Dragstrips Making Hard Decisions In Challenging Circumstances (1 Viewer)

[andujar]

https://www.dragzine.com/features/dragstrips-making-hard-decisions-in-challenging-circumstances/

 

[mick]

maybe a 21 race season in '23 is not so bad......with so many of the top funded cars now using multiple sponsors to get thru a season; been wondering if even the sponsors,
or at least a lot of them, don't mind a slightly shorter season. ........ that had to be a bit of an eye opener for nhra, for virginia to learn things the two years w/o a race, to come back for '22,
and then say no to '23. ....... bottom line is it's not good to be losing atlanta, houston, and phoenix; although charlotte, ennis, and vegas aren't too far to travel for those fans.
........then again, if all the other privately owned nat. event tracks are paying and staying on the tour, then to each their own i guess.

 

[GumbyWVU]

Was wondering why Rockingham stopped holding a national event. Gosh how long since they did have one? Don't think I ever heard why it dropped off the schedule. - or if I did it was so long ago I've totally forgot!

 

[Al]

Fiorito deserves a lot of credit for keeping Pacific Raceways as a racetrack. Hopefully fans will appreciate it and pack the stands next year.

 

[qualified17th]

Was wondering why Rockingham stopped holding a national event. Gosh how long since they did have one? Don't think I ever heard why it dropped off the schedule. - or if I did it was so long ago I've totally forgot!

Basically the same reasons the oval track across the street dropped off the NASCAR schedule around the same time. They decided it was time to move on to bigger and better facilities in more desirable markets than the weeds of eastern North Carolina

 

[Jim]

Was wondering why Rockingham stopped holding a national event. Gosh how long since they did have one? Don't think I ever heard why it dropped off the schedule. - or if I did it was so long ago I've totally forgot!

Rockingham stopped holding national events when IHRA stopped having national events. The track switched to NHRA but has not had an NHRA national event since then.

Jim

 

[GumbyWVU]

Rockingham stopped holding national events when IHRA stopped having national events. The track switched to NHRA but has not had an NHRA national event since then.

Jim

So they stopped having NHRA events when they moved to IHRA then? That must have been it.

 

[mick]

when did the rock last host a nat. event? was it mid 90's.......i seem to remember winston holding a money race there? but i mite be thinking about the
race where funny cars competed against dragsters? and i think that was back at an almost brand new bristol dragstrip? can't imagine nhra hosting there again with
zmax so close by with 2 annual events.

 

[MM]

when did the rock last host a nat. event? was it mid 90's.......i seem to remember winston holding a money race there? but i mite be thinking about the
race where funny cars competed against dragsters? and i think that was back at an almost brand new bristol dragstrip? can't imagine nhra hosting there again with
zmax so close by with 2 annual events.

They used to host the Winston Invitational in Rockingham. It was a big money/non points event and I believe the last year for that was 1998.

 

[Pete]

They used to host the Winston Invitational in Rockingham. It was a big money/non points event and I believe the last year for that was 1998.

They only hosted the Winston Invitational, but that moved to Bristol and renamed the No-Bull Shootout. The track went to IHRA and had many successful years hosting a national event on that side. Now back with NHRA, they host a Divisional for D2

 

[Jim]

They only hosted the Winston Invitational, but that moved to Bristol and renamed the No-Bull Shootout. The track went to IHRA and had many successful years hosting a national event on that side. Now back with NHRA, they host a Divisional for D2

When they were IHRA, they had two national events every year for many years. Both were among the best and most attended events on the IHRA schedule.

 

[twostep]

Bandimere may have a hell of a fight on its hands in the future. Lots of big developers in that area, tons of money to be made and Denver ain't what it used to be ideologically. There's more climate-change folks per square mile in that town than practically any major city in the country and drag racing doesn't exactly fit in with that.

All about the dollars. If the Bandimeres can show Jefferson County it's more financially beneficial to keep the place than lose it, it'll stay. If not, it' won't.

 

[TSK]

The developer who is constructing homes across the highway from Bandimere was telling people the track has been there a long time and, if they want to live there, they better not gripe about the track.
That was earlier this year. I hope it is still happening.

 

[Chili]

The developer who is constructing homes across the highway from Bandimere was telling people the track has been there a long time and, if they want to live there, they better not gripe about the track.
That was earlier this year. I hope it is still happening.

As a local Bandimere fan, I will make a prediction. 2023 will be the final year of Bandimere in their current location. i have heard a lot of rumblings lately around the racing community that they have an offer for the property. I have contacted Bandimere and they have denied any sale at this time but where there is smoke there is fire. I grew up close to the track and would hate to see it ever go. I will say there has been rumblings for several decades so it could be nothing but rumors.

 

[dr flames]

We knowThe developer who is constructing homes across the highway from Bandimere was telling people the track has been there a long time and, if they want to live there, they better not gripe about the track.
That was earlier this year. I hope it is still happening.

The developers can say anything they want but as soon as enough winners move in they think there the only ones with rights and we know how that goes

 

[GumbyWVU]

They used to host the Winston Invitational in Rockingham. It was a big money/non points event and I believe the last year for that was 1998.

98 huh? Gosh I hadn't realized it was that long ago. Time is the only thing faster than a top fuel dragster!

 

[ironpony]

2 events at each top track should fill the season up
As far as the tracks National Trail has cut back their schedule this past year.
And a lot of expensive housing going in around the track, closing in year by year

 

[TSK]

It’s beginning to feel like every few months we hear of yet another drag strip being sold and shut down.
When has NASCAR last lost a track due to land sprawl?

 

[Jim]

It’s beginning to feel like every few months we hear of yet another drag strip being sold and shut down.
When has NASCAR last lost a track due to land sprawl?

NASCAR just shuts down tracks and leaves them to rot.

 

[qualified17th]

It’s beginning to feel like every few months we hear of yet another drag strip being sold and shut down.
When has NASCAR last lost a track due to land sprawl?

Kentucky Speedway has already been lost, Auto Club Speedway is being downsized from a superspeedway to a short track so they can sell some land, and Chicagoland Speedway may be lost very soon. That's all in the last 3 years. It's certainly not a problem that's exclusive to drag racing.