Optikal

Up here in the Pacific Northwest the rumors of a NASCAR track being built are slowly becoming reality. Recently the local news have been reporting on the growing political support for a professional grade NASCAR track and the potential economic impacts.

Once NASCAR secures a track it will be the closest thing to a professional automotive sporting event other than what is already held at Portland International Raceway. And after the legalities are put to rest, I predict large success for the new track and an increasing fan base presence.

However, road racing currently exists in Washington, but has largely remained an amateur sport and the local racing organizations have consistently struggled with in-fighting and money as a result of being a volunteer organization. This could be a reason why road racing has not florished in the Northwest over the years.

So if a NASCAR track is built in Washington and the Winston and Busch Series start running up here, do you think the enthusiasm of racing will trickle down to other race events? Such as the American Le Mans Series, CART, Trans Am... or even at the SCCA level?

I don't know if there are other similar examples nationwide that might teach us in the Pac NW of what could possibly happen. There appears to be a division between NASCAR and road racing and the common NASCAR fan will not "crossover" to try track racing.

On the flip side, my racing circle NASCAR is the epitomy of trucker baseball hats, bud cans, and race car highway passing and won't bother with a NASCAR event. But there have been conversations about the positive impacts we could get from NASCAR.

I am wondering if you have lived in an area where a NASCAR track has been built and effected the local racing scene. And discussion about the common NASCAR fan... will the fan naturally look into other forms of racing? Do you think the local race scene can benefit from NASCAR?

I would love to hear your opinions!

Tedster

I'm just hoping they build an infield road course, so we have another venue for track days.

VFROOOM

I live in NASCRAP land....there is quite a difference between a NASCAR fan and a Auto Racing enthusiast. I think you'll find very little cross-over. It is a fact, that the average car is ten times more technically advanced than a NASCAB car. I think your area's benefit will be limited just like it is here in the Carolinas. The oval facilities are available for track days, racing schools, defensive driving schools and SCCA type Solo events and some Karting.

Optikal

Actually, the SCCA Oregon Region has been looking into building a new race track near Chehalis. Or some town near there...

They have already formed a corporation and selling shares. I don't know what their time schedule is, but I think there has been more productivity with the NASCar track.


Our SCCA board is trying to formulate a plan and seeing if it is feasible to reach out to the NASCAR folks, or coordinate with them. We'll see though.

VFROOOM, your experience verifies what I suspect. Hopefully we'll enact some changes in this area.

jerrypeterson

Ananda, NHRA, NASCAR, and Motorboats are the big three racing series the local NW population follows/participates in. However, there are 5 road racing facilities within 5 hours of Seattle... and they are usually full during the March to October racing season. Racing is big up here, whatever form it takes. Anything new is only going to improve motorsports up here since there is far more demand than supply. And the addition of another professional grade facility would probably bring even more heads into the fold. Come to think of it... the big negative in this facility being built is that there will be more drivers fighting for the same number of road course dates.

PedalFaster

I was quite pleasantly surprised at last weekend's USGP to find that quite a few of the people in attendance were apparently NASCAR fans -- seems they were curious about these funny looking open-wheeled cars driving the wrong way around Indy.

If they build a NASCAR oval around here, while I can't imagine myself going there frequently, I'm sure I'll check it out a few times, and I'm sure I'll enjoy myself.

Steve

Triple-H

I have several thoughts...

Building a NASCAR track and then getting NASCAR to race there are two very different things. NASCAR is very much still a home for the good ole boy network and to get selected to have a race at your track is no simple task. If a track is being built in your area and they want to attract NASCAR, they had better already have their NASCAR connections down.

This day in age to build an oval and not include a road course portion is dumb, good luck, I hope that is included.

YES, a NASCAR track can help the local scene as long as it contains a good road course section.

Let's look at one little example. Back in the early '80s Watkins Glen filed for bankruptcy and closed down. Shortly after that Corning Glass bought the facility and started pumping a bit of life back into it, but not a lot of life, just enough to keep it alive, and just barely alive I might ad. Then in '97, International Speedway Corporation, whose holdings include Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Darlington Raceway and Phoenix Int'l Raceway, became sole owner of the historic road course.

Since that buyout The Glen has done nothing but improve. Better pavement, better safely, toilets that flush, better seating, better garages, better everything, and the improvements just keep coming thanks to cash rich NASCAR. We have such a glut of driving schools in the area it is amazing, and that is all because The Glen works very hard to have their facility completely scheduled.

Given the right circumstances you bet NASCAR can help the local scene! I will be the 1st to admit I hate NASCAR racing, I'm a true F1 fan, but come the end of the day, I have a lot of appreciation for NASCAR and what they have done to racing in general as well as what they have done in my back yard to save Watkins Glen.

Cameron Argetsinger dreamed of bringing European style competition to the village where he spent his summer vacations and he drew up a challenging course that encompassed asphalt, cement and dirt roads in and around the village of Watkins Glen. The dream became reality on October 2, 1948, "The Day They Stopped the Trains," in the first post-World War II road race in the U.S.

Cameron may have had the vision, but NASCAR saved it from extinction!



Damn, I just read that over and it brought a to my eye...

Optikal

Interesting comments... thank you for contributing.

Ultimately, our organization needs to develop relationships with the NASCAR organizers. Then we can profile the typical race fan and create a marketing campaign to benefit the local race scene.

We had a smaller NASCAR event last year at Pacific Raceways, the closest race track to Seattle, and it brought out the largest crowd I have seen. Though it wasn't large enough because the track lost an incredible amount of money.

Afterwards, I found out the track did the advertising for the NASCAR event and spent money reaching out to the road race fan... instead of the typical NASCAR fan. Advertisements were placed on television and on rock radio stations. Though, there are NASCAR fans that listen to rock the track forgot to advertise on country radio, where the bulk of the NASCAR fans hang out!

This goes to show that there is a clear division between the fans of NASCAR and road racing in the NW. Even the track marketing department failed to recognize that and our organization needs to bridge that gap to insure steady race participation. And to ensure the health and vitality of our scene.

JerryPeterson also brought up another great point regarding road racing organizations competing for track time in the local area. Though, it is another subject of discussion... we may be suffering from faction in-fighting and lack of cohesion.

Triple-H

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Optikal
Interesting comments... thank you for contributing.