What is Better? Before or After the split?/ Memphis Trucks Coverage/ Hornish to visit White House
What is Better? Before or After the split?
NEW RICHMOND, Wis. – My methods were not scientific and my work is not journalistically correct but the split between the World of Outlaws Sprints and the National Sprint Tour is not helping at the gate.
I attended the WoO visit to Batesville (Ark.) Speedway earlier this season and the NST trip to Cedar Lake Speedway Monday night.
Before I go any further, I must let you know that I failed to speak with the promoters of either tracks or the sanctioning bodies to get their take on my observations so journalistically speaking; I have not done my job. Continuing on with my observations... the World of Outlaws stop at Batesville seemed to attract a good crowd although some in the pits thought it might have been down a little from previous years.
It was my first visit to the Arkansas track so I can not confirm that firsthand. The show was a good program and the good crowd seemed to enjoy it. At Cedar Lake Speedway Monday night, the crowd was down from previous years. There were empty spaces on the campgrounds, suites and lower seats that were full in previous years. CLS has added seating, suites and other amenities over the years so a low crowd for them would be a great crowd for other tracks. The date, which usually falls immediately during the 4th, fell several days later after most people just returned from their vacations.
Still the crowd was down. Before the split, the track was teaming with fans. It was the place to be and you couldn’t move in the pits after the 2005 WoO show there. Now we have two major winged sprint organizations.
I am sure that not having Steve Kinser at Batesville or not having
Donny Schatz or Craig Dolansky at Cedar Lake contributed to a few staying at home. It was too bad because both facilities saw a great show. Yes, it was better before the split. Better drivers, a larger car count and more fans. The two series have brought about competition for media attention, tracks and fans.
This has improved the way fans can follow the series and one would assume that negotiating for a race is now easier for a promoter than it was before. (I have not promoted or looked into promoting a WoO or NST event so I have no first hand knowledge.) The split has improved some things but standing there Monday night, I wished that it was all one family again. I missed not seeing Schatz, Brooke Tatnell or Dolansky on the track with the Dude and the King.
Life goes on.
Memphis Trucks Coverage
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rolls into Memphis this weekend and it is my intention to bring you coverage of our Open Wheelers from Memphis Motorsports Park. Today we will look at how Mike Bliss is approaching this weekend’s race at Memphis. The former Silver Crown star has not had the best of luck at MMP.
“Memphis has not been a very good track for me,” said Bliss. “I have qualified well, but when I ran the truck for Dave (Fuge, Team Owner) we were running really well until we had a battery come unplugged four times. I think our short tracks, and all of the tracks. I am looking forward to going there and hopefully winning a race.”
The track is tough on drivers with it’s Richmond like size and banking as well as the bumps on the backstretch right under the crossover bridge.
“Yeah, it is a tough and rough, and I like that,” said Bliss. “ I would rather be there than, somewhere else. It is just different, like nothing else we race on. It is a motor track, more than anything, you need a motor. Off Turn 4, you get dogged down, and you need something to accelerate, and if you have a good motor that has good torque, you can pass people there.”
This week, the weather forecast calls for hot temperatures and high humidity. Even though it is a night race, the 2005 event was so hot, NASCAR stopped the race and brought water to the drivers. The key, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
“You just have to know that it is going to be hot there, so you just do the same thing that you do every weekend, just drink lots of water.”
We will hopefully hear from more Open Wheelers this week as they prepare for Memphis.
Hornish to visit White House
Sam Hornish Jr. will visit with President George W. Bush at the White House on Tuesday, July 18. The visit is a reward for the Defiance, Ohio native winning the Indy 500. His team along with owner Roger Penske will also make the trip.
TV News
Gordon and Montoya Tradin Paint Revisited
In 2003, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Gordon switched cars and raced around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway roadcourse. Following up on the Columbian’s move to NASCAR, SPEED will reair the at 10:30pm/et, immediately following a replay of Nextel Cup Series qualifying from New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon.
TV Listings
July 14
3:00 pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Qualifying New Hampshire (LIVE) SPEED
10:30 pm Gordon/Montoya Tradin' Paint SPEED
July 15
10:00 am NASCAR Nextel Cup Final Practice New Hampshire (LIVE) SPEED
11:00 am NASCAR Busch Qualifying New Hampshire (LIVE) SPEED
3:00pm Busch Race Race - New Hampshire TNT
7:30 pm Speed News SPEED
8:00 pm Tradin' Paint SPEED
9:00 pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Memphis (LIVE) SPEED
9:00 pm IRL Race Nashville ESPN
July 16
1:30 pm Pre-Race New Hampshire - New Hampshire TNT
2:00pm Nextel Cup Race - New Hampshire TNT
7:00 pm Speed News SPEED
9:00 pm Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain (LIVE) SPEED
All images in this update courtesy of RE Technologies.
NEW RICHMOND, Wis. – My methods were not scientific and my work is not journalistically correct but the split between the World of Outlaws Sprints and the National Sprint Tour is not helping at the gate.
I attended the WoO visit to Batesville (Ark.) Speedway earlier this season and the NST trip to Cedar Lake Speedway Monday night.
Before I go any further, I must let you know that I failed to speak with the promoters of either tracks or the sanctioning bodies to get their take on my observations so journalistically speaking; I have not done my job. Continuing on with my observations... the World of Outlaws stop at Batesville seemed to attract a good crowd although some in the pits thought it might have been down a little from previous years.
It was my first visit to the Arkansas track so I can not confirm that firsthand. The show was a good program and the good crowd seemed to enjoy it. At Cedar Lake Speedway Monday night, the crowd was down from previous years. There were empty spaces on the campgrounds, suites and lower seats that were full in previous years. CLS has added seating, suites and other amenities over the years so a low crowd for them would be a great crowd for other tracks. The date, which usually falls immediately during the 4th, fell several days later after most people just returned from their vacations.
Still the crowd was down. Before the split, the track was teaming with fans. It was the place to be and you couldn’t move in the pits after the 2005 WoO show there. Now we have two major winged sprint organizations.
I am sure that not having Steve Kinser at Batesville or not having
Donny Schatz or Craig Dolansky at Cedar Lake contributed to a few staying at home. It was too bad because both facilities saw a great show. Yes, it was better before the split. Better drivers, a larger car count and more fans. The two series have brought about competition for media attention, tracks and fans.
This has improved the way fans can follow the series and one would assume that negotiating for a race is now easier for a promoter than it was before. (I have not promoted or looked into promoting a WoO or NST event so I have no first hand knowledge.) The split has improved some things but standing there Monday night, I wished that it was all one family again. I missed not seeing Schatz, Brooke Tatnell or Dolansky on the track with the Dude and the King.
Life goes on.
Memphis Trucks Coverage
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rolls into Memphis this weekend and it is my intention to bring you coverage of our Open Wheelers from Memphis Motorsports Park. Today we will look at how Mike Bliss is approaching this weekend’s race at Memphis. The former Silver Crown star has not had the best of luck at MMP.
“Memphis has not been a very good track for me,” said Bliss. “I have qualified well, but when I ran the truck for Dave (Fuge, Team Owner) we were running really well until we had a battery come unplugged four times. I think our short tracks, and all of the tracks. I am looking forward to going there and hopefully winning a race.”
The track is tough on drivers with it’s Richmond like size and banking as well as the bumps on the backstretch right under the crossover bridge.
“Yeah, it is a tough and rough, and I like that,” said Bliss. “ I would rather be there than, somewhere else. It is just different, like nothing else we race on. It is a motor track, more than anything, you need a motor. Off Turn 4, you get dogged down, and you need something to accelerate, and if you have a good motor that has good torque, you can pass people there.”
This week, the weather forecast calls for hot temperatures and high humidity. Even though it is a night race, the 2005 event was so hot, NASCAR stopped the race and brought water to the drivers. The key, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
“You just have to know that it is going to be hot there, so you just do the same thing that you do every weekend, just drink lots of water.”
We will hopefully hear from more Open Wheelers this week as they prepare for Memphis.
Hornish to visit White House
Sam Hornish Jr. will visit with President George W. Bush at the White House on Tuesday, July 18. The visit is a reward for the Defiance, Ohio native winning the Indy 500. His team along with owner Roger Penske will also make the trip.
TV News
Gordon and Montoya Tradin Paint Revisited
In 2003, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Gordon switched cars and raced around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway roadcourse. Following up on the Columbian’s move to NASCAR, SPEED will reair the at 10:30pm/et, immediately following a replay of Nextel Cup Series qualifying from New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon.
TV Listings
July 14
3:00 pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Qualifying New Hampshire (LIVE) SPEED
10:30 pm Gordon/Montoya Tradin' Paint SPEED
July 15
10:00 am NASCAR Nextel Cup Final Practice New Hampshire (LIVE) SPEED
11:00 am NASCAR Busch Qualifying New Hampshire (LIVE) SPEED
3:00pm Busch Race Race - New Hampshire TNT
7:30 pm Speed News SPEED
8:00 pm Tradin' Paint SPEED
9:00 pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Memphis (LIVE) SPEED
9:00 pm IRL Race Nashville ESPN
July 16
1:30 pm Pre-Race New Hampshire - New Hampshire TNT
2:00pm Nextel Cup Race - New Hampshire TNT
7:00 pm Speed News SPEED
9:00 pm Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain (LIVE) SPEED
All images in this update courtesy of RE Technologies.
posted by Blake Johnson at 11:26 AM
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