Bring Road Racing To NASCAR!

[Flyin Ryan]

so in other words what some people want is the old Trans-Am Series, just ran by NASCAR?

I wouldn't replace all of those second dates with short tracks, but rather a mix of places, like North Wilkesboro, Pikes Peak, and Gateway (or something like that).

I don't think Pikes Peak is allowed to have racing anymore.

The "old-timers" are never going to be exactly happy with the calendar again anyway; it used to be at least half short tracks (mostly in the Southeast and some in the Midwest), and they ran 50-65 Grand National Division races a year.

I don't think anyone wants to go back to the schedule they ran in 1962, although Tony Stewart and some other drivers once said a Cup race on a dirt track would be a lot of fun as a novelty. A return to something like the schedule of 1992 before guys like Roger Penske, the France family, and Bruton Smith built cooker cutter ovals in non-traditional markets that replaced challenging different tracks and now in a lot of those non-traditional markets that NASCAR has peaked and declined some the attendance has gone down making those tracks less attractive to race at? Sure. There's no difference between Fontana's current struggles drawing fans and what happened to the Riverside and Ontario race tracks in effectively the same market, that's why Riverside and Ontario disappeared. It's not like ISC wanted to take a date from Fontana. The numbers they were getting told them they had to do that.

[Purist]

Except that Riverside WAS a popular road racing venue. Now, Ontario did have issues with attendance as time passed. However, those tracks fell victim, first and foremost, to urban sprawl.

Phoenix is relatively new to NASCAR, but certainly not new, so it has a long-standing following.

As for the Pacific Northwest, NASCAR will simply have to sort out running an oval in the wet if it ever wants to get anywhere near the population centers up there, particularly Seattle and Tacoma.

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by Purist

As for the Pacific Northwest, NASCAR will simply have to sort out running an oval in the wet if it ever wants to get anywhere near the population centers up there, particularly Seattle and Tacoma.

Who's clamoring for a race in the Pacific Northwest?

I think a lot of people's conjecture in the thread is beside the point. Like Purist said, road racing's been there forever. The reason it's not in high number is racing has to pay for itself to exist. It's like when Nationwide went to Road America at first, they said that a Cup race was once held there long ago and they never went back after the first event. Why? Because the track didn't make money on it. You look at the 1980s NASCAR schedule and if you wanted a date, you pretty much could have one as long as you paid the sanctioning fee. And at that time you could even keep the TV rights money for yourself unlike today. So there were only two road courses after Riverside closed that thought they could make money running NASCAR: Sears Point and Watkins Glen.

What people are calling for on this thread is effectively the Trans-Am Series. Trans-Am I've always thought has gotten a raw deal and when they closed it was in part due to the ineffectiveness of the people running it. Now you're not going to have Cup drivers running in a Trans-Am Series, at least not full-time, but a largely stock-based racing formula of pony cars exclusively on road courses = Trans-Am.

[Purist]

On that historical note, the reason NASCAR did not go back to Road America after the event in 1956 was the poor attendance. However, the poor attendance was probably in no small part due to significant rainfall during the event. Honestly though, the track was almost brand new back then (opened in 1955), and they still got 10-12k people there by the available estimates. For a new venue on a rainy day in rural Wisconsin, before the modern media era (or Interstate Highways), that doesn't seem like such a bad start.

[nickyf1]

I'd definitely like to see more road races, it'd be a way to bring the Cup series to new places.

I'd also like to see some dirt running too.. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d31XhVm25E0)

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Purist

On that historical note, the reason NASCAR did not go back to Road America after the event in 1956 was the poor attendance. However, the poor attendance was probably in no small part due to significant rainfall during the event. Honestly though, the track was almost brand new back then (opened in 1955), and they still got 10-12k people there by the available estimates. For a new venue on a rainy day in rural Wisconsin, before the modern media era (or Interstate Highways), that doesn't seem like such a bad start.

Wasn't that when Curtis Turner was late to the event so he landed his plane on the front stretch? Geez, imagine a NASCAR driver flying his own plane to events because his "road" license was suspended for running 'shine these days. Bunch of pansies, I tell ya what.

Originally Posted by nickyf1

I'd definitely like to see more road races, it'd be a way to bring the Cup series to new places.

I'd also like to see some dirt running too.. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d31XhVm25E0)

To hell with road courses; throw in 4 or 5 dirt tracks, but have them in proper late model dirt cars. I guess, we have Eldora....

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Wasn't that when Curtis Turner was late to the event so he landed his plane on the front stretch? Geez, imagine a NASCAR driver flying his own plane to events because his "road" license was suspended for running 'shine these days. Bunch of pansies, I tell ya what.



To hell with road courses; throw in 4 or 5 dirt tracks, but have them in proper late model dirt cars. I guess, we have Eldora....

Too small for the fields they have (although in reality none of them would have the necessary facilities except maybe Eldora or Knoxville in Iowa). Run them at dirt miles.

Syracuse:



Indiana State Fairgrounds:

[Matt]

ARCA runs the Illinois State Fairgrounds track.

[mrchrisdavies]

Stockcars shouldnt race on road courses, they are not designed for them and just look so wrong. I love seeing V8 Supercars on Streetcircuits etc but NASCAR, no.

Large Dirt Ovals on the otherhand...3 smaller grid shorter qualifying heats and a Grand Final..oh yes! Bring back the oldskool!

[Paradise City]

A NASCAR race on a roadcourse with steep inclines is possibly one of the most breathtaking spectacles in sport. 43 cars surging over a hill in rapid succession, each with a little bounce. The heart cannot but beat faster at that. Yeah introduce such a new roadcourse and two or three dirt track events. You wouldn't have a better racing series on the planet if they did that. Alas, but a dream.

[IceMan_PJN]

I'd have sworn I replied to this, unless it was the same poll on a different board....

I'd personally like more road courses, but most NASCAR fans wouldn't like it so I'd think it better to start a separate road racing series. The problem there is that the US already has ALMS and Grand-Am and limited interest in road racing here.

[fieldodreams79]

How about we bring this roadcourse back or (one like it):

Augusta International Raceway Preservation Society
track map hidden well within the above site so I linked it below:
http://www.historicmustang.com/tracklength.html

This beauty was used for only a few years; banking up to forty degrees on a road course
Now that's what I call a NASCAR roadcourse!

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

banking up to forty degrees on a road course
Now that's what I call a NASCAR roadcourse!

Or Monza.