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INSIDE MOTORSPORTS
Wednesday, Jul. 23, 2008
A midweek look at and observations on NASCAR, other racing and other topics from The Charlotte Observer's beat writer:
OBSERVATIONS
Committment to dirt track in doubt?
Something tells me that The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway might not have the brightest of long-term outlooks. I asked track president Marcus Smith about that the other day. "We have some events we're excited about there," he said. "We want to have fantastic events there and we'll continue to do that."
But for how long?
The dirt track was most decidedly Humpy Wheeler's baby. Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith never has really cared that much about it - or for it, truth be told. Then last week, the track's vice president of operations Roger Slack said he'll be leaving the company early next month.
Slack ran most of the events at the little track, so the first thing I thought of was that meant The Dirt Track wasn't long for this world. We'll see, I guess.
No Labor Day race, but next-best thing
On Labor Day weekend, Aug. 30-31, Darlington Raceway will host its inaugural Darlington Historic Racing Festival. Junior Johnson, Darrell Waltrip, Buddy Baker, Cotton Owens and Bud Moore are among those who’ve already agreed to take part.
Those guys won't be the only ones who show up, but even if they were two days won't be enough for them to tell all their great stories. Tickets are $15 per day or $25 for the weekend.
You can get yours by calling the track's ticket office at (866) 459-RACE or ordering online at www.racetickets.com.
Date set for Stocks for Tots
I know it's early, but go ahead and mark off Dec. 9 on your calendar. That's the date for the 20th annual Stocks for Tots in Mooresville. Dozens of NASCAR personalities gather to sign autographs for fans who make donations of cash or a new toy to benefit the Stop Child Abuse Now program.
MY TWO CENTS
Cup racing's majors? Tough calls
I got to watch a little bit of the British Open last weekend, and it made me think about which four races I would list as Sprint Cup racing's "majors" right now.
The Daytona 500 is a no-brainer, and I think the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard is right there, too. I would put the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on the list, and maybe the fact that I work so close to that track pushes it a little too much toward automatic status for me. But so be it.
The fourth choice is hard.
I don't think it can be a Chase race because I don't think you can say winning any one of those 10 races is bigger than any other.
The point of the final race at Homestead is who wins the championship, not who wins the race. I think that to be a "major," it has to be special to be the winner of that, regardless of what it means in terms of the season's standings.
That would cross the 26th race at Richmond off my list, too, since the biggest point there is making the Chase, not necessarily winning the race.
If the Southern 500 were still at Darlington on Labor Day that would be that. You can make a powerful argument that the spring race at Darlington should be the fourth since that track has such a rich history. But it's too close to the 600 on the schedule, I think.
My fourth pick would be the Sharpie 500 at Bristol, the August night race. Daytona, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Bristol is a good mix of tracks for the four majors.
NOTES
Marcus Smith confident with his team
Lowe's Motor Speedway president Marcus Smith is upbeat about how things are going as he prepares for his first major events in that role.
Smith took over in May after Humpy Wheeler's retirement and is working toward the inaugural Carolina Nationals at the new zMAX Dragway @ Concord in September and the Bank of America 500 the next month.
"We have a fantastic team of 130 people who show up to work every day ready to go and ready to carve the next chapter for Lowe's Motor Speedway," Smith said. "We have no concerns going forward."
In addition to Wheeler's retirement, vice president for events Roger Slack said last week that he will leave early next month.
"You hate to lose good people and Roger is one of those good people," Smith said. "But I am proud that he is ready to go and be an asset somewhere else in the industry."
Smith said that the Charlotte track has had people move to other jobs before an always found good people to keep things going. As for his own mark on the speedway, Smith said it will take time for that to take shape.
"I think you will be able to look back in some time and see what the mark is," he said. "I can tell you there is no doubt in my mind that we have the world's greatest speedway."
Rockingham adds August road race
Rockingham Speedway will add an American Speed Association's Southeast Asphalt Tour race to its 2008 schedule, hosting a race Aug. 30 on a 1.4-mile, seven-turn road course that uses the track's oval and infield.
People who have tickets for the American 200 Hooter's Pro Cup series race scheduled for Nov. 1 can get a free ticket for the ASA race. Tickets for the ASA race alone are $10 for general admission.
For more information, call (910) 205-8800 or visit www.rockinghamspeedway.com.
