The 2021 Running NASCAR/IMSA/other racing things thread

My dad is 82. He still loves to talk about working on Herman's cars... well, not working on the cars, but Herman himself.
If I've heard it once, I've heard it a hundred times.
While my dad built the cars deep into winter nights, Herman kicked back beside a pot-bellied wood stove eating "the longest, nicest-looking, yellow bananas I've ever seen, but he never offered us a banana."

 

The 1962 season was classic Herman. He started -- and finished -- 51 of the 53 races that season! He had 18 top-10s (most of those with fields of less than 20 cars) and won $9,900. He also was credited with the only pole of his career when rain washed out qualifying at Richmond and he drew No. 1, but elected to let the entire field by on the pace lap. Amazingly, he completed something like 88 percent of the laps, so he would go fairly fast if no one was around him.

One example: Only 13 cars showed up at the half-mile at Valdosta that fall. Herman finished 10th, 21 laps behind ninth-place George Green, and made a nifty $140. Three cars failed to finish!

 

I know my dad wasn't helping him in '62 because he was in the Army and in Germany that year. I kind of think it was mid 60s after Herman had stopped driving and was an owner. My dad got back in '64, and I believe it was after he got out of the Army.

 

Who's not owned by the Frances or Smiths now? Pocono? Gateway?

 

Hmm, SMI will control the big track in Nashville and the fairgrounds…

Trucks at the fairgrounds during Xfinity/Cup weekend?

Also: Road America (and Indy, of course).

 

I can't imagine that buying a race track these days is a winning investment.
I'm guess the income is more from TV revenue than tickets and concessions, but the last I checked, attendance these days isn't growing.

 

I wouldn't be buying anything at a concession stand at these prices.

 

From time immemorial, NASCAR fans take in their own coolers and food. I remember 20 years ago the late David Poole was carrying on about how crazy that was from a business model. Fans shouldn't allowed to bring in coolers. I told him to hush and not give anyone any ideas.

 

I've mentioned in these parts that me and a buddy had to chug a twelver of Abita between us outside of Bristol to get in back in the day. Enjoyed a nice nap during Happy Hour about 20 feet from the track. The turkey leg helped.

 

Why, because it was in bottles?

 

They were thrilled to get 40,000 at Nashville. They used to get four times that at Bristol.