The 2022 running NASCAR, IMSA & other racing things thread

Truth be told I actually called in and let the news desk know I might be filing something considerably different from a run-of-the-mill sporting event lead. I remember watching those EMS guys going up into the stands and thinking, "Oh shit, I didn't sign on for this."

 

Wouldn't be the first time I've crossed state lines with untaxed refreshments in a bottle.

 

Denny Hamlin has stepped into a hornet's nest on Twitter — ironically, with a tweet about Kyle Larson.

Denny Hamlin Apologizes For 'Offensive' Anti-Asian Meme About Kyle Larson

 

I assume he's going to get kicked out his ride, like Kyle Larson was?

 

SunDrop - the regular version - was usually in the refrigerator of my favorite great-aunt and uncle. I know where to get it, but I dunno if the Snowman has unloaded all that Coors yet so he can bootleg your request.

I just found a place that stocked some RC. Sneaky good little treasure.

 

You’re my boy and all, but we’ve got to talk about this nonsense.

 

It took me a few years down here to realize why everybody always asked if you wanted a Coke, and never offered a root beer or a Pepsi or a Mountain Dew.

 

It's real fun when somebody asks if you want a "RC co-cola."

 

I have not yet had the opportunity to dig into this yet, but I typically like Jeremy's stuff. Passing along: The inside story of how a dead NASCAR track finally reopened after 26 years

 

Standing by a cooler of various mixed soft drinks: "What kinda Coke you want?"

 

I wish them well, but I'm skeptical as hell. Nostalgia only carries you so far. From the last time I snuck in there a decade ago, that place was in need of major repairs -- and even if the state is providing a good chunk of cash, there's a lot of infrastructure still lacking. SAFER barriers. Upgraded catch fences. Improved infield access for haulers. And that's just to run a race with no one there.

Obviously, if NASCAR can pour asphalt on the L.A. Coliseum and tear it up one week later, anything's possible. But even if you somehow acquire a national touring series date, what's your profit margin? If you could cram 30,000 heads in there at $100 per, that's $3 million, which sounds like a lot of money until you have to pay off your expenses and purse money. And you're not going to be able to charge $100 for ARCA or Late Models, let alone Trucks or Xfinity.

And what track's going to give up a lucrative (TV money) date so North Wilkesboro can profit from it? Shoot, take it from Fontana!

In addition, unless you can convince the folks at CMS to pull double-duty, you've got to somehow handle advertising, media, ticket sales, concessions, parking, security and on and on and on.

And then you've got to be able to make sure it's not just a one-trick pony. Will the demand still be there for a second race? Or a third? Like Rockingham, there are things that made North Wilkesboro obsolete in the first place, and attendance wasn't the main problem.

Dreams are nice. Reality is harsh.