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West Coast, here we come
EDITOR'S NOTE: New ThatsRacin.com blogger Dennis Terry of Dale Earnhardt Inc. reports in on teh West Coast and changes in the NASCAR schedule. Terry, a former teammate of Over the Wall's Trent Cherry, will be a regular contributor in this space. So stop by and see what he has to say.
By Dennis Terry
Our flight for Ontario California, is scheduled to leave Statesville at 8 a.m. Saturday. If all goes well we will make it back around 2 Monday morning. That’s a pretty long weekend and we’ll get to do it five more times this season.
In 1996, just 10 years ago, NASCAR had only one West Coast race, at Sears Point, Calif. There’s a rumor of a second Vegas date coming and the Northwest has become a bull’s eye for a future track. In 10 more years the West Coast could have 9 races or more. NASCAR, a national sport with deep southern roots could have 25% of it’s races on the West Coast.
Except for the long trip and the extra time away from home I don’t mind the West Coast races.
The fans that I’ve seen in California and Phoenix are just a passionate as the fans in Charlotte and Rockingham. (Well, maybe not Rockingham.)
What do you think about NASCAR potentially having 25 percent of the races on the West Coast?
Even Mike Helton recently stated, "We (NASCAR) strongly believe that the old Southeastern redneck heritage that we had is no longer in existence." I know all of my Mooresboro buddies who keep up with the races and commercials at Charlie Hamrick’s would strongly disagree with Mr. Helton.
February 24, 2006 in Race week | Permalink
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Comments
I would disagree with Mr. Helton's assesment as well. The southern heritage of Nascar remains strong. I would advise Nascar to do a little demographic research into where most of their profits from merchandise and ticket sales comes from. While it seems there has been a growth in the fan base in "main stream" America, I wonder how much money these new fans spend on the sport.
As far as the west coast racing goes, it seams like an awfully big added expense to Owners to travel that far, that much. I can only assume Owners will have to pass the added cost own to their sponsers. Will the sponsors balk at the added cost or will they accept it to get the west coast exposure. Nascar could be bighting off the hand that feeds them by further limiting available sponsors willing to spend the money to be a part of the sport.
Posted by: Michael | Feb 24, 2006 1:27:46 PM
Plus remember, Helton is a weak-spined, idiot, and Brian Boy is fairly light in his step as well as brain. Owners needs aren't considered in decision making. We can limit tires to "save money", but then schedule a Busch race in Mexico, where even the winner loses money(but Nascar makes money)
Posted by: clay | Feb 24, 2006 1:42:50 PM
Sheesh! Now, I have to learn to make sushi and to drink my Merlot (from J.Gordons vinyard) with my pinky extended when I tailgate. Can you drink Merlot with sushi? See now I have to google that!
Posted by: Keith | Feb 24, 2006 2:03:12 PM
Hey Trent:
No Mississippi Mudflaps yet this year?
Posted by: RCSanders | Feb 24, 2006 2:05:55 PM
HMMMPH I drank onetime with my pinkie out and pert near got arrested fo indecent exposure....git er done, Sorry Guys Cali races are SNOOZERS, the come on TOO late, fairly uneventful I'll go knock around little white ball this weekend.
Posted by: Fan # 5 | Feb 24, 2006 3:00:11 PM
I'm not a "redneck" but I am, Southern Country..... The South is where Nascar originated and I think the "Big Wigs" need to remember that...they seem to forget who made them what they are? I know some folks didn't think that we (Texas) should have another race..... really, Nascar didn't either, so what do they do to us..... Yep, put the fall race right smack at the Opening of Deer season....... Hard choice for Southerners, here anyway.... hum? Deer? Nascar? Deer? Nascar? What to do? What to do? It was quite funny to hear some of the folks around here tryin to decide.....
Posted by: Darlene | Feb 24, 2006 4:43:45 PM
What do Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Robbie Gordon, both Bush brothers, Jimmie Johnson, Mears, Biffle and Kahne have in common? Give up? All from the West Coast or at least as defined by DT. These are just the drivers off the top of my head that I know of and nine is pretty close to a quarter of the drivers. I do not know why people think racing cars was invented in the south, it wasn't. The sanctioning body (NASCAR) may have started in the south but from what I read the southern fans have a strong dislike for them. Sponsors are not exclusively southern. Network televsion is not southern. The manufacturers are upper midwest as are many other drivers. There are several drivers from Indiana as well and while anything below I-70 is pretty redneck it is not considered the south. I miss North Wilkesboro not because it was in the south but because I liked the racing at that track. I am happy with the growth of the sport which would not have happened without expansion to areas outside of the southeast. BTW Dennis NASCAR has been racing at Phoenix since 1988.
Posted by: Octane20 | Feb 24, 2006 6:20:32 PM
Yes NASCAR racing originated in the South, however there are fans from all over including outside this country. Does this mean that we should be racing in those countries??? IMO no.
However with that being said. I am a California native who grew up on all forms of racing including NASCAR. I LOVE racing, and I happen to now live in NASCAR country (NC of course). I happened to move here after most of the races have been taken away from the area :( When I lived in CA the closest race was Sears Point, and I agree not the most exciting race to attend in person. I remember wishing we had more oppertunities to see NASCAR in person. So we went to where they were racing (Vegas, Phoenix)like many other folks who do not live in a mass market do.
Bottom line I think they should leave the races where they are now, and please do NOT take any more races away from the Southeast, or if they do take away Homestead. Just my .02 cents.
Posted by: M Hood | Feb 24, 2006 7:54:58 PM
NASCARs roots are "American!" And, we owe its inception, tradition and history to the South. The dilemma now is how to respect NASCARs roots and at the same time provide access to NASCAR for new fans. NASCAR has done poorly here. The Big tracks are owned by corporations who move races at a whim for the big $$$. Away from history and away from its roots. It's a shame but not unexpected when you're chasing the big green.
Posted by: Keith | Feb 25, 2006 5:16:56 PM
Seems the fans tend to know more about the history of the sport than some of the people who work in the sport. There have been at least 2 races a year out west for almost 20 yrs now, not 1. As for some people thinking that the sponosrs would complain about the cost of traveling out west, the last time I checked they sold Miller Light and Bud out west. And why would a sponosr ever complain about sold out races, and that is what you usually have out west, had the SOUTHERN tracks kept up with changing times, we would not be losing dates.
Posted by: oldschoolbil | Feb 26, 2006 3:23:52 AM
Hey! We did keep up..... we've got an awesome track....... And we have 200,000 plus every year...
Posted by: Darlene | Feb 26, 2006 10:22:50 AM
The point is that Helton (ie- Nascar) was derogatory toward rednecks, aka southerners. He didn't say anything negative toward those from California or Indiana.
My question is this... Why can't they 'dance with the ones who brought them' and embrace their new fans? There's simply no need to call out one group. Nascar's big enough for all fans.
Posted by: NC Nascar fan | Feb 26, 2006 4:34:11 PM
Here it is Sunday afternoon, and did ya'll see all those empty seats at California. To be near one of the largetst metropolitian areas in the country in an area"that loves NASCAR, it sure was a lot of empty seats.
Surely we won't go back there again. We may be redneck according to Helton, but we support our racing. And the TV ratings are terrible in Southern California, so why do we "need" to be there?
Posted by: clay | Feb 26, 2006 8:09:39 PM
Man what a snoozer of a race until the last 50 laps!! These races at Fontana are brutally boring. Front runners being 25 secs apart. That looked more like me playing EA NASCAR 2006 than a real race! Knock this track back to one date per year and head somewhere more entertaining!!
Posted by: NASCAR Tarheel | Feb 26, 2006 10:49:41 PM
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