tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post8618219337239863627..comments2024-01-11T19:29:38.859-05:00Comments on Life in the Turn Lane: Hollywood? Nope, and certainly not DarlingtonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-71165419654639296872007-09-06T16:16:00.000-04:002007-09-06T16:16:00.000-04:00anonymous #19, actually there are more than a few ...anonymous #19, actually there are more than a few fans who'd prefer racing instead of the stupid bump & run - that's cheapshot racing.<BR/><BR/>"We need to get racing back." We did have some spirited racing at Fontana this time around, and we need to get that and more.Monkeesfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14522953722006761283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-43397665107875013102007-09-05T23:49:00.000-04:002007-09-05T23:49:00.000-04:00David...i virtually NEVER agree with you...but one...David...i virtually NEVER agree with you...but one thing is for sure. Los Angeles doesn't give two terds about NASCAR. The arrogance of Nascar brass never ceases to amaze me. If the NFL can't keep fans in seats in LA....um...Nascar damn sure can't. <BR/><BR/>Make Darlington's ONE race the Southern 500. Make it 500k....so it isn't so damned long and get r did. <BR/><BR/>Sunday, and Sunday's race is just a shining example of Nascar trying to be something it isn't.Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02714207579669974050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-80696813925037573782007-09-05T17:09:00.000-04:002007-09-05T17:09:00.000-04:00Amen!!! The Southern 500 should remain as it was i...Amen!!! The Southern 500 should remain as it was intended...Labor<BR/>Day weekend! Night time even makes it better. But why stop there? Let's bring back Rockingham and North Wilksboro. We need to get the "racing" back in racing instead of watching a 180mph freeway. Too may "sister" cookie cutter tracks out there. As much as I would love to see some of the old tracks come back to the circuit. There just isn't enough money in that. And we all know that is what makes the world..uh I mean cars go round.<BR/>Also, dig up Bristol and put it back like it was, exciting. There's not a fan out there who doesn't want to see the ole' "bump and run"!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-18567629195080800762007-09-05T08:58:00.000-04:002007-09-05T08:58:00.000-04:00Well I for one loved staying up until past midnigh...Well I for one loved staying up until past midnight to watch the end of the race - NOT! <BR/><BR/>At least this California race wasnt quite as boring as prvious races there...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-87137324817210142622007-09-04T11:42:00.000-04:002007-09-04T11:42:00.000-04:00blooze, they do that because they still think prim...blooze, they do that because they still think primetime equals better ratings, and it never works that way for most sporting events.Monkeesfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14522953722006761283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-19913611553367469312007-09-04T10:07:00.000-04:002007-09-04T10:07:00.000-04:00David you can't have it both ways. you can't argu...David you can't have it both ways. you can't argue that California deserves a 2nd date and then complain that it is Labor Day weekend. Moving their 2nd date is not going to change the issues they have with fan apathy and the other items you listed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-28517300247513751822007-09-03T23:38:00.000-04:002007-09-03T23:38:00.000-04:00Just be thankfully that the race didn't start at 1...Just be thankfully that the race didn't start at 10:00 Eastern like the Busch race Saturday night, LOL.stricklinfan82https://www.blogger.com/profile/01808897974344304657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-35125485870673900342007-09-03T20:18:00.000-04:002007-09-03T20:18:00.000-04:00An 8 PM start time on a Sunday Night is just too l...An 8 PM start time on a Sunday Night is just too late. I'm sure that cost a lot of television viewers. I know it was a holiday weekend, but there are still a helluva lot of people in this country that had to get up and go to work bright and early on Monday morning, myself included.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-62926601785702701632007-09-03T19:39:00.000-04:002007-09-03T19:39:00.000-04:00anonymous #11, getting back to a sport's real demo...anonymous #11, getting back to a sport's real demographic is never regressive or bad for business. NASCAR grew and grew and did so by <EM>not</EM> following the model of other sports - they didn't have a centralized TV deal, they didn't have "big market" speedways, and they let their demographics evolve naturally - they didn't try to force themselves into markets that didn't want them and didn't try to push "diversity." <BR/><BR/>That Darlington is doing well in mid-May is due to being in a racing demographic; if they had their second date back they'd do well with that also. <BR/><BR/>"Progression" is not always good for business (witness the semi-collapse of the NHL and the mediocre status of the NBA). NASCAR doesn't particularly need southern California or Chicago, and it absolutely does not belong in New York City or the Pacific Northwest.Monkeesfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14522953722006761283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-74146802086661271482007-09-03T11:00:00.000-04:002007-09-03T11:00:00.000-04:00Thanks for this article and the one by Tom Higgins...Thanks for this article and the one by Tom Higgins. As a NASCAR fan of 35 years who grew up a few miles from the Orange Co Speedway, Hillsborough, NC, NASCAR committed the ultimate sin when it sold its sole by eliminating the Southern 500 for the money of Southern Cal. Bring back the Labor Day Southern 500 in all its traditional glory, NASCAR, and you can win me (and many other traditional fans) back. Until then, enjoy your boring tracks and dwindling audiences.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-58643614341965557572007-09-02T19:36:00.000-04:002007-09-02T19:36:00.000-04:00The good thing for Darlington is that it's doing a...The good thing for Darlington is that it's doing as well as it's ever done with the Mother's Day weekend date. <BR/><BR/>I don't blame NASCAR for trying to expand to other markets. Progression is a necessity for any business. They used to be a regional sport with heavy saturation in the southeast. Now they're in Vegas, southern California, Kansas, Chicago, Texas, New Hampshire, etc. etc. yet they still have 16 races in the southeast. Daytona twice, Atlatna twice, Bristol twice, Martinsville twice, Richmond twice, Talladega twice, Charlotte twice, Darlington and Homestead. Adding any more races to the southeast while taking races away from other places would be regression which is bad for any business.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-64692667249147405282007-09-02T00:13:00.000-04:002007-09-02T00:13:00.000-04:00Noooo! Not New Hampshire! They already screwed u...Noooo! Not New Hampshire! They already screwed up my summer by moving the July date to the holiday weekend. I WORK holidays! You mess with NHIS again and I'll get very upset :-( Until somebody wants to pay me to follow the circuit, I shall be firm about this. Having the race at California this weekend works just fine for me...it starts at 8PM, plenty of time for me to get home and catch it live while I nap from the long day at work ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-79915936183929115062007-09-01T22:11:00.000-04:002007-09-01T22:11:00.000-04:00David,I normally don't agree with much you say, bu...David,<BR/>I normally don't agree with much you say, but I was mostly thinking what you wrote the other day. I think the rapid expansion of NASCAR is hitting a plateau and needs to get back to their roots. California will never be the market they dream about. Look at it's sister track Michigan till this year how many sell outs did it have. How many seats does MIS have vs. Cali. By the way get rid of a pocono race and bring back the ROCK!!!!Blue Collar Bloggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14327119216533888873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-71357626967629837362007-09-01T19:35:00.000-04:002007-09-01T19:35:00.000-04:00As a 25 year NASCAR fan from Kansas, I am certainl...As a 25 year NASCAR fan from Kansas, I am certainly glad you don't have a snowman's chance in hell of making any decisions concerning who gets what date! It is very unlikely that Kansas will ever get a 2nd date for a race so why shouldn't it get a race during the CHASE!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-91165101542758225202007-09-01T17:48:00.000-04:002007-09-01T17:48:00.000-04:00David, why does California need 2 dates? They obvi...David, why does California need 2 dates? They obviously dont appreciate the sport the way others in the country do, and there are tracks out there that would kill for one cup date, let alone two. Perhaps a second date in Las Vegas makes more sense, but if I had my way, I would agree with you about Darlington and Labor Day. Being from NH, I am a bit biased... I like the date being the first date in the Chase, but I suppose I would settle for Labor Day if it was moved to there. September in NH is fantastic weather...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-61770860740700376752007-09-01T17:03:00.000-04:002007-09-01T17:03:00.000-04:00Southern Califormia will never be a sell....Roger ...Southern Califormia will never be a sell....Roger Penske realised that....You have Phoenix and Las Vegas that are reasonable to get to for fans in that area and they are better tracks...Northern California would have been better but all that is water under the bridge ..If Fontana has to have a second date then later in the year in the chase might be the only way it survives...As much as it grates on my nerves your right about Darlington on Labor Day that ship has sailed unfortunatelyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-30222161950391067572007-09-01T16:53:00.000-04:002007-09-01T16:53:00.000-04:00I have to agree grudgingly that darlington and Lab...I have to agree grudgingly that darlington and Labor day seems to be a pipe dream..I only hope your right about the spring race....Being in california on Labor day still makes no sense ..If they have to have two races one later in the year during the chase might be better..Kansas could be moved out easily..I like the idea of new Hampshire on Labor day the weather would be better...food for thought anywayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-1874040055233713922007-09-01T15:19:00.000-04:002007-09-01T15:19:00.000-04:00As a traditional NASCAR fan of over 30 years the L...As a traditional NASCAR fan of over 30 years the Labor Day weekend in California always causes me to ask why I support a sport that has largely abandoned me and gone Hollywood. Even the start time for the Busch race is so late it takes away the fun of watching it live. Yes, I would be in Darlington this weekend as it was one of those traditional venues that had character.<BR/>The audience for qualifying had to be embarassing even for those that decided to have Calif on the schedule twice. Bill FAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-24583137166593992492007-09-01T14:59:00.000-04:002007-09-01T14:59:00.000-04:00David, First I would like to thank you for not bas...David,<BR/><BR/> First I would like to thank you for not bashing the California track to much. All I have read so far on numerous sites is how bad of a race this one is going to be. I have attended the races at California with my family and have enjoyed them in the past. My family and I live 4 hours from the track and will not be attending this year for various reasons even though we would love to be there regardless of the heat. In my opinion Nascar and the California track need to take into consideration the life styles of those that live in Southern California in order to get the attendance level up. For example, most Californians aren't going to attend Qualifying on Fridays when they have work to do. If Nascar was to re-work the scheduling to have Cup Qualifying and the Busch race on the same day I'm sure the attendance ratings would go up. Why spend 3 hours in everyday traffic to get to the track to watch 1.5 hours of qualifying when you can listen to it on the radio, or watch it on speed? As far as the Busch race, I'm sure the seats won't be sold out, very few tracks do sale out for a Busch race. The tracks that do are usually the tracks that don't have a Cup race scheduled there the same weekend. As far as the Cup race on Sunday, I'm sure when the green flag waves regardless of heat the stands will have at least 75,000 fans sitting and waiting at a 92,00 seat facility, not to mention the luxury boxes that will be filled. Yes the California track likes to go hollywood, because they can. I'm not a celebrity, but I deal with it because I know that's the way the track management is going to push it. And last but not least, if they really want to sale out this track twice a year don't put the race on a 3 day weekend. Most Southern Californians are heading out of town to get a break from that everyday life of living in a major metropolitan area, or spending the weekend at the beaches that stretch for miles along the California coast. Hope you enjoy the race David.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-16275884539217968482007-09-01T14:12:00.000-04:002007-09-01T14:12:00.000-04:00same crap every year. you are a very negative pers...same crap every year. you are a very negative person.<BR/>look at the bright side, at least some people still go to and watch the races.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24366637.post-20639996925217143452007-09-01T13:54:00.000-04:002007-09-01T13:54:00.000-04:00As much as I would love to see the Southern 500 re...As much as I would love to see the Southern 500 return to Labor Day, we all know that will never happen. If NASCAR did that they would be admitting that they made a huge mistake by moving it away from Labor Day in the first place, and I don't see them ever doing that.<BR/><BR/>The best line of the week so far was Tony Stewart's post-qualifying interview where he questioned the logic of racing in the California heat in August, and then mentioned that the 200 fans in the stands probably agree. Great line. To be fair though, when the Cup Series raced in California in February qualifying had a similar crowd of around 200 people, so I don't think the weather is the reason the Hollywood fans are staying away from the track.stricklinfan82https://www.blogger.com/profile/01808897974344304657noreply@blogger.com