Recent Entries
Southwest Virginia shines at VHSL Spring Jubilee
Rain postpones Honaker-James River
Grimm, Nidiffer, Cannon eye Omaha
Monthly Archives
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
RSS Feeds
NASCAR debacle in California
Posted On:Feb 25, 2008
It was fun to be a NASCAR fan last week.
After two years of declining fan interest, everything went right for the Sprint Cup season opener at Daytona.
The 50th Daytona 500 was a sellout, television ratings were up, and a genuine good guy in Ryan Newman posted a storyboook win.
Turn the page to Sunday at Fontana, Calif. This story was anything but fun.
Whatever speed the NASCAR train gained at Daytona was lost during a miserable weekend that featured a leaky track, childish commentary, endless rain and a mindless five-hour vigil into early morning.
The trouble began on Friday when water began to seep through the track surface. That water created a wreck involving Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the opening laps of Sunday’s Auto Club 500, and was never really solved.
NASCAR officials decided to wait until nearly 2 a.m. before deciding to move the race until Monday afternoon.
While California fans (many of whom arrived at the track at 7 a.m.) shivered in the cold and damp conditions, viewers on the East Coast were kept waiting...and waiting.
As race officials kept hoping for a miracle, NASCAR families in the Mountain Empire were treated to an especially provocative episode of ``Sex and the City.’’ Viewers in stock car country of North Carolina were offered some tasty infomercials.
Of course, the underlying issue here is Auto Club Speedway. Weather extremes aside, the track is flat, wide and boring, plus few folks in Southern California care about the sport. How funny was the crude Kyle Busch joke during prerace ceremonies by the Hollywood comedian. Can you say crickets?
Attendance was listed at 37,000 for Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series race. According to media types who covered the event, that number was inflated by more than 20,000. Credibility gap?
And while the network talking heads would never dare admit it, there were many empty seats for Sunday’s Sprint Cup event. There were very few crowd shots on Monday.
Instead of actual commentary or journalism during the rain delays, Fox network viewers were treated to an insightful exploration of the new Gopher-Cam or pandering to actor Tom Cruise. Shameless.
The stock car faithful, who pay dearly to follow their favorite sport, deserve so much more in terms of respect and honesty.
With more start times for Sprint Cup events being pushed back to accommodate West Coast fans, a repeat of Sunday’s nightmare is a real possibility.
So much for the ballyhooed “Back to Basics’’ approach.
Posted by Allen Gregory Back to the blog »
Reader Reactions
Posted by ( Don ) on February 26, 2008 at 6:23 am
You are so right about what happened. But you know what??? Nobody cares!!! The race is boring, the talking heads are stupid,as for the fans at the race? What fans. Nobody ever goes to the races out there. I could give a Dale Jr 25 point dockage about ANYTHING out there. The idiots that are in movieville do not belong in Nascar. What make ol tommy boy something to show on the tube? That stupid fake race movie he was in? Face it, Nascar just plain sucks any way you want to watch it. I’d rather not.
Posted by ( PTBOY ) on February 26, 2008 at 7:19 am
The thing which makes me believe the “joke” in pre race was more angry than funny was the guy who delivered it. He showed the fans a great deal of disrespect by coming on national T.V. dressed like a hobo. His sloppy appearance and crude, simple minded joke were manifestations of his feelings about NASCAR and the fans.
Here is a note: If you’re on national T.V. please clean up a bit, take a shower, take the trouble to wear a clean shirt or maybe even one with a collar.
I wonder what bonehead put that unfunny low class moron in front of the cameras to represent our favorite sport. If NASCAR can’t stop with the self inflicted wounds, pretty soon we’ll be watching racing on ESPN 8, right after Dodge Ball.
Posted by ( Duke Ratliff ) on February 26, 2008 at 10:29 am
In addition to the rain debacle, man, was that a boring race. Amazing how the commentators concluded by saying what a great race it was, great beginning of the season, etc. When a guy takes the lead with 20 some laps to go and wins by around 4 seconds, how can they say it was a great race?
I hope Nascar enjoyed its time in the sun. Unless Dale Jr starts winning races, the forecast is looking mighty cloudy.
Posted by ( Larry ) on February 26, 2008 at 11:18 am
Another wonderful presentation by the non-nascar folks who run the infamous California Speedway...or whatever it is called today. Since NASCAR seems intent on administering penalties equitably, across the board, the same penalty should be issued to California Speedway as was administered to Rockingham and Darlington. Rockingham had its race dates taken away and Darlington was subjected to racing on Mother’s Day. Oh, I forgot, it was raining in California. But let us not forget the various “less then ideal weather” in Rockingham in mid / late February....low/mid 30s, rain, sleet, snow but admittedly we did not sell it out...and since California cannot sell either of its “favorite son” track dates out....it is indeed time to “move on down the road” to locations that support their track...and the most important consideration of all, put the Labor Day Southern 500 back where it belongs....NO not FONTANA, but Darlington, SC
Posted by ( S Berry ) on February 26, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I agree Allen that the race in California was boring. Not only because the track is wide and flat, but Nascar has developed these lookalike “lets play follow the leader” cars of today. The only real passing was when someone hit a weeper in turn 3 and 4 and would slide wide then someone would pass!! C’mon Nascar...bring real racing back!!
Posted by ( Rich ) on February 26, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Having been to The old Riverside and Ontario raceways, I found my first race at the California[Auto Club] speedway boring. Plus since it opened the ticket prices have soared. This track was built for open wheel cars,not stockcars. I say they rebank the track, turn it into another restrictor plate track, Drop the ticket prices so all of us here in Ca can afford them. Start selling $3 beers and $2 hot dogs. They would fill the place up. We have a lot of race fans here. There are three very good short tracks within 10 miles of The Fontana track. Go check one of them out on a saturday night. the stands are full.
Posted by ( Loren Chiever ) on February 26, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Allen, I am sick of you Johnny come lately reporters bashing California and our Speedway. Only God can control the weather, you our NASCAR has any control.
As far as the crowd, get over it, it was raining, and some of us California people had tickets and elected to stay home on Sunday, much to the dismay of many of you Southerners, some of us are smarter than dogs, and choose to stay out of the rain.
And now for the bashing of the Califrnia race fans, get over it all ready, Atlanta has empty seats, Charolette has empty seats, and Dalington lost a race because of empty seats, it is not just California that does not sell out. In fact Las Vegas still has adds running for available seats this weekend.
So just relax, untie the knot in your panties, and enjoy the races.
Posted by ( Gary Hammond ) on February 26, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Screw NA$CAR. They’ve sucked for a long time. I’m going to ROCKINGHAM! The place looks great, the racing will be much better than watching a bunch of bitchy-millionare PR lapdogs “chasing” thier tails at the biggest waste of real estate on the planet… California Speedway, the most expensive ticket is $35.00 and the date is May 1st… lovely weather for racing at THE ROCK.
Want to see some “real” racing for a change? Follow me to THE ROCK.
Posted by ( jo-jr.-- ) on February 26, 2008 at 5:51 pm
i am ,a nascar fan, since,back in the 60’s and that race was so boring, i fell asleep three times.!!!it was awfull, from the get-go!announcers, are awfull, that t.v. clown, who was so rude, for the start,and that track, in one of the worst, tracks on the circut!!! to big, to wide and with iroc cars, IT WAS AWFUL !!!
iwill soon be a use to be fan!
Posted by ( Tracey ) on February 26, 2008 at 6:50 pm
If NASCAR would let the guys race,and give the good drivers credit,and stop putting all hope on such a mediocre talent as “baby E”.We would see an improvement.See, not every body is a EARNHARDT FAN!I’m tired of having them shoved down my throat every time racing is brought up.Lots of people don’t like Kyle Busch.He gets credit for being on the edge every now and then.If Jr. could drive like that,we would here about how “amazing” he is.Instead, we watch Jr. flounder,and pretty much be an “also ran”.Of course, if he breaks into the top ten,or leads a lap,it the first time such a feat has ever been done!!Oh wow.Jr.’s not truck racing.Maybe that’s why it’s so exciting!!Talented racers going hard at it.What a concept!!!
Posted by ( Patrick ) on February 26, 2008 at 7:48 pm
I too was sick of hearing how great the race was and how great the fans were. What fans! I heard one driver say he could see the empty seats last year at race speeds! Some fans. Give Rockingham a date back, and not in the middle of Winter. Put the Southern 500 back where it should be. If Na$car wants racing at all these places, then combine the Busch, or whatever it is now, and Cup series into one and have an East and West division that alternates Saturday and Sunday dates across their regions. Then run the top 20 out of each division for the last ten races at the premiere tracks (not the cookie cutters) for the championship. Why not even break up some of these long boring races into twins with points for each race. Maybe even invert the field for the second race. Just some ideas, of which, apparently, Na$car and their tv partners have none. Oh, I forgot, they need to name the gopher cam...............
Posted by ( Doug ) on February 26, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Would someone please tell Larry of NC that the “non-Nascar” people that run California Speedway are employees of International Speedway Corporation. Their mailing address is Daytona Beach, Florida!!
Posted by ( Larry ) on February 27, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Good afternoon Doug, Greatly appreciate the insight on the employees of California Speedway being ISC employees and additionally providing the general mailing address of Daytona Beach, Florida. Do you possibly believe “real” NASCAR people would even possibly mention the solution to the “left coast speedway” problem is to make it a restrictor plate track? Maybe, maybe if they fixed the drainage problem, put some banking in the track, reduced the ticket prices and MAYBE started the race at “normal” times, someone / anyone would be able to see [their?] race. And you would “think” that California could, with all of their ‘shining movie stars” they could find someone / anyone who could sing OUR national anthem. Oh, I forgot, it was raining....and...Oh, I forgot, all of the movie stars were at the OSCARs,.....I KNOW, lets give California not one but TWO Chase race dates. OR......lets just cover up the empty seats with a tarp and tell the TV cameras not to pan over the seats....Oh, I forgot, they did that. Oh, well, I guess it is on to the restrictor plate solution. Isn’t management wonderful....be it in Daytona Beach or Fontana (where?) California.
Posted by ( Tommy ) on February 28, 2008 at 1:04 am
In defense of ISC, California Speedway was built by Roger Penske. He patterned it after Michigan Speedway, allowing for both Open Wheel and Stock Cars.
The problem with California Speedway is the timing of the respective race weekends. The late April/early May races had very good weather and consequently good attendance. ISC erred in handing that weekend over to Phoenix and moving California to the former Rockingham date. These dates should be switched. Adding a second race (a questionable move, in my opinion) and placing it on Labor Day weekend has proven to be a very big mistake. Anyone who knows Southern California knows that the Labor Day weekend is a big vacation time for SoCal residents.
I strongly believe that ISC will remedy this situation in the coming years. They cannot be happy with the poor attendence and the lack of corporate hospitality sales. FWIW, their Turn 1 village was only about 50% full. They have to answer to their stockholders and this past weekend was disappointing to say the least in regards to their bottom line.