta's attendance has been miserable the past few years. There is no excuse for their attendance being so awful in the Spring race. The weather was fantastic, tickets were cheap.

No doubt about it in my mind, Kentucky deserves a Cup date.
 
NASCAR will give up a CA race, but it won't be to a SMI track, that would be really dumb.

Fact is I love the road courses, but I really think Sears Point should be the one to go.

Then if NASCAR would move 1 race from CA to Iowa, put the CA date back the end of March, early April it would sell out again.
CA speedway sold out every race until they added the second date and rearranged the schedule to make CA the second race in our rainy season and usually cold as hell, and our 2nd date to labor day to the temps in triple digits. Last race I attended was 112 degrees.
 
So you want Infineon and one Fontana race to go away? And want one of those races to go to a track that holds 30,000 people?
 
give kentucky fontana's chase date, make vegas close the year via NHIS's chase date. And put fontana's lone date the week before texas.
 
I would take a race date away from Atlanta and give it to Kentucky, Dover's 1st race to Gateway, and another race to Las Vegas from somewhere(Fontana's Chase date? and then switch Gateway's date they got from Dover with Fontana's spring date). ISC would then need to make up the date it lost so takes one race from Pocono and gives it a Truck Series and Nationwide race. Then flip the date that is given to Homestead or Kansas with Kentucky's new race.

The schedule would play as 1. Daytona, 2. Gateway, 3. Las Vegas, 4. Homestead or Kansas, 5. Bristol, 6. Texas, 7. Martinsville(to break the short tracks up, flip Martinsville and Texas), 8. Phoenix, 9. Talladega, 10. Richmond, 11. Darlington, 12. Charlotte, 13. Fontana, 14. Pocono, 15. Michigan, 16. Infineon, 17. New Hampshire, 18. Daytona, 19. Chicago 20. Indianapolis, 21. Kentucky, 22. Watkins Glen, 23. Michigan, 24. Bristol, 25. Atlanta, 26. Richmond, 27. New Hampshire, 28. Dover, 29. Kansas, 30. Las Vegas, 31. Charlotte, 32. Martinsville, 33. Talladega, 34. Texas, 35. Phoenix, 36. Homestead
 
Nascar will never pull a date from Dover or Pocono, they are the only 2 tracks left that is not owned by ISC OR SMI,

If Iowa got a cup date you can bet your bottom dollar they could have 90,000 seat rather quickly. Rusty has said several times that when building they had prepared and planed for such expansion.

The ONLY place a race for KY or Las Vegas can come from is from an SMI owned track, NASCAR has told him they will not give him more dates.

Why on earth would NASCAR take a date from ISC which is a publicly traded company but basically owned by NASCAR and give it to a competitor? That's taking money right out of their own pockets.

Gateway in February, are you kidding me? Are you trying to kill that track? Are you going to have snowplows available instead of track driers? The cold is what killed the Rock.

the second date really needs to be in Las Vegas or Phoenix where the weather is much milder. BUT if you run Phoenix and Las Vegas back to back you will never sell out Phoenix because given a choice the traveling fans will always go to Vegas first.
 
Eagle1 said:
Nascar will never pull a date from Dover or Pocono, they are the only 2 tracks left that is not owned by ISC OR SMI
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Gateway is owned by Dover. Pocono having 2 dates has more to do with the Mattolis being tight with NASCAR then the fact that they own an independent track
Eagle1 said:
If Iowa got a cup date you can bet your bottom dollar they could have 90,000 seat rather quickly. Rusty has said several times that when building they had prepared and planed for such expansion.
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I would wait to see how they do with their Nationwide and Truck races before handing them a Cup date, whether they can expand or not.
Eagle1 said:
Why on earth would NASCAR take a date from ISC which is a publicly traded company but basically owned by NASCAR and give it to a competitor? That's taking money right out of their own pockets.
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They really wouldnt be, they would be conceding a date and then taking a date from Pocono.
 
Well then if the Dover group really wanted one there, they could move it there but they have made no such requests.

The people at Pocono may be tight with NASCAR and that may help them but don't fool yourself it still has a lot to do with the fact they are independently owned tracks.

You can do as you please, I was just voicing my opinion as to what I thought, same as everyone else here was and that is what I would like to see;.

So what you're really saying is take a date from Pocono (because you obviously don't like it,) even though it sells out every race?
 
I guess Bruton would not take a date away from NHIS since he just invested $400k into new fencing.
 
Spike said:
=

The schedule would play as 1. Daytona, 2. Gateway, 3. Las Vegas, 4. Homestead or Kansas, 5. Bristol, 6. Texas, 7. Martinsville(to break the short tracks up, flip Martinsville and Texas), 8. Phoenix, 9. Talladega, 10. Richmond, 11. Darlington, 12. Charlotte, 13. Fontana, 14. Pocono, 15. Michigan, 16. Infineon, 17. New Hampshire, 18. Daytona, 19. Chicago 20. Indianapolis, 21. Kentucky, 22. Watkins Glen, 23. Michigan, 24. Bristol, 25. Atlanta, 26. Richmond, 27. New Hampshire, 28. Dover, 29. Kansas, 30. Las Vegas, 31. Charlotte, 32. Martinsville, 33. Talladega, 34. Texas, 35. Phoenix, 36. Homestead
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Only problem there is it would be hit or miss on the real cold weather for february in the midwest around gateway. There might be a foot of snow on the ground during that race.
 
Eagle1 said:
Well then if the Dover group really wanted one there, they could move it there but they have made no such requests.

The people at Pocono may be tight with NASCAR and that may help them but don't fool yourself it still has a lot to do with the fact they are independently owned tracks.

You can do as you please, I was just voicing my opinion as to what I thought, same as everyone else here was and that is what I would like to see;.

So what you're really saying is take a date from Pocono (because you obviously don't like it,) even though it sells out every race?
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Just giving some counter points, sorry if I offended you. I dont want Pocono to go away completely, but I see no problem with it only having one Cup race, especially if you give it the Nationwide and Truck races to compensate(since Pocono has neither). Maybe if young drivers got a chance to drive the track in those series in the minor leagues it wouldnt be such a hard place for them.

On a side note, I have always said(half jokingly) if they are going to do away with Infineon and want to replace it with another road course, why not just do the Streets of Long Beach the same weekend as the indy car race.
 
Spike said:
Just giving some counter points, sorry if I offended you. I dont want Pocono to go away completely, but I see no problem with it only having one Cup race, especially if you give it the Nationwide and Truck races to compensate(since Pocono has neither). Maybe if young drivers got a chance to drive the track in those series in the minor leagues it wouldnt be such a hard place for them.

On a side note, I have always said(half jokingly) if they are going to do away with Infineon and want to replace it with another road course, why not just do the Streets of Long Beach the same weekend as the indy car race.
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because the ALMS run the same weekend, and there just aint room for 3 series there in the paddocks. plus could the fans afford it, and how would scheduling work?
 
Now Cup cars on a real street course would certainly be something to see. :beerbang:

I really don't want to lose a road course, I'm one of them weird people that love road courses. I'm just looking at the traveling these teams have to do and thought that would be 1 west coast swing, plus it is a SMI track.

Moving one of Fontana's dates too would save a bunch of traveling, time and money.
 
Dover owns Gateway, Nashville, and Memphis just for a little pointless information. Their stock is worthless though(under $2 a share), while SMIs and ISCs is holding strong at over $15 a share.
 
Spike said:
Dover owns Gateway, Nashville, and Memphis just for a little pointless information. Their stock is worthless though(under $2 a share), while SMIs and ISCs is holding strong at over $15 a share.
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Gulf Coast Entertainment bought Memphis Motorsports Park from Dover Motorsports earlier this year.

Chicagoland and Pocono are the only independenly owned tracks. Not sure who owns Chicago. The Mattioli family owns both Pocono Raceway and Mansfield Motorsports Park (they just purchased that and clinched an ARCA date recently).
 
Eagle1 said:
NASCAR will give up a CA race, but it won't be to a SMI track, that would be really dumb.

Fact is I love the road courses, but I really think Sears Point should be the one to go.

Then if NASCAR would move 1 race from CA to Iowa, put the CA date back the end of March, early April it would sell out again.
CA speedway sold out every race until they added the second date and rearranged the schedule to make CA the second race in our rainy season and usually cold as hell, and our 2nd date to labor day to the temps in triple digits. Last race I attended was 112 degrees.
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A. Iowa only seats 40,000.
B. NASCAR doesn't have enough road courses.
 
Spike said:
Just giving some counter points, sorry if I offended you. I dont want Pocono to go away completely, but I see no problem with it only having one Cup race, especially if you give it the Nationwide and Truck races to compensate(since Pocono has neither). Maybe if young drivers got a chance to drive the track in those series in the minor leagues it wouldnt be such a hard place for them.

On a side note, I have always said(half jokingly) if they are going to do away with Infineon and want to replace it with another road course, why not just do the Streets of Long Beach the same weekend as the indy car race.
Click to expand...

Pocono won't get a Nationwide race.

The Mattioli family is tight with ARCA. Did you see how quick ARCA moved the Nashville Fairgrounds race to Mansfield when the Mattioli family purchased Mansfield?

Indy won't do that because NASCAR will pounce them in ratings and attention.
 
For the record

My dream schedules (since we're up to this)

CUP:
  1. Daytona
  2. Phoenix
  3. Las Vegas
  4. Texas
  5. Talladega
  6. Southern California
  7. Atlanta
  8. Bristol
  9. Martinsville
  10. Darlington (night)
  11. Loudon
  12. Charlotte (night)
  13. Dover
  14. Pocono
  15. Michigan
  16. Sonoma
  17. Richmond (night)
  18. Daytona (night)
  19. Chicago (night)
  20. Indianapolis
  21. Pocono
  22. Watkins Glen
  23. Gateway
  24. Bristol (night)
  25. Loudon
  26. Richmond (night)
  27. Las Vegas (night)
  28. Millville
  29. Dover
  30. New Hampshire
  31. Kansas
  32. Kentucky
  33. Charlotte
  34. Texas
  35. Phoenix
  36. Homestead
Nationwide
  1. Daytona
  2. Alabama
  3. Texas
  4. Phoenix
  5. Irwindale
  6. Nashville SS
  7. Myrtle Beach
  8. Saluda (VMS - Dirt:growl:)
  9. Kentucky
  10. Rockingham
  11. ORP Indianapolis (night before the Indy 500:growl:)
  12. Gateway
  13. Mid-Ohio
  14. South Boston
  15. Daytona
  16. Montreal
  17. ORP/Indianapolis
  18. Watkins Glen
  19. Gateway
  20. Eldora:growl:
  21. Nashville Fairgrounds
  22. Richmond
  23. Las Vegas
  24. Millville
  25. Dover
  26. Myrtle Beach
  27. Rockingham
  28. Martinsville
  29. Phoenix
  30. Homestead
 
I say if any track goes, It would be New Hampshire. Next California and Pocono. Give Kentucky a race, and Maybe another to Vegas, then Add a third Bristol.

If it was Great American Association Of Stock Car Auto Racing, I would give each Currrent track one date each including Kentucky. Then, based on a vote compiled from 25% FAN ATTENDENCE from Previous year,and 50% FAN VOTE, then another 25% media or driver vote, we would add the final ten races for the Chase. No more wining and crying about dates, Races would become more prestigous, and the season would be shortened dramatically.
 
GREAT AMERICAN RACE FAN said:
I say if any track goes, It would be New Hampshire. Next California and Pocono. Give Kentucky a race, and Maybe another to Vegas, then Add a third Bristol.

If it was Great American Association Of Stock Car Auto Racing, I would give each Currrent track one date each including Kentucky. Then, based on a vote compiled from 25% FAN ATTENDENCE from Previous year,and 50% FAN VOTE, then another 25% media or driver vote, we would add the final ten races for the Chase. No more wining and crying about dates, Races would become more prestigous, and the season would be shortened dramatically.
Click to expand...

If it was the Andy Marquis Racing Association, they wouldn't race any track bigger than a mile.
 
AndyMarquisLIVE said:
My dream schedules (since we're up to this)

CUP:
  1. Daytona
  2. Phoenix
  3. Las Vegas
  4. Texas
  5. Talladega
  6. Southern California
  7. Atlanta
  8. Bristol
  9. Martinsville
  10. Darlington (night)
  11. Loudon
  12. Charlotte (night)
  13. Dover
  14. Pocono
  15. Michigan
  16. Sonoma
  17. Richmond (night)
  18. Daytona (night)
  19. Chicago (night)
  20. Indianapolis
  21. Pocono
  22. Watkins Glen
  23. Gateway
  24. Bristol (night)
  25. Loudon
  26. Richmond (night)
  27. Las Vegas (night)
  28. Millville
  29. Dover
  30. New Hampshire
  31. Kansas
  32. Kentucky
  33. Charlotte
  34. Texas
  35. Phoenix
  36. Homestead
Nationwide
  1. Daytona
  2. Alabama
  3. Texas
  4. Phoenix
  5. Irwindale
  6. Nashville SS
  7. Myrtle Beach
  8. Saluda (VMS - Dirt:growl:)
  9. Kentucky
  10. Rockingham
  11. ORP Indianapolis (night before the Indy 500:growl:)
  12. Gateway
  13. Mid-Ohio
  14. South Boston
  15. Daytona
  16. Montreal
  17. ORP/Indianapolis
  18. Watkins Glen
  19. Gateway
  20. Eldora:growl:
  21. Nashville Fairgrounds
  22. Richmond
  23. Las Vegas
  24. Millville
  25. Dover
  26. Myrtle Beach
  27. Rockingham
  28. Martinsville
  29. Phoenix
  30. Homestead
Click to expand...

I love the Nationwide schedule, Rockingham, Myrtle Beach, Nashville Fairgrounds, South Boston. Where is Millville? I agree with Montreal also. I am a NASCAR traditionalist, but one thing I noticed in all my racing travels, a LOT OF Canadians traveled south to watch cup and Busch series racing. Great schedule. I think we do next one exibition race again in Austrailia. I bet they have a bunch of fans since Marcos came to the big show. Love the dirt editions too, great schedule.
 
AndyMarquisLIVE said:
Gulf Coast Entertainment bought Memphis Motorsports Park from Dover Motorsports earlier this year.

Chicagoland and Pocono are the only independenly owned tracks. Not sure who owns Chicago. The Mattioli family owns both Pocono Raceway and Mansfield Motorsports Park (they just purchased that and clinched an ARCA date recently).
Click to expand...

As I posted in earlier posts, Dover and Pocono are th only 2 independently owned race tracks on the NSCS circuit since Bob B sold NHIS.

Chicagoland is a joint venture;
Raceway Associates, LLC (a Hulman & Co. and ISC joint venture, managed by ISC)
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look familiar? Managed by ISC, owned by ISC and Tony George's family.

Independently owned means by companies other than NASCAR controled ISC or Bruton Smith controled SMI.

Who cares if Iowa only seats 30,000 (Spike was correct with his figures, not 40,000), you don't think they're capable to add more?
Chicagoland only has 75,000
I'll bet given a few months notice Iowa could match that easy.

There are several other really good road courses NASCAR could use, including Daytona, but I'd like to see them go to Belle Isle in Canada.
 
AndyMarquisLIVE said:
My dream schedules (since we're up to this)

CUP:
  1. Daytona
  2. Phoenix
  3. Las Vegas
  4. Texas
  5. Talladega
  6. Southern California
  7. Atlanta
  8. Bristol
  9. Martinsville
  10. Darlington (night)
  11. Loudon
  12. Charlotte (night)
  13. Dover
  14. Pocono
  15. Michigan
  16. Sonoma
  17. Richmond (night)
  18. Daytona (night)
  19. Chicago (night)
  20. Indianapolis
  21. Pocono
  22. Watkins Glen
  23. Gateway
  24. Bristol (night)
  25. Loudon
  26. Richmond (night)
  27. Las Vegas (night)
  28. Millville
  29. Dover
  30. New Hampshire
  31. Kansas
  32. Kentucky
  33. Charlotte
  34. Texas
  35. Phoenix
  36. Homestead

Nationwide
  1. Daytona
  2. Alabama
  3. Texas
  4. Phoenix
  5. Irwindale
  6. Nashville SS
  7. Myrtle Beach
  8. Saluda (VMS - Dirt:growl:)
  9. Kentucky
  10. Rockingham
  11. ORP Indianapolis (night before the Indy 500:growl:)
  12. Gateway
  13. Mid-Ohio
  14. South Boston
  15. Daytona
  16. Montreal
  17. ORP/Indianapolis
  18. Watkins Glen
  19. Gateway
  20. Eldora:growl:
  21. Nashville Fairgrounds
  22. Richmond
  23. Las Vegas
  24. Millville
  25. Dover
  26. Myrtle Beach
  27. Rockingham
  28. Martinsville
  29. Phoenix
  30. Homestead
Click to expand...

I could agree with this very much. no companion weekends = cheaper tickets, no cup lite, and better racing!
 
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