I agree with Toni…if Martinsville loses a date, the fans will erupt! Especially if it’s because Kansas has a casino? What sort of logic is that? Talk about announcing that your ‘product’ isn’t capable of drawing a crowd on it’s own….If Nascar wants better races, it isn’t going to get it at yet another cookie cutter. California nees to be a one race track, no question.

It’s called progress ladies and gentleman. If Martinsville wants to save their date A) Sell out so you can B) Build more seats along the backstretch and be financially competative with tracks like Kansas and Kentucky. What ever happened to those plans to move the railroad and expand the stand… oh yeah, they can’t sell the seats they have.

Martinsville began alienating their fans 4 years ago when they jacked up camping prices to over $120 a vehicle. To make matters worse, they designated all of the prime camping areas for the mega RV’s and left the average tent sleeper out in the mud (litterally).

If you approach the question from a dollars and sense point of view – Martinsville is gone. And the only folks whos pockets will be hurting are the guys who sell firewood for $8 a pop off their front yard right outside the campground entrance.

But I guess the old school fans who will be ticked off at this post would prefer that NASCAR and ISC run the sport like the government runs our budget. Lets not take $ and cents into the cost, lets do what the public won’t get upset over… Then the sport will be in even worse shape than ever.

DansMom – I don’t mind the camping prices (I always get out of paying for it anyway), but the fast food situation in Martinsville should be improved.

I SWEAR that Taco Bell by the track has the WORST order accuracy rating in America.

Two more cookie cutter tracks = two more weekends that I can get something useful done around the house instead of watching follow-the-leader-cuz-I-sure-can’t-pass-him-on-track racing.

Maybe we can organize some kind of fan protest for Martinsville to keep their second date.

I once got handcuffed to an old lady from West Virginia while camping at a race in Martinsville. She was a good time for being kind of homely, and not having all her teeth. And BOY could she down some Crown Royal. It was good times, until she had to go to the bathroom, and we didn’t have the key to the cuffs.

Anyway, if we handcuffed ourselves to the track fencing, or picketed, or some other type of non violent protest NASCAR might listen. Posting on websites doesn’t seem to do much good. (I don’t know if Brain France can read).

I mean, the sheriff was pretty pissed that night he had to uncuff me… imagine 2 or 300 of us!!! Let’s make some REAL change.

I hear things have gotten so bad at Martinsville that they had to start cutting back on the number of port-a-johns they had in the campground. I hear that people have even started resorting to bringing their own porcelain toilets and setting up shop right there in plain sight of everyone. Who is to blame?! Nascar of course!

I for one welcome the idea of getting rid of the Martinsville races all together. After my experience several years ago, I vowed I would never return to a race at that track. My wife, 5 year-old son, and I were enjoying the final laps of the race – watching Gordon and Johnson fight it out for the win when the guy next to me decided he did not have time to make it to the bathroom. What did he do instead? He decided it was acceptable to urinate on himself right there in the stands. And it’s not like he was wearing a swimsuit or anything. That’s the kind of guy you dont take jet-skiing with you.

The only way these bozos should take a race away from Martinsville is if the track they give it to is a short track (less than 3/4 of a mile). Otherwise they are just going to add another boring race that no one watches on tv.

@BoxerShortsOnFriday… Haven’t you ever watched the movie “Talledega Nights”? They are called “pee-pants”.

Despite DansMom’s condescending tone, there is a valid point there. The fans aren’t making a case for Martinsville keeping two dates, based on the low attendance. I contend that it’s not the racing that’s keeping fans away, it’s the parking, the facilities, the lines for the food… everything BUT the racing. The sad thing is, they won’t make the necessary changes to the facilities because their race dates are always on the chopping block, and their race dates are always on the chopping block because of the facilities.

Atlanta may be considered a cookie cutter, but it provides some of the best racing in NASCAR. I think the options should be California and Pocono. California leading in my opinion.

I used to go to Kansas Speedway and it is the biggest rip off for the fans I have ever been to. To give those theives a second date is a travesty.

The only track that deserves a new cup date is Iowa Speedway.

I second Bad Wolf’s vote for Iowa. The Nationwide race there last year was a pretty competitive to say the least.

Martinsville is my home track (I live about 20 miles away), so obviously I’m partial to it. But I’m not nearly as concerned as I was a few years ago, and several people already explained why. I think NASCAR realizes how many fans it has already alienated by getting rid of tracks like Rockingham and North Wilkesboro. Getting rid of a Martinsville date now would completely wipe out everything they’re trying to do to get back to the basics.

BoxerShortsOnFriday: I’m sorry that you had a poor experience, but it is never wise to judge an entire track by the poor actions of one person. That’s a rather silly reason to say a track doesn’t deserve a race.

Carl D, are you knocking the MARTINSVILLE HOT DOG!?!?!?

Whats with all the arguments against cookie cutter tracks and in the same breath bashing Pocono. Sounds counter productive to me.

The moral of this story, is that the tracks dictate the racing, more than the drivers, cars, (super)teams, spoilers, debris cautions, and championship format. What is the question asked every week by fans “Where are they racing this weekend?”

While serious changes to the schedule are needed, all changes bust be seriously evaluated. As stated above, one wrong move can alienate millions of fans.

I’ve been to the Spring race at Martinsville five times. Its 780 miles there one way and I think its well worth the trip! Why on earth this shrine to racing is in danger of losing a date is a mystery to me. Come on people, lets sell this track out so we can keep some good old rubbin is racing in Nascar.

The quality of the racing should be what a track is judged by, not by having a casino. In a perfect world…

VaBlueGrass…

I’ve been to two Martinsville races and I’ve seen those hot dogs up close. They look like they could cause more damage than a bad stomach virus. No thanks.

Michael, you should quote that to your counterpart Kevin in SoCal: “quality of the racing should be what a track is judged by,”

Carl – that’s why you get the chilli on them dogs – so it shoots right through ya!

And Boxer Shorts Friday – is there a difference in pee pants and peeing in the “troughs” they call urinals at Martinsville? Wait… some of them you just pee on the wall and there’s a drain on the floor. It seems to be just a matter of semantics at that point.

The last things Nascar needs is more races on the 1.5-mile, moderately-banked, tri-oval tracks.

There is nothing whatsoever special or unique about Kentucky to deserve a Cup race date. Give one from Fontana or Atlanta to Iowa instead.

Don’t just leave the unique and interesting tracks alone — actively encourage track owners to build unique and interesting tracks that challenge the drivers. The hardest tracks provide the best racing while the big, wide, easy ones are the yawners.

DansMom, I would like to address your comment specifically, and I hope you don’t think I’m condescending. I understand your point.

Think of it this way: if you judged Fenway Park by the price of the tickets, the amount of leg room, the amount of obstructed view seats, and the availability and ease of concessions, you’d be wanting to bulldoze the place tomorrow by your standard.

Tradition DOES matter, and NASCAR has spat on it more than enough. I think it’s better to look at the sum of the parts…Martinsville always produces great racing, has a great history and has a special place in the sport. And in the end, that’s what makes it a far better venue than Kansas, especially for dedicated fans who will tolerate expensive camping costs for a great race.

When is NASCAR going to make this a true traveling sport and go to race tracks on a 2-3 year rotation including Iowa, Kentucky, Milwaukee, Rockingham, North Wilkesbourough, Washington,Canada, etc, instead of going to boring tracks twice a year just because ISC owns and operated them.
Fans and TV crews will travel and follow Nascar where ever they go so let’s take the show on the road and let all the fans enjoy racing and the economic influx they provide in there own back yards.

Did I see my name mentioned?
I’d gladly give up a Fontana date to either save Martinsville or give Iowa a Cup date. And I completely agree with Jack Connell above. NASCAR should have rotating schedules where every track gets one date and the second dates get changed around to different places each year. The main tracks such as Daytona, Talledega, Charlotte, Martinsville, Richmond, and Bristol should always get two dates, though.

DansMom,
No one can blame the railroad for the lack of seating along the backstretch at Martinsville. Go to Google Earth and you can see the new alignment of the tracks along with the old alignment just behind the grandstand. I wonder how much the speedway had to contribute toward moving the tracks and then making the decision not to build additional grandstands.

Slanted as usual. I can’t recall an incident in the past 20 years where NASCAR took a date from a track and “gave” it to another operator – so Pocono should be safe as long as Dr. Mattioli is alive. Martinsville is also likely to be safe due to its heritage, reasonably good attendance, and, in particular, since it is one of only 3 short tracks, and saves the teams money by reduced travel from Charlotte. I suspect LA is likely to lose a date to Kansas, which the last time I looked is right in the middle of the country and, thus, convenient to a large segment of the country. Not surprisingly, when you media types chime in that Vegas should get another date the casinos are mentioned as a plus, but a casino in Kansas is supposed to be somehow different. You also fail to mention that sponsors like to be in major markets.

I agree with Toni…if Martinsville loses a date, the fans will erupt! Especially if it’s because Kansas has a casino? What sort of logic is that? Talk about announcing that your ‘product’ isn’t capable of drawing a crowd on it’s own….If Nascar wants better races, it isn’t going to get it at yet another cookie cutter. California nees to be a one race track, no question.

It’s called progress ladies and gentleman. If Martinsville wants to save their date A) Sell out so you can B) Build more seats along the backstretch and be financially competative with tracks like Kansas and Kentucky. What ever happened to those plans to move the railroad and expand the stand… oh yeah, they can’t sell the seats they have.

Martinsville began alienating their fans 4 years ago when they jacked up camping prices to over $120 a vehicle. To make matters worse, they designated all of the prime camping areas for the mega RV’s and left the average tent sleeper out in the mud (litterally).

If you approach the question from a dollars and sense point of view – Martinsville is gone. And the only folks whos pockets will be hurting are the guys who sell firewood for $8 a pop off their front yard right outside the campground entrance.

But I guess the old school fans who will be ticked off at this post would prefer that NASCAR and ISC run the sport like the government runs our budget. Lets not take $ and cents into the cost, lets do what the public won’t get upset over… Then the sport will be in even worse shape than ever.

DansMom – I don’t mind the camping prices (I always get out of paying for it anyway), but the fast food situation in Martinsville should be improved.

I SWEAR that Taco Bell by the track has the WORST order accuracy rating in America.

Two more cookie cutter tracks = two more weekends that I can get something useful done around the house instead of watching follow-the-leader-cuz-I-sure-can’t-pass-him-on-track racing.

Maybe we can organize some kind of fan protest for Martinsville to keep their second date.

I once got handcuffed to an old lady from West Virginia while camping at a race in Martinsville. She was a good time for being kind of homely, and not having all her teeth. And BOY could she down some Crown Royal. It was good times, until she had to go to the bathroom, and we didn’t have the key to the cuffs.

Anyway, if we handcuffed ourselves to the track fencing, or picketed, or some other type of non violent protest NASCAR might listen. Posting on websites doesn’t seem to do much good. (I don’t know if Brain France can read).

I mean, the sheriff was pretty pissed that night he had to uncuff me… imagine 2 or 300 of us!!! Let’s make some REAL change.

I hear things have gotten so bad at Martinsville that they had to start cutting back on the number of port-a-johns they had in the campground. I hear that people have even started resorting to bringing their own porcelain toilets and setting up shop right there in plain sight of everyone. Who is to blame?! Nascar of course!

I for one welcome the idea of getting rid of the Martinsville races all together. After my experience several years ago, I vowed I would never return to a race at that track. My wife, 5 year-old son, and I were enjoying the final laps of the race – watching Gordon and Johnson fight it out for the win when the guy next to me decided he did not have time to make it to the bathroom. What did he do instead? He decided it was acceptable to urinate on himself right there in the stands. And it’s not like he was wearing a swimsuit or anything. That’s the kind of guy you dont take jet-skiing with you.

The only way these bozos should take a race away from Martinsville is if the track they give it to is a short track (less than 3/4 of a mile). Otherwise they are just going to add another boring race that no one watches on tv.

@BoxerShortsOnFriday… Haven’t you ever watched the movie “Talledega Nights”? They are called “pee-pants”.

Despite DansMom’s condescending tone, there is a valid point there. The fans aren’t making a case for Martinsville keeping two dates, based on the low attendance. I contend that it’s not the racing that’s keeping fans away, it’s the parking, the facilities, the lines for the food… everything BUT the racing. The sad thing is, they won’t make the necessary changes to the facilities because their race dates are always on the chopping block, and their race dates are always on the chopping block because of the facilities.

Atlanta may be considered a cookie cutter, but it provides some of the best racing in NASCAR. I think the options should be California and Pocono. California leading in my opinion.

I used to go to Kansas Speedway and it is the biggest rip off for the fans I have ever been to. To give those theives a second date is a travesty.

The only track that deserves a new cup date is Iowa Speedway.

I second Bad Wolf’s vote for Iowa. The Nationwide race there last year was a pretty competitive to say the least.

Martinsville is my home track (I live about 20 miles away), so obviously I’m partial to it. But I’m not nearly as concerned as I was a few years ago, and several people already explained why. I think NASCAR realizes how many fans it has already alienated by getting rid of tracks like Rockingham and North Wilkesboro. Getting rid of a Martinsville date now would completely wipe out everything they’re trying to do to get back to the basics.

BoxerShortsOnFriday: I’m sorry that you had a poor experience, but it is never wise to judge an entire track by the poor actions of one person. That’s a rather silly reason to say a track doesn’t deserve a race.

Carl D, are you knocking the MARTINSVILLE HOT DOG!?!?!?

Whats with all the arguments against cookie cutter tracks and in the same breath bashing Pocono. Sounds counter productive to me.

The moral of this story, is that the tracks dictate the racing, more than the drivers, cars, (super)teams, spoilers, debris cautions, and championship format. What is the question asked every week by fans “Where are they racing this weekend?”

While serious changes to the schedule are needed, all changes bust be seriously evaluated. As stated above, one wrong move can alienate millions of fans.

I’ve been to the Spring race at Martinsville five times. Its 780 miles there one way and I think its well worth the trip! Why on earth this shrine to racing is in danger of losing a date is a mystery to me. Come on people, lets sell this track out so we can keep some good old rubbin is racing in Nascar.

The quality of the racing should be what a track is judged by, not by having a casino. In a perfect world…

VaBlueGrass…

I’ve been to two Martinsville races and I’ve seen those hot dogs up close. They look like they could cause more damage than a bad stomach virus. No thanks.

Michael, you should quote that to your counterpart Kevin in SoCal: “quality of the racing should be what a track is judged by,”

Carl – that’s why you get the chilli on them dogs – so it shoots right through ya!

And Boxer Shorts Friday – is there a difference in pee pants and peeing in the “troughs” they call urinals at Martinsville? Wait… some of them you just pee on the wall and there’s a drain on the floor. It seems to be just a matter of semantics at that point.

The last things Nascar needs is more races on the 1.5-mile, moderately-banked, tri-oval tracks.

There is nothing whatsoever special or unique about Kentucky to deserve a Cup race date. Give one from Fontana or Atlanta to Iowa instead.

Don’t just leave the unique and interesting tracks alone — actively encourage track owners to build unique and interesting tracks that challenge the drivers. The hardest tracks provide the best racing while the big, wide, easy ones are the yawners.

DansMom, I would like to address your comment specifically, and I hope you don’t think I’m condescending. I understand your point.

Think of it this way: if you judged Fenway Park by the price of the tickets, the amount of leg room, the amount of obstructed view seats, and the availability and ease of concessions, you’d be wanting to bulldoze the place tomorrow by your standard.

Tradition DOES matter, and NASCAR has spat on it more than enough. I think it’s better to look at the sum of the parts…Martinsville always produces great racing, has a great history and has a special place in the sport. And in the end, that’s what makes it a far better venue than Kansas, especially for dedicated fans who will tolerate expensive camping costs for a great race.

When is NASCAR going to make this a true traveling sport and go to race tracks on a 2-3 year rotation including Iowa, Kentucky, Milwaukee, Rockingham, North Wilkesbourough, Washington,Canada, etc, instead of going to boring tracks twice a year just because ISC owns and operated them.
Fans and TV crews will travel and follow Nascar where ever they go so let’s take the show on the road and let all the fans enjoy racing and the economic influx they provide in there own back yards.

Did I see my name mentioned?
I’d gladly give up a Fontana date to either save Martinsville or give Iowa a Cup date. And I completely agree with Jack Connell above. NASCAR should have rotating schedules where every track gets one date and the second dates get changed around to different places each year. The main tracks such as Daytona, Talledega, Charlotte, Martinsville, Richmond, and Bristol should always get two dates, though.

DansMom,
No one can blame the railroad for the lack of seating along the backstretch at Martinsville. Go to Google Earth and you can see the new alignment of the tracks along with the old alignment just behind the grandstand. I wonder how much the speedway had to contribute toward moving the tracks and then making the decision not to build additional grandstands.

Slanted as usual. I can’t recall an incident in the past 20 years where NASCAR took a date from a track and “gave” it to another operator – so Pocono should be safe as long as Dr. Mattioli is alive. Martinsville is also likely to be safe due to its heritage, reasonably good attendance, and, in particular, since it is one of only 3 short tracks, and saves the teams money by reduced travel from Charlotte. I suspect LA is likely to lose a date to Kansas, which the last time I looked is right in the middle of the country and, thus, convenient to a large segment of the country. Not surprisingly, when you media types chime in that Vegas should get another date the casinos are mentioned as a plus, but a casino in Kansas is supposed to be somehow different. You also fail to mention that sponsors like to be in major markets.

I agree with Toni…if Martinsville loses a date, the fans will erupt! Especially if it’s because Kansas has a casino? What sort of logic is that? Talk about announcing that your ‘product’ isn’t capable of drawing a crowd on it’s own….If Nascar wants better races, it isn’t going to get it at yet another cookie cutter. California nees to be a one race track, no question.

It’s called progress ladies and gentleman. If Martinsville wants to save their date A) Sell out so you can B) Build more seats along the backstretch and be financially competative with tracks like Kansas and Kentucky. What ever happened to those plans to move the railroad and expand the stand… oh yeah, they can’t sell the seats they have.

Martinsville began alienating their fans 4 years ago when they jacked up camping prices to over $120 a vehicle. To make matters worse, they designated all of the prime camping areas for the mega RV’s and left the average tent sleeper out in the mud (litterally).

If you approach the question from a dollars and sense point of view – Martinsville is gone. And the only folks whos pockets will be hurting are the guys who sell firewood for $8 a pop off their front yard right outside the campground entrance.

But I guess the old school fans who will be ticked off at this post would prefer that NASCAR and ISC run the sport like the government runs our budget. Lets not take $ and cents into the cost, lets do what the public won’t get upset over… Then the sport will be in even worse shape than ever.

DansMom – I don’t mind the camping prices (I always get out of paying for it anyway), but the fast food situation in Martinsville should be improved.

I SWEAR that Taco Bell by the track has the WORST order accuracy rating in America.

Two more cookie cutter tracks = two more weekends that I can get something useful done around the house instead of watching follow-the-leader-cuz-I-sure-can’t-pass-him-on-track racing.

Maybe we can organize some kind of fan protest for Martinsville to keep their second date.

I once got handcuffed to an old lady from West Virginia while camping at a race in Martinsville. She was a good time for being kind of homely, and not having all her teeth. And BOY could she down some Crown Royal. It was good times, until she had to go to the bathroom, and we didn’t have the key to the cuffs.

Anyway, if we handcuffed ourselves to the track fencing, or picketed, or some other type of non violent protest NASCAR might listen. Posting on websites doesn’t seem to do much good. (I don’t know if Brain France can read).

I mean, the sheriff was pretty pissed that night he had to uncuff me… imagine 2 or 300 of us!!! Let’s make some REAL change.

I hear things have gotten so bad at Martinsville that they had to start cutting back on the number of port-a-johns they had in the campground. I hear that people have even started resorting to bringing their own porcelain toilets and setting up shop right there in plain sight of everyone. Who is to blame?! Nascar of course!

I for one welcome the idea of getting rid of the Martinsville races all together. After my experience several years ago, I vowed I would never return to a race at that track. My wife, 5 year-old son, and I were enjoying the final laps of the race – watching Gordon and Johnson fight it out for the win when the guy next to me decided he did not have time to make it to the bathroom. What did he do instead? He decided it was acceptable to urinate on himself right there in the stands. And it’s not like he was wearing a swimsuit or anything. That’s the kind of guy you dont take jet-skiing with you.

The only way these bozos should take a race away from Martinsville is if the track they give it to is a short track (less than 3/4 of a mile). Otherwise they are just going to add another boring race that no one watches on tv.

@BoxerShortsOnFriday… Haven’t you ever watched the movie “Talledega Nights”? They are called “pee-pants”.

Despite DansMom’s condescending tone, there is a valid point there. The fans aren’t making a case for Martinsville keeping two dates, based on the low attendance. I contend that it’s not the racing that’s keeping fans away, it’s the parking, the facilities, the lines for the food… everything BUT the racing. The sad thing is, they won’t make the necessary changes to the facilities because their race dates are always on the chopping block, and their race dates are always on the chopping block because of the facilities.

Atlanta may be considered a cookie cutter, but it provides some of the best racing in NASCAR. I think the options should be California and Pocono. California leading in my opinion.

I used to go to Kansas Speedway and it is the biggest rip off for the fans I have ever been to. To give those theives a second date is a travesty.

The only track that deserves a new cup date is Iowa Speedway.

I second Bad Wolf’s vote for Iowa. The Nationwide race there last year was a pretty competitive to say the least.

Martinsville is my home track (I live about 20 miles away), so obviously I’m partial to it. But I’m not nearly as concerned as I was a few years ago, and several people already explained why. I think NASCAR realizes how many fans it has already alienated by getting rid of tracks like Rockingham and North Wilkesboro. Getting rid of a Martinsville date now would completely wipe out everything they’re trying to do to get back to the basics.

BoxerShortsOnFriday: I’m sorry that you had a poor experience, but it is never wise to judge an entire track by the poor actions of one person. That’s a rather silly reason to say a track doesn’t deserve a race.

Carl D, are you knocking the MARTINSVILLE HOT DOG!?!?!?

Whats with all the arguments against cookie cutter tracks and in the same breath bashing Pocono. Sounds counter productive to me.

The moral of this story, is that the tracks dictate the racing, more than the drivers, cars, (super)teams, spoilers, debris cautions, and championship format. What is the question asked every week by fans “Where are they racing this weekend?”

While serious changes to the schedule are needed, all changes bust be seriously evaluated. As stated above, one wrong move can alienate millions of fans.

I’ve been to the Spring race at Martinsville five times. Its 780 miles there one way and I think its well worth the trip! Why on earth this shrine to racing is in danger of losing a date is a mystery to me. Come on people, lets sell this track out so we can keep some good old rubbin is racing in Nascar.

The quality of the racing should be what a track is judged by, not by having a casino. In a perfect world…

VaBlueGrass…

I’ve been to two Martinsville races and I’ve seen those hot dogs up close. They look like they could cause more damage than a bad stomach virus. No thanks.

Michael, you should quote that to your counterpart Kevin in SoCal: “quality of the racing should be what a track is judged by,”

Carl – that’s why you get the chilli on them dogs – so it shoots right through ya!

And Boxer Shorts Friday – is there a difference in pee pants and peeing in the “troughs” they call urinals at Martinsville? Wait… some of them you just pee on the wall and there’s a drain on the floor. It seems to be just a matter of semantics at that point.

The last things Nascar needs is more races on the 1.5-mile, moderately-banked, tri-oval tracks.

There is nothing whatsoever special or unique about Kentucky to deserve a Cup race date. Give one from Fontana or Atlanta to Iowa instead.

Don’t just leave the unique and interesting tracks alone — actively encourage track owners to build unique and interesting tracks that challenge the drivers. The hardest tracks provide the best racing while the big, wide, easy ones are the yawners.

DansMom, I would like to address your comment specifically, and I hope you don’t think I’m condescending. I understand your point.

Think of it this way: if you judged Fenway Park by the price of the tickets, the amount of leg room, the amount of obstructed view seats, and the availability and ease of concessions, you’d be wanting to bulldoze the place tomorrow by your standard.

Tradition DOES matter, and NASCAR has spat on it more than enough. I think it’s better to look at the sum of the parts…Martinsville always produces great racing, has a great history and has a special place in the sport. And in the end, that’s what makes it a far better venue than Kansas, especially for dedicated fans who will tolerate expensive camping costs for a great race.

When is NASCAR going to make this a true traveling sport and go to race tracks on a 2-3 year rotation including Iowa, Kentucky, Milwaukee, Rockingham, North Wilkesbourough, Washington,Canada, etc, instead of going to boring tracks twice a year just because ISC owns and operated them.
Fans and TV crews will travel and follow Nascar where ever they go so let’s take the show on the road and let all the fans enjoy racing and the economic influx they provide in there own back yards.

Did I see my name mentioned?
I’d gladly give up a Fontana date to either save Martinsville or give Iowa a Cup date. And I completely agree with Jack Connell above. NASCAR should have rotating schedules where every track gets one date and the second dates get changed around to different places each year. The main tracks such as Daytona, Talledega, Charlotte, Martinsville, Richmond, and Bristol should always get two dates, though.

DansMom,
No one can blame the railroad for the lack of seating along the backstretch at Martinsville. Go to Google Earth and you can see the new alignment of the tracks along with the old alignment just behind the grandstand. I wonder how much the speedway had to contribute toward moving the tracks and then making the decision not to build additional grandstands.

Slanted as usual. I can’t recall an incident in the past 20 years where NASCAR took a date from a track and “gave” it to another operator – so Pocono should be safe as long as Dr. Mattioli is alive. Martinsville is also likely to be safe due to its heritage, reasonably good attendance, and, in particular, since it is one of only 3 short tracks, and saves the teams money by reduced travel from Charlotte. I suspect LA is likely to lose a date to Kansas, which the last time I looked is right in the middle of the country and, thus, convenient to a large segment of the country. Not surprisingly, when you media types chime in that Vegas should get another date the casinos are mentioned as a plus, but a casino in Kansas is supposed to be somehow different. You also fail to mention that sponsors like to be in major markets.

I agree with Toni…if Martinsville loses a date, the fans will erupt! Especially if it’s because Kansas has a casino? What sort of logic is that? Talk about announcing that your ‘product’ isn’t capable of drawing a crowd on it’s own….If Nascar wants better races, it isn’t going to get it at yet another cookie cutter. California nees to be a one race track, no question.

It’s called progress ladies and gentleman. If Martinsville wants to save their date A) Sell out so you can B) Build more seats along the backstretch and be financially competative with tracks like Kansas and Kentucky. What ever happened to those plans to move the railroad and expand the stand… oh yeah, they can’t sell the seats they have.

Martinsville began alienating their fans 4 years ago when they jacked up camping prices to over $120 a vehicle. To make matters worse, they designated all of the prime camping areas for the mega RV’s and left the average tent sleeper out in the mud (litterally).

If you approach the question from a dollars and sense point of view – Martinsville is gone. And the only folks whos pockets will be hurting are the guys who sell firewood for $8 a pop off their front yard right outside the campground entrance.

But I guess the old school fans who will be ticked off at this post would prefer that NASCAR and ISC run the sport like the government runs our budget. Lets not take $ and cents into the cost, lets do what the public won’t get upset over… Then the sport will be in even worse shape than ever.

DansMom – I don’t mind the camping prices (I always get out of paying for it anyway), but the fast food situation in Martinsville should be improved.

I SWEAR that Taco Bell by the track has the WORST order accuracy rating in America.

Two more cookie cutter tracks = two more weekends that I can get something useful done around the house instead of watching follow-the-leader-cuz-I-sure-can’t-pass-him-on-track racing.

Maybe we can organize some kind of fan protest for Martinsville to keep their second date.

I once got handcuffed to an old lady from West Virginia while camping at a race in Martinsville. She was a good time for being kind of homely, and not having all her teeth. And BOY could she down some Crown Royal. It was good times, until she had to go to the bathroom, and we didn’t have the key to the cuffs.

Anyway, if we handcuffed ourselves to the track fencing, or picketed, or some other type of non violent protest NASCAR might listen. Posting on websites doesn’t seem to do much good. (I don’t know if Brain France can read).

I mean, the sheriff was pretty pissed that night he had to uncuff me… imagine 2 or 300 of us!!! Let’s make some REAL change.

I hear things have gotten so bad at Martinsville that they had to start cutting back on the number of port-a-johns they had in the campground. I hear that people have even started resorting to bringing their own porcelain toilets and setting up shop right there in plain sight of everyone. Who is to blame?! Nascar of course!

I for one welcome the idea of getting rid of the Martinsville races all together. After my experience several years ago, I vowed I would never return to a race at that track. My wife, 5 year-old son, and I were enjoying the final laps of the race – watching Gordon and Johnson fight it out for the win when the guy next to me decided he did not have time to make it to the bathroom. What did he do instead? He decided it was acceptable to urinate on himself right there in the stands. And it’s not like he was wearing a swimsuit or anything. That’s the kind of guy you dont take jet-skiing with you.

The only way these bozos should take a race away from Martinsville is if the track they give it to is a short track (less than 3/4 of a mile). Otherwise they are just going to add another boring race that no one watches on tv.

@BoxerShortsOnFriday… Haven’t you ever watched the movie “Talledega Nights”? They are called “pee-pants”.

Despite DansMom’s condescending tone, there is a valid point there. The fans aren’t making a case for Martinsville keeping two dates, based on the low attendance. I contend that it’s not the racing that’s keeping fans away, it’s the parking, the facilities, the lines for the food… everything BUT the racing. The sad thing is, they won’t make the necessary changes to the facilities because their race dates are always on the chopping block, and their race dates are always on the chopping block because of the facilities.

Atlanta may be considered a cookie cutter, but it provides some of the best racing in NASCAR. I think the options should be California and Pocono. California leading in my opinion.

I used to go to Kansas Speedway and it is the biggest rip off for the fans I have ever been to. To give those theives a second date is a travesty.

The only track that deserves a new cup date is Iowa Speedway.

I second Bad Wolf’s vote for Iowa. The Nationwide race there last year was a pretty competitive to say the least.

Martinsville is my home track (I live about 20 miles away), so obviously I’m partial to it. But I’m not nearly as concerned as I was a few years ago, and several people already explained why. I think NASCAR realizes how many fans it has already alienated by getting rid of tracks like Rockingham and North Wilkesboro. Getting rid of a Martinsville date now would completely wipe out everything they’re trying to do to get back to the basics.

BoxerShortsOnFriday: I’m sorry that you had a poor experience, but it is never wise to judge an entire track by the poor actions of one person. That’s a rather silly reason to say a track doesn’t deserve a race.

Carl D, are you knocking the MARTINSVILLE HOT DOG!?!?!?

Whats with all the arguments against cookie cutter tracks and in the same breath bashing Pocono. Sounds counter productive to me.

The moral of this story, is that the tracks dictate the racing, more than the drivers, cars, (super)teams, spoilers, debris cautions, and championship format. What is the question asked every week by fans “Where are they racing this weekend?”

While serious changes to the schedule are needed, all changes bust be seriously evaluated. As stated above, one wrong move can alienate millions of fans.

I’ve been to the Spring race at Martinsville five times. Its 780 miles there one way and I think its well worth the trip! Why on earth this shrine to racing is in danger of losing a date is a mystery to me. Come on people, lets sell this track out so we can keep some good old rubbin is racing in Nascar.

The quality of the racing should be what a track is judged by, not by having a casino. In a perfect world…

VaBlueGrass…

I’ve been to two Martinsville races and I’ve seen those hot dogs up close. They look like they could cause more damage than a bad stomach virus. No thanks.

Michael, you should quote that to your counterpart Kevin in SoCal: “quality of the racing should be what a track is judged by,”

Carl – that’s why you get the chilli on them dogs – so it shoots right through ya!

And Boxer Shorts Friday – is there a difference in pee pants and peeing in the “troughs” they call urinals at Martinsville? Wait… some of them you just pee on the wall and there’s a drain on the floor. It seems to be just a matter of semantics at that point.

The last things Nascar needs is more races on the 1.5-mile, moderately-banked, tri-oval tracks.

There is nothing whatsoever special or unique about Kentucky to deserve a Cup race date. Give one from Fontana or Atlanta to Iowa instead.

Don’t just leave the unique and interesting tracks alone — actively encourage track owners to build unique and interesting tracks that challenge the drivers. The hardest tracks provide the best racing while the big, wide, easy ones are the yawners.

DansMom, I would like to address your comment specifically, and I hope you don’t think I’m condescending. I understand your point.

Think of it this way: if you judged Fenway Park by the price of the tickets, the amount of leg room, the amount of obstructed view seats, and the availability and ease of concessions, you’d be wanting to bulldoze the place tomorrow by your standard.

Tradition DOES matter, and NASCAR has spat on it more than enough. I think it’s better to look at the sum of the parts…Martinsville always produces great racing, has a great history and has a special place in the sport. And in the end, that’s what makes it a far better venue than Kansas, especially for dedicated fans who will tolerate expensive camping costs for a great race.

When is NASCAR going to make this a true traveling sport and go to race tracks on a 2-3 year rotation including Iowa, Kentucky, Milwaukee, Rockingham, North Wilkesbourough, Washington,Canada, etc, instead of going to boring tracks twice a year just because ISC owns and operated them.
Fans and TV crews will travel and follow Nascar where ever they go so let’s take the show on the road and let all the fans enjoy racing and the economic influx they provide in there own back yards.

Did I see my name mentioned?
I’d gladly give up a Fontana date to either save Martinsville or give Iowa a Cup date. And I completely agree with Jack Connell above. NASCAR should have rotating schedules where every track gets one date and the second dates get changed around to different places each year. The main tracks such as Daytona, Talledega, Charlotte, Martinsville, Richmond, and Bristol should always get two dates, though.

DansMom,
No one can blame the railroad for the lack of seating along the backstretch at Martinsville. Go to Google Earth and you can see the new alignment of the tracks along with the old alignment just behind the grandstand. I wonder how much the speedway had to contribute toward moving the tracks and then making the decision not to build additional grandstands.

Slanted as usual. I can’t recall an incident in the past 20 years where NASCAR took a date from a track and “gave” it to another operator – so Pocono should be safe as long as Dr. Mattioli is alive. Martinsville is also likely to be safe due to its heritage, reasonably good attendance, and, in particular, since it is one of only 3 short tracks, and saves the teams money by reduced travel from Charlotte. I suspect LA is likely to lose a date to Kansas, which the last time I looked is right in the middle of the country and, thus, convenient to a large segment of the country. Not surprisingly, when you media types chime in that Vegas should get another date the casinos are mentioned as a plus, but a casino in Kansas is supposed to be somehow different. You also fail to mention that sponsors like to be in major markets.

I agree with Toni…if Martinsville loses a date, the fans will erupt! Especially if it’s because Kansas has a casino? What sort of logic is that? Talk about announcing that your ‘product’ isn’t capable of drawing a crowd on it’s own….If Nascar wants better races, it isn’t going to get it at yet another cookie cutter. California nees to be a one race track, no question.

It’s called progress ladies and gentleman. If Martinsville wants to save their date A) Sell out so you can B) Build more seats along the backstretch and be financially competative with tracks like Kansas and Kentucky. What ever happened to those plans to move the railroad and expand the stand… oh yeah, they can’t sell the seats they have.

Martinsville began alienating their fans 4 years ago when they jacked up camping prices to over $120 a vehicle. To make matters worse, they designated all of the prime camping areas for the mega RV’s and left the average tent sleeper out in the mud (litterally).

If you approach the question from a dollars and sense point of view – Martinsville is gone. And the only folks whos pockets will be hurting are the guys who sell firewood for $8 a pop off their front yard right outside the campground entrance.

But I guess the old school fans who will be ticked off at this post would prefer that NASCAR and ISC run the sport like the government runs our budget. Lets not take $ and cents into the cost, lets do what the public won’t get upset over… Then the sport will be in even worse shape than ever.

DansMom – I don’t mind the camping prices (I always get out of paying for it anyway), but the fast food situation in Martinsville should be improved.

I SWEAR that Taco Bell by the track has the WORST order accuracy rating in America.

Two more cookie cutter tracks = two more weekends that I can get something useful done around the house instead of watching follow-the-leader-cuz-I-sure-can’t-pass-him-on-track racing.

Maybe we can organize some kind of fan protest for Martinsville to keep their second date.

I once got handcuffed to an old lady from West Virginia while camping at a race in Martinsville. She was a good time for being kind of homely, and not having all her teeth. And BOY could she down some Crown Royal. It was good times, until she had to go to the bathroom, and we didn’t have the key to the cuffs.

Anyway, if we handcuffed ourselves to the track fencing, or picketed, or some other type of non violent protest NASCAR might listen. Posting on websites doesn’t seem to do much good. (I don’t know if Brain France can read).

I mean, the sheriff was pretty pissed that night he had to uncuff me… imagine 2 or 300 of us!!! Let’s make some REAL change.

I hear things have gotten so bad at Martinsville that they had to start cutting back on the number of port-a-johns they had in the campground. I hear that people have even started resorting to bringing their own porcelain toilets and setting up shop right there in plain sight of everyone. Who is to blame?! Nascar of course!

I for one welcome the idea of getting rid of the Martinsville races all together. After my experience several years ago, I vowed I would never return to a race at that track. My wife, 5 year-old son, and I were enjoying the final laps of the race – watching Gordon and Johnson fight it out for the win when the guy next to me decided he did not have time to make it to the bathroom. What did he do instead? He decided it was acceptable to urinate on himself right there in the stands. And it’s not like he was wearing a swimsuit or anything. That’s the kind of guy you dont take jet-skiing with you.

The only way these bozos should take a race away from Martinsville is if the track they give it to is a short track (less than 3/4 of a mile). Otherwise they are just going to add another boring race that no one watches on tv.

@BoxerShortsOnFriday… Haven’t you ever watched the movie “Talledega Nights”? They are called “pee-pants”.

Despite DansMom’s condescending tone, there is a valid point there. The fans aren’t making a case for Martinsville keeping two dates, based on the low attendance. I contend that it’s not the racing that’s keeping fans away, it’s the parking, the facilities, the lines for the food… everything BUT the racing. The sad thing is, they won’t make the necessary changes to the facilities because their race dates are always on the chopping block, and their race dates are always on the chopping block because of the facilities.

Atlanta may be considered a cookie cutter, but it provides some of the best racing in NASCAR. I think the options should be California and Pocono. California leading in my opinion.

I used to go to Kansas Speedway and it is the biggest rip off for the fans I have ever been to. To give those theives a second date is a travesty.

The only track that deserves a new cup date is Iowa Speedway.

I second Bad Wolf’s vote for Iowa. The Nationwide race there last year was a pretty competitive to say the least.

Martinsville is my home track (I live about 20 miles away), so obviously I’m partial to it. But I’m not nearly as concerned as I was a few years ago, and several people already explained why. I think NASCAR realizes how many fans it has already alienated by getting rid of tracks like Rockingham and North Wilkesboro. Getting rid of a Martinsville date now would completely wipe out everything they’re trying to do to get back to the basics.

BoxerShortsOnFriday: I’m sorry that you had a poor experience, but it is never wise to judge an entire track by the poor actions of one person. That’s a rather silly reason to say a track doesn’t deserve a race.

Carl D, are you knocking the MARTINSVILLE HOT DOG!?!?!?

Whats with all the arguments against cookie cutter tracks and in the same breath bashing Pocono. Sounds counter productive to me.

The moral of this story, is that the tracks dictate the racing, more than the drivers, cars, (super)teams, spoilers, debris cautions, and championship format. What is the question asked every week by fans “Where are they racing this weekend?”

While serious changes to the schedule are needed, all changes bust be seriously evaluated. As stated above, one wrong move can alienate millions of fans.

I’ve been to the Spring race at Martinsville five times. Its 780 miles there one way and I think its well worth the trip! Why on earth this shrine to racing is in danger of losing a date is a mystery to me. Come on people, lets sell this track out so we can keep some good old rubbin is racing in Nascar.

The quality of the racing should be what a track is judged by, not by having a casino. In a perfect world…

VaBlueGrass…

I’ve been to two Martinsville races and I’ve seen those hot dogs up close. They look like they could cause more damage than a bad stomach virus. No thanks.

Michael, you should quote that to your counterpart Kevin in SoCal: “quality of the racing should be what a track is judged by,”

Carl – that’s why you get the chilli on them dogs – so it shoots right through ya!

And Boxer Shorts Friday – is there a difference in pee pants and peeing in the “troughs” they call urinals at Martinsville? Wait… some of them you just pee on the wall and there’s a drain on the floor. It seems to be just a matter of semantics at that point.

The last things Nascar needs is more races on the 1.5-mile, moderately-banked, tri-oval tracks.

There is nothing whatsoever special or unique about Kentucky to deserve a Cup race date. Give one from Fontana or Atlanta to Iowa instead.

Don’t just leave the unique and interesting tracks alone — actively encourage track owners to build unique and interesting tracks that challenge the drivers. The hardest tracks provide the best racing while the big, wide, easy ones are the yawners.

DansMom, I would like to address your comment specifically, and I hope you don’t think I’m condescending. I understand your point.

Think of it this way: if you judged Fenway Park by the price of the tickets, the amount of leg room, the amount of obstructed view seats, and the availability and ease of concessions, you’d be wanting to bulldoze the place tomorrow by your standard.

Tradition DOES matter, and NASCAR has spat on it more than enough. I think it’s better to look at the sum of the parts…Martinsville always produces great racing, has a great history and has a special place in the sport. And in the end, that’s what makes it a far better venue than Kansas, especially for dedicated fans who will tolerate expensive camping costs for a great race.

When is NASCAR going to make this a true traveling sport and go to race tracks on a 2-3 year rotation including Iowa, Kentucky, Milwaukee, Rockingham, North Wilkesbourough, Washington,Canada, etc, instead of going to boring tracks twice a year just because ISC owns and operated them.
Fans and TV crews will travel and follow Nascar where ever they go so let’s take the show on the road and let all the fans enjoy racing and the economic influx they provide in there own back yards.

Did I see my name mentioned?
I’d gladly give up a Fontana date to either save Martinsville or give Iowa a Cup date. And I completely agree with Jack Connell above. NASCAR should have rotating schedules where every track gets one date and the second dates get changed around to different places each year. The main tracks such as Daytona, Talledega, Charlotte, Martinsville, Richmond, and Bristol should always get two dates, though.

DansMom,
No one can blame the railroad for the lack of seating along the backstretch at Martinsville. Go to Google Earth and you can see the new alignment of the tracks along with the old alignment just behind the grandstand. I wonder how much the speedway had to contribute toward moving the tracks and then making the decision not to build additional grandstands.

Slanted as usual. I can’t recall an incident in the past 20 years where NASCAR took a date from a track and “gave” it to another operator – so Pocono should be safe as long as Dr. Mattioli is alive. Martinsville is also likely to be safe due to its heritage, reasonably good attendance, and, in particular, since it is one of only 3 short tracks, and saves the teams money by reduced travel from Charlotte. I suspect LA is likely to lose a date to Kansas, which the last time I looked is right in the middle of the country and, thus, convenient to a large segment of the country. Not surprisingly, when you media types chime in that Vegas should get another date the casinos are mentioned as a plus, but a casino in Kansas is supposed to be somehow different. You also fail to mention that sponsors like to be in major markets.