No Rockingham?

[Vivian]

I just watched my taped Speed News and they say there is a possiblility of no Rockingham next year.  What are they thinking other than $$$?
What track will be next?

[buddy_love]

Vivian,

What's amazing to me is that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure the problem with Rockingham.  Their races were always scheduled in cold weather.  Why make plans if it is going to be freezing or ice?  The race at Rockingham is a great experience but everyone knows how bad the weather can be in February here in NC.

Why didn't Nascar schedule something like Daytona, then Phoenix, then first Fontana, then Las Vegas then Rockingham or Atlanta and the rest of the schedule?

Having another boring race on a wide track isn't something to look forward to.  The Southern tracks were made for stock car racing.  It is close and exciting.  We lived in Phoenix before moving here to NC.  The Nascar races at PIR were never as exciting as the races down here in the South.

It is a shame but not expected.  They don't care to keep ticket prices down to get fans to go live.  By not going to a live event every once in a while a person will naturally lose interest in something.  I just wish I had the money back we spent in tickets, hotel rooms, food, souvenirs, etc.  

Nascar needs to understand this but they are riding high thinking they are the only game in town.

BL

[Vivian]

Hi BL and WELCOME!
I agree with you.  We need the warmer sites earlier in the season but somehow Nascar talks with forked tongue.  They want to keep "tradition" but yet convince us that change is good and losing some of the traditional ways and tracks somehow makes racing a better and bigger sport.
Some of us old, die hard fans are slowly fading with all the new gimmicks, graphics and showmanship type announcers.  Like I alluded to earlier, they just want the $$$ and heck with the faithful fans as they can make more off the newer fans.  That's my opinion.

[buddy_love]

Vivian,

When we first moved to NC we had gotten racing burn out in Phoenix after seeing a driver killed at PIR and another sprint car driver severely injured at El Cajon back when the old CRA opened their season there.

So for a couple of years we didn't go to a Nascar race down here.

Then on one Saturday in February I go to Rockingham alone on a scouting mission.  There's snow and ice around the track but I sat alone on the front straight away as practice began at 8:00 AM.  I was blown away.  It was amazing to see the speed and all the racing smells.  To make a long story short we got hooked on Nascar after that visit.  We went to both races each year at Rockingham from then on.

That's why a person has to go to a live race to really appreciate the speed and atmosphere.  I will never forget that first time at Rockingham.

BL

[kgregg]

Did the Cup race sell out?  Kevin

[oldave]

Did the Cup race sell out?  Kevin

No, it wasn't a sellout - the good weather did make for a larger "walk up" crowd than expected, which helped, but the talk remains that Cup racing is done at The Rock.

Bear in mind that many, many times, these rumors turn out to be based on fact.