Friday, March 06, 2009

The weather is beautiful, wish you were here

HAMPTON, Ga. -- People literally do not know how to act here at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The weather here is fantastic. It's sunny and will be around 70 for a high today. The sun is supposed to linger through Sunday and it's supposed to be warm each day. It might rain Monday but that's OK, at least from the racing standpoint.
This is odd. No, it's not odd. It's downright weird.
It's about time Atlanta Motor Speedway gets a break like this. So many times we've been here and it has been raining -- or worse. It snowed here for a little while on Saturday morning just last year, and even when the sun has come out it has often been cold and blustery.
I don't know yet how many people this nice weather will bring out for Saturday's Truck Series race and Sunday's Sprint Cup race. But you have to believe that more people will show up to enjoy the great weather than would have decided to come if it was cold and rainy.
I've always believed that Atlanta Motor Speedway would be better off it were located as far northeast of Atlanta as it actually is south of the city. Put this track up somewhere between Commerce, where the drag strip is, and Suwanee, where Road Atlanta is, and I think you'd have more people show up here.
I've also always thought that part of Atlanta Motor Speedway's problem is that it's near Atlanta. This might sound like the same old Charlotte vs. Atlanta bias, but I think Atlanta is just an awful sports town -- especially pro sports. A lot of people can get fired up about Georgia Bulldogs football down this way, but that's about it. Some of that is justified, since this city's professional teams have kicked their fans in the teeth time and time again.
But any fan who has been loyal to Atlanta Motor Speedway over the years has probably got just about every kind of foul-weather gear you can imagine in his or her closet because at some point over the past few years he or she has needed it to endure a race here.
So for all of the people who do make it out here on Sunday, a nice day of weather will be a nice and well-deserved reward.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hell I lived in Commerce for a while I would have loved it being up near there. Would make it easier for me to go there even now with me living back in New York as my son still lives in Commerce.

Anonymous said...

I agreee that the location of the track is awful. I know that people in GA love their Bulldogs, but let's face it, there is a lot of difference between Atlanta and Athens.

Though I have visited GA several times, I do not know what knuckle head designed that "wagon-wheel" like highway system. Getting around there is a nightmare.

Maybe locals don't go through the greif a visitor does. I hope they have good attendance. Hopefully, there are some good deals on tickets.

I think this race has been made exciting because of many of the drivers on the top of the list. I got a little weary of the Edwards/Jimmie constant story.

Anonymous said...

Dave, Dude go on a diet, please.

you are a heart attack waiting to happen.

Anonymous said...

Taking Bad Things In Perspective I Would Rather Hear Poole Speak As To Be In Atlanta EVER Listening to Poole Speak is worse than hearing cats sing

Anonymous said...

We Have a nice track already built in Nashville (Lebanon) Wouldn't yall rather come here?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Over the past, oh, 10-15 years, Atlanta has become a black town. Lots of blacks live there and they don't give a hoot about nascar.

Anonymous said...

Let me tell you something about atlanta motor speedway..I walked up to the ticket booth sunday morning and asked for a ticket in winners section,lower lever and away from the crowd since half of the seats were gonna be unsold..The ticket lady said no problem and I paid my 95.oo bucks and went to my seat..It seemed like there was nobody in the grandstands till the driver introductions started and the only section I saw filling up was the one I was in..What happened was the speedway was trying to fill up that section because it was the last section before going into turns 1 and 2 and it would look real good on tv by being full..I wound up moving 2 sections down where there was not a single person sitting in a seat from row 1 to row 18..What gets me is I asked for a ticket in a isolated area but I get sold one to fill up a certain section..I will never buy another ticket from atlanta motor speedway again..Tickets can be bought in the parking lot and at the highway for 20 bucks..AMS..The next time a hardcore NASCAR fan walks up to the ticket booth to buy a ticket just to help the track out because of the race not even being half-sold out I suggest you try to accomodate that fan.

discount asics shoes said...

Thank you for sharing, you're right, you're just for me is very useful. I really like your post.