[simple simon]

Labor Day weekend and, again, Darlington sits idle

Tom Higgins' Scuffs

By TOM HIGGINS

ThatsRacin.com Blogger


It's time once more for those of us who follow NASCAR and are traditionalists to break out the black arm bands.

We will be mourning yet again the passing of one of stock car racing's greatest, most colorful shows, the storied Southern 500 on Labor Day Weekend at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina


NASCAR officials pulled the plug on their oldest, most history-filled race in 2004 after moving the date of the event to November. In 2005, the Southern 500 ceased to exist. The plum Labor Day Weekend was awarded to California Speedway.

ThatsRacin.com | 08/31/2006 | Labor Day weekend and, again, Darlington sits idle

[WVGrandma4Kasey]

Originally Posted by simple simon

Labor Day weekend and, again, Darlington sits idle

Tom Higgins' Scuffs

By TOM HIGGINS

ThatsRacin.com Blogger


It's time once more for those of us who follow NASCAR and are traditionalists to break out the black arm bands.

We will be mourning yet again the passing of one of stock car racing's greatest, most colorful shows, the storied Southern 500 on Labor Day Weekend at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina


NASCAR officials pulled the plug on their oldest, most history-filled race in 2004 after moving the date of the event to November. In 2005, the Southern 500 ceased to exist. The plum Labor Day Weekend was awarded to California Speedway.

ThatsRacin.com | 08/31/2006 | Labor Day weekend and, again, Darlington sits idle

...

[BringBackWilkesboro]

Originally Posted by simple simon

In 2005, the Southern 500 ceased to exist. The plum Labor Day Weekend was awarded to California Speedway.

Yet another example of how Brian France is trying to bury Nascar's history and beat it over the head as he does so. And to move it to California Speedway? Makes me sick. The whole reason I got interested in the sport is because I saw, watching car and track back in the 60s, that this sport was filled with people just like me. People who want to stay as far away from the Hollywood BS as possible. Even worse, they put the spring race under the lights. Im all about night racing, but it just doesnt feel right at Darlington.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by simple simon

Labor Day weekend and, again, Darlington sits idle

Tom Higgins' Scuffs

By TOM HIGGINS

ThatsRacin.com Blogger


It's time once more for those of us who follow NASCAR and are traditionalists to break out the black arm bands.

We will be mourning yet again the passing of one of stock car racing's greatest, most colorful shows, the storied Southern 500 on Labor Day Weekend at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina


NASCAR officials pulled the plug on their oldest, most history-filled race in 2004 after moving the date of the event to November. In 2005, the Southern 500 ceased to exist. The plum Labor Day Weekend was awarded to California Speedway.

ThatsRacin.com | 08/31/2006 | Labor Day weekend and, again, Darlington sits idle

Wow! I didn't know Tom was still writing. For many, many years he was the premier writer and his pieces were syndicated in a number of papers. Thank you for giving us this link. I'll add him to Monte Dutton and Matt McLaughlin as "must reads" each week.

There MUST be a special room in purgatory for the slime ball who gave the final OK to move one of NASCAR's greatest races (The Southern 500) to California.

[AZAggie]

I don't understand the whining about Darlington? Nascar is a business. If you don't move forward, you eventually die. The race at California brings in FAR more revenue, and exposure, than the race at Darlington.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by AZAggie

I don't understand the whining about Darlington? Nascar is a business. If you don't move forward, you eventually die. The race at California brings in FAR more revenue, and exposure, than the race at Darlington.

I'll repeat my cut and paste from Monte Dutton:

"It reminds me of what my nephew said after I took him to see “The Passion of the Christ.” We were riding home, and he said: “You know, what Judas did really wasn’t that bad.”

I thought for a moment.

Well, he betrayed the Son of God,” I said finally. “What could be worse than that?”

“But he did it for money,” said my nephew, who is destined one day to either run Bill Gates or Brian France out of business.

They say it’s just another example of “growing the sport,” as if the sport were a field of corn. I’m not against bringing the sport to people in every part of the country, by the way. I don’t care about the market. I care about the track. Darlington is unique. California is generic. "

Aggie, if you "don't understand," then you just don't understand. Those of us who grew up going to stock car races and remember NASCAR when the STOCK CAR part of the acronym actually meant S-T-O-C-K, taking away one of NASCAR greatest races from one of NASCAR most competitive tracks and putting it on some cookie-cutter piece of crap like Fontana was like seeing the house you grew up in sold to complete strangers.

Believe it or not, some of us believe that not everything has a price tag attached to it.

[AZAggie]

I'm as much a fan of tradition as anyone, but I understand the business side as well. NASCAR, like any business, exists to make as much money as possible. Is that right?? Not necessarily, but it is fact. If Darlington had done more to attract fans and upgrade it's facilities, it might not be in this situation. I personally feel they should have taken a race away from Dover, or possibly Pocono. However, in the long run, 2 races at California are HUGE for the sport. The attention and big $$ it attracts far outweighs the negatives of not racing in Darlington just for the sake of tradition, IMO.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by AZAggie

I'm as much a fan of tradition as anyone, but I understand the business side as well. NASCAR, like any business, exists to make as much money as possible. Is that right?? Not necessarily, but it is fact. If Darlington had done more to attract fans and upgrade it's facilities, it might not be in this situation. I personally feel they should have taken a race away from Dover, or possibly Pocono. However, in the long run, 2 races at California are HUGE for the sport. The attention and big $$ it attracts far outweighs the negatives of not racing in Darlington just for the sake of tradition, IMO.

Intelligent people can agree to disagree. We are obviously looking at things from a different perspective. It's very possibly a generational thing.

[24hendrick48]

Here here. Instead we have tolerate another yawner in California, where the "fans" are hiding under the stands sipping their umbrella drinks and text-messaging their "homeys". It's a crying shame. I was lucky enough to attend a "Southern 500" at "The track too tough to tame" It was the last one! It was the end of two eras. It was the first track "Texas Terry" won at and the last during his full time career.

[24hendrick48]

I agree, a huge let down for NASCAR fans. The "racing" at California is non-existent! Darlington, on the other hand, is serious racing. Oh, by the way, Darlington sells out every race because of the intense competition.

[Nevadastars]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

I'll add him to Monte Dutton and Matt McLaughlin as "must reads" each week.

Bob, where can I find Matt McLauglin these days? I read his race recaps religiously every week on RacingOne.com, but for whatever reason, he dissappeared. I even emailed Pete Pistone asking what happened to him.......but never got a response.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by AZAggie

I don't understand the whining about Darlington? Nascar is a business. If you don't move forward, you eventually die. The race at California brings in FAR more revenue, and exposure, than the race at Darlington.

I fail to see how they California track brings more revenue when it has failed to sell out a race. Especially the race it took from Darlington.

[AZAggie]

Originally Posted by Quality88

I fail to see how they California track brings more revenue when it has failed to sell out a race. Especially the race it took from Darlington.

Darlington has a capacity of 60,000. California's seating capacity is 92,000. Do the math.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by AZAggie

Darlington has a capacity of 60,000. California's seating capacity is 92,000. Do the math.

They only put around 60,000 in California if they are lucky. Not hard to do the math.

[AZAggie]

Originally Posted by Quality88

They only put around 60,000 in California if they are lucky. Not hard to do the math.

While they may not totally sell out, they still eclipse Darlington's attendance by at least 25,000 according to what I have found.

Jayski's® Silly Season Site - 2006 Nextel Cup Race Results
Estimated crowd of 85,000 for the spring race

Jayski's® Silly Season Site - 2005 Race Results
Estimated crowd of 100,000 according to this article for the Fall race last year.