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Say Good-bye to the Single-Track Teams

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Charlie likes to call me an "idiot". I'm not an "idiot"; I just prefer not to let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

May 23, 2008 6:33 am CDT 5 Comments

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Reports out of Charlotte have Speedway Motorsports Inc. buying Kentucky Speedway.

Amy Henderson at The Frontstretch reports that Bruton Smith, has said he will have a Cup date at the track in northern Kentucky in the 2009 season. Next year? A Cup race? Where will that Cup race come from? Smith’s company has recently purchased New Hampshire Speedway from the Bahre family and taking a race from there is a possibility.

There is still the nagging lawsuit that is hanging over NASCAR and Kentucky Speedway. Could that lawsuit result in SMI wrestling a date away from NASCAR owned International Speedway Corp.? The ISC track that should lose a date would be California, but don’t look for NASCAR to pull out of that TV market no matter how pathetic the attendance is. NASCAR wants big TV markets and their aren’t many bigger than the LA area.

Its time for NASCAR to take a hard look at their schedule and determine where the best 36 places are to hold their premier events. Take races from venues that cannot support them and move them to locales that have and will drive butts into seats and in front of TV sets. Henderson speculates that the purchase of Pocono by SMI could pave the way for a date to be moved from that track to Kentucky. Pocono has more of a problem holding exciting races than filling the grandstands. Drivers and teams could get behind going to Pocono only once during the year.

As much of a burr under NASCAR’s saddle as the previous ownership at Kentucky has been can you imagine what adding the SMI /ISC dynamic will bring to the table? Look for a quick solution to the problem though. NASCAR doesn’t like doing battle with Smith because they know it is a lose-lose situation. Smith has a way of getting what he wants at NASCAR’s expense. For the fans of northern Kentucky this could be the best thing ever to bring them a long sought after Cup event.

At the same time it would eliminate the racetrack from much of the testing that Cup teams do at the track. Without having a Cup date currently, it is open for testing whenever teams want to use it. So would one Cup race a year bring a larger financial impact than many open testing sessions? By most accounts one date on the schedule could make the year financially. While hosting Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series races are currently the highlight of Kentucky’s season, they pale in comparison to what a Cup event could bring.

Let the wrangling begin. This should be fun to watch.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Brian France, Bruton Smith, Craftsman Truck Series, Lowes Motor Speedway, NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR Rumors, NASCAR officials, Nationwide Series

Tagged with: ISC, Kentucky Speedway, New Hampshire Speedway, Pocono, SMI

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Soliciting Solutions for Boring Racing - a Contest

by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.

May 3, 2008 6:34 am CDT 6 Comments

To paraphrase one of my favorite lines all-time from a racing movie…

“Pete, do you ever get tired of (substitute “bored with”) the racing? Lately, sometimes I get very tired.” (ditto)

Ferrari driver Jean Pierre Sarti to Yamura pilot Pete Aaron in “Grand Prix”.

As popular as NASCAR is, people are never satisfied. That’s probably good. Mike Mulhern has a proposition to make things more exciting…

A simple proposition – give one bonus point for each lap a driver leads. If a man leads 150 laps at Daytona, he gets 150 bonus points, for example.
Or perhaps, considering tracks are different lengths, give one bonus point for each mile a driver leads.

Mike contends, and I agree, that putting all of that value on leading laps would make for much more competitive racing for the lead. More lead passes - more exciting races.

That’s what he thinks. What about you? How would you spice up Cup racing?

Put your suggestion in the comment section and I’ll pick a favorite or two and send those people a copy of “Daytona 500: 50 Years of the Great American Race” from A&E Home Video.

Our last contest was won by the Reverend Jim. Don’t let him win again.

Filed under: Bench Racing Contests, Bruton Smith, Chase for the Cup, It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR Bidness, Sprint Cup Series, Top 35 Rule

Tagged with: blog, Daytona 500, Grand Prix, Great American Race, motorsports, NASCAR, NASCAR contest, ON PIT ROW, Sprint Cup Series

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Bench Racing Contest - Win the 50th Daytona 500, sort of

by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.

April 18, 2008 4:18 pm CDT 5 Comments

The Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog wants you to have your very own copy of the new A&E Home Video production of “Daytona 500: 50 Years of the Great American Race”. All you have to do is be one of the winners of our little caption contest right here.

That’s Bruton Smith with Las Vegas Motor Speedway president Chris Powell. I’m thinking…

“It’s a quarter to three, there’s no one in the place, except you and me…. so set ‘em up Joe….”

But that’s just me.

We have a few copies of the new DVD, so for every 15 answers, we’ll give away one copy of this great prize. The winners will be determined by The Pit Crew. The contest ends Monday April 21, 2008 at noon PDT. Post your captions in the comment section of this post. You can answer as often as you want but please, only one answer per comment. We reserve the right to end the contest early if we detect abuse. Have some fun. Win a great prize.

Update: The first comment made had three answers. I don’t care if you give ten answers - just make ten separate comments. Please.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Filed under: Bench Racing Contests, Bruton Smith, Daytona 500, NASCAR & the Media, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio

Tagged with: A&E Home Video, blog, Bruton Smith, Chris Powell, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, motorsports, NASCAR, UAW 400

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