[Quality88]

LAS VEGAS -- Bruton Smith, the billionaire chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., hopes to be hosting a Labor Day weekend race at Atlanta Motor Speedway as early as next season.
Smith was speaking Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, one of seven tracks owned by SMI along with Atlanta, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
He said that he has proposed to NASCAR officials the swapping of Atlanta's fall race, scheduled for Oct. 26 this year, for the Labor Day race that has been held at the newly named Auto Club Speedway, formerly California Speedway, with limited success since 2004.


"I thought it was a great idea, and so did the people I talked with who are with NASCAR," Smith said. "We're interested in helping California, and the proposal has been made that we give California the October date in Atlanta -- and then the Labor Day event out there comes to Atlanta. And everybody will love it. The sport will love it. You will love it. I will.
"It's the thing to do. The people I've talked with within the sport, within NASCAR, they all agree that's the thing to do."
Of course it's never quite that simple in NASCAR, and spokesman Ramsey Poston said that Smith's comments were news to him.

NASCAR.COM - Smith proposes date swap between California, Atlanta - Feb 29, 2008

[Phils20]

I'd be all for it coming back east, but Atlanta doesn't sell out either. I like the racing there, but it might not be as easy a sell as it seems.

[BringBackWilkesboro]

If it means that we get Labor Day weekend as far from LA as possible, I'm all for it. We'd all much rather put it back at Darlington, but I just don't know about that.

The downside is Fontana would be in the chase...

[bob101]

NO WAY!

A race in the chase should be a reward to me.

Why woud you even consider giving to a track that can't sell out. I don't care how much they tell you it would improve the turnout because of weather.

Fill up the track first no matter the weather like heat etc...and then we'll think about rewarding you with a chase race.

[SteelPhoenyx]

I think a Chase race would be more likely to sell out in LA

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by SteelPhoenyx

I think a Chase race would be more likely to sell out in LA

I doubt it.... the track couldn't even sell out it's inaugral (spelling) race.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by SteelPhoenyx

I think a Chase race would be more likely to sell out in LA

I know you're in California, SP. I also respect your loyalty to your State. But, do you really think they could ever sell out a California date? They never sold out Ontario. Riverside and Sonoma are both road courses and it's almost impossible to sell them out, due to all the available space.

California will probably never be accepted by this generation of NA__AR fan because it is seen as "stealing" the Labour Day date from Darlington, and THAT is akin to questioning Clint Eastwood's or John Wayne's masculinity!

[NASCAR Gnome]

Bottom line to me is very simple... Las Vegas deserves two dates not one!

I would like to see the later (second) race in Fontana moved to Vegas instead. Bruton Smith has proved he can present a great event, why not let it happen more than once a season?

And by the way, did anyone notice that this year, the second Fontana race is on 8/31/08, 12 weeks from the end of the season, and is no longer a "Chase" race? Hmm... I wonder why that is?!?

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by NASCAR Gnome

Bottom line to me is very simple... Las Vegas deserves two dates not one!


And by the way, did anyone notice that this year, the second Fontana race is on 8/31/08, 12 weeks from the end of the season, and is no longer a "Chase" race? Hmm... I wonder why that is?!?

10-4 on the Las vegas statement. Strongly agree.

IRT Fontana and the Playoff, it wasn't in the Playoff last year. It was on 9/2 and was the 24th race of the season. I might be proven wrong but I don't remember California ever being a Playoff track.

[bob101]

I wouldn't have a problem with Vegas getting a 2nd date, especially if they ripped one from Fontana.

Vegas from the people who attend seems to be first class. It sells out etc...

However there was an intersting artile on NASCAR.COM this week. It said that Fontana used to sell out when it had one race date. Everyone was excited to add a second date. Adding a second date to Fontana killed both races. Point was that it was possible they could add another race to Vegas and not necessarily sell it out either.

[Quality88]

How bout KY?.... That track has sold out 7 consectutive ush races ( i said Bush cause that's what they were).

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by bob101

I wouldn't have a problem with Vegas getting a 2nd date, especially if they ripped one from Fontana.

Vegas from the people who attend seems to be first class. It sells out etc...

However there was an intersting artile on NASCAR.COM this week. It said that Fontana used to sell out when it had one race date. Everyone was excited to add a second date. Adding a second date to Fontana killed both races. Point was that it was possible they could add another race to Vegas and not necessarily sell it out either.

Actually, according to this USAToday article, it hasn't sold out since 2004.
(USATODAY.com - California officials: No sellout, no big deal)

California is seen by many as a virtual thief which "stole" the Southern 500 from Darlington and the late winter race from Rockingham. Both of these tracks were known for close, exciting racing and the racing at California has been uniformly "blah," since the track opened.

IMNSVHO it'll be another decade before Fontana is accepted by NA__AR fans, and those fans will have no memory of either of the above mentioned races, any more than many of today's fans have no memory of the road race at Riverside or the racing at Texas World Speedway in College Station.

[SteelPhoenyx]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

I know you're in California, SP. I also respect your loyalty to your State. But, do you really think they could ever sell out a California date? They never sold out Ontario. Riverside and Sonoma are both road courses and it's almost impossible to sell them out, due to all the available space.

California will probably never be accepted by this generation of NA__AR fan because it is seen as "stealing" the Labour Day date from Darlington, and THAT is akin to questioning Clint Eastwood's or John Wayne's masculinity!

I was just thinking a Chase race would have a lot more of a chance of selling out because its 'playoffs', essentially.

I agree, the Fontana track can be boring as hell to watch. I've yet to attend a race down there, don't know if I will. Since I didn't start watching these races steadily until well after the whole Fontana deal, I have no memory of what it was like before the 'theft' of the dates from other tracks.

However... I would LOVE a 2nd date added to Las Vegas. I don't even care if its taken from Fontana. I can travel to 'Vegas just as easily (and with a lot less reluctance) as to LA. Tomorrow's race is sold out in Las Vegas... you know a 2nd date would do just as well there.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by SteelPhoenyx

I was just thinking a Chase race would have a lot more of a chance of selling out because its 'playoffs', essentially.

I agree, the Fontana track can be boring as hell to watch. I've yet to attend a race down there, don't know if I will. Since I didn't start watching these races steadily until well after the whole Fontana deal, I have no memory of what it was like before the 'theft' of the dates from other tracks.

However... I would LOVE a 2nd date added to Las Vegas. I don't even care if its taken from Fontana. I can travel to 'Vegas just as easily (and with a lot less reluctance) as to LA. Tomorrow's race is sold out in Las Vegas... you know a 2nd date would do just as well there.

Vegas is very possibly the very best 1½-2-mile track on the circuit. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Vegas is the best destination city on the circuit.