While presidential candidate John McCain shook hands with potential voters in the garage at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, it was Speedway Motorsports Chairman Bruton Smith [far right, striped shirt, of course, grin] who was the ultimate politician this weekend. If NASCAR wants points on how to accomplish “Back to Basics” racing, they could take a page from Smith — the king of speedways. [And then some!]
On Saturday, Smith sat in the front row for the Craftsman Truck race. He was accessible to fans and patrons as well as able to derive a feel for the current track configuration should he decide to raise the banking or alter the length in the future.
On Sunday, Smith met with season ticket holders in the infield to address their current concerns and wishes for the future.
And Smith is familiar with how many properties are in his motorsports portfolio. Of his seven SMI speedways — soon to be eight once the deal with Kentucky has been finalized — fans and competitors alike won’t find better facilities on the circuit. [...]
As the crowds continued to clear out on Monday, the bulldozers were ready to move in. It’s a short construction season in New Hampshire. If Smith hopes for NHMS to mirror his crown jewel Bristol, there’s no time to waste. [...]
When competitors return next summer, they will be greeted by state-of-the-art garages. When the fans pull into the campgrounds, they’ll experience creature comforts such as restrooms, family sections and a midway complete with carnival rides and state fair-style goodies.
Today’s promoters must discover other ways to entice the fans to the track. Fans are looking for more bang for the buck. Smith is offering just that. [And he'd offer a helluva' lot more, especially in terms of RACIN', if NASCAR/ISC would simply get out of his way - guaranteed.] Full Article
Hmmm, Grump … believe I recently mentioned “something” about Bruton Smith perhaps being NASCAR/ISC’s last (albeit IRONIC) hope for keeping NASCAR race attendance levels up, grin …
So! Welcome yet another mini-Disney – this time, to Loudon! (At least until we can find a way to put that anti-trust suit inside an HONEST courtroom at some point, whereafter NASCAR (vs. NASCAR/ISC) fans might actually find reasons to RETURN to races on their own … and, no doubt just as the trendites start leavin’ the sport, per their normal X-sports-A.D.D. patterns, lol …)
If nothing else, Bruton Smith does care about the fans, AND the racin’ … so, let’s hope he keeps all of his Energies workin’ on all of this – at least until ISC becomes as ineffectual on paper as it is in application to what “we” want kept and/or changed BACK in this once-proud sport.
Or, just as I’ve always opined, if there’s an IRL/CART-type split in NASCAR someday … I’m goin’ with Smith. Not because of his Disney-esque venues I honestly care nothing about except in terms of “fan care”, but, because at least Smith understands that, until the RACIN’ is put back into NASCAR racin’, however it’s to be done … track elimination, entire revamping or not? God knows the fans need “something” to do while all of this basically “wow and edgy advertised”, yet entirely unexciting circular DRIVIN’ is currently goin’ on out there … and he’s been ON IT all along.
That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it, Grump … and, of course, grin – I WILL NOT BLINK on this one, either!
3 Comments
I don’t mind if you shake your pom-poms for ol’ Bruton. Hell, John Force wanted to kiss him on the lips for building the new zMax Dragway.
If he makes things nicer for the NE fans, well fine with me. If he cuts up the track to build another clone of Charlotte/TMS/Atlanta then I will bloody well be screamin’ for his head on a stick!
If he wants to cut the track down to 3/4 mile and make the backstretch ‘D’ shape, I say ‘cool’. I wrote Bob Bahre a letter about that several years ago. I positively hate that place in its current layout.
BTW, I coulda done without a picture of John McCain stinkin’ up the page!
hehe …
Hey — at least McCain’’s a bondefide veteran who’s actually VOTED more than he’s abstained while serving in Congress. (The latter of which issue is HUGE to me, as the entire lack of actual “decision-making power” on Obama’s part (check out his non-VOTING record) concerns me in terms of him becoming any potential “Commander in Chief” being ABLE to make solid, responsible DECISIONS during crises — especially if MY SON decides to enlist while someone like THAT is in office. UGH. (I’d be giving him his field orders MYSELF at that point, lol … at least they’d be decisive!!)
So, basically, I don’t give a SHIT how wonderfully the man can orate incredibly lovely “ideas” NO one can disagree with unless they’re entire idiots. MUCH more importantly — what has Obama or, better — CAN OBAMA ACTUALLY DO?? AND, HOW??? WHEN??
My thoughts, based upon Obama’s actual voting history while in Congress? Uh … sorta’ … NOTHIN’ goin’ on there in the brass balls department, and that’s not at all what I WANT in a PRESIDENT. Sorry, but it’s true.
So, REALLY — why DID Obama abstain so much?? What? Had to rush to the head — improperly cooked corporate-funded lunch entrees every other day? Had to ask “permission” from someone else first, but couldn’t reach them in time to be told to say yup or nope on important domestic/international bills, at least in time to rush back to punch that “right” button, etc.?
Or, simply too busy practicing his increasingly-gospel-esque presentations of greatly enticing, terrific speeches (that I could’ve easily written myself, especially given his previous (but UNcited) “sources” for such “inspirational” ideas & paraphrased quotes, lol) in front of a mirror — just TOO busy doing THAT to actually be IN that big, bad VOTING room there in D.C. in order take a STAND (um, VOTE, like he was being PAID TO DO) upon what’s been happening in this country, AS it happened long before he was a candidate?
What? He still hasn’t given us a DAMNED good reason for that very serious breach of trust (to me anyway,) much less answered ANY questions about “HOW” he’s going to “change the world” – except maybe by meeting Iran’s megolamaniacal, fanatical (directed by even more fanatical religious freaks, of course — as well as the Chinese, who might not be real “religious” that way, but certainly WANT that oil for themselves and ARE making their way toward it pretty damned directly, if no one’s noticed,) “leader” at Tehran’s local Starbucks, maybe, just to “chat about stuff”.
Immediately afterwards, of course, we’d certainly be seeing a President Biden in office, as this newly beloved “CHANGE” orator/idiot’d get his head blown off within about two MONTHS, max, with those kinds of pie-in-the-sky “let’s talk it out, man … totally open communication & PEACE is the answer … so, let’s just meet for a cup’a joe sometime, k? ” CRAP ideas regarding international policy, relations and ACTION.
Communication and peace are always the answers — always … but, there’s “peace”, and there’s a lasting, defining PEACE because there’s power enough in place to ENFORCE IT. (Witness the Cold War as a terrible but effective example — if it’s by a horribly mutual destructive threat that keeps that peace, then FINE — but at least we weren’t blowin’ up innocent civilians and/or military men and women (with FAMILIES AT HOME) serving there to KEEP local peace — and every damned day, at that.)
Nixon was a LOT of things, but at least he got detente right most of the time, no matter how he achieved it.
In my very strong opinion: if you can’t take a STRONG STAND as the “leader” of the United States (right now, especially critically and internationally so,) then you’ll merely end up as just another “foolish footnote” for the history books … most of which are wrong anyway. (Though they’ll be right in this case, sigh … and/or pretty much burned up and destroyed, anyway, when the infrastructure of this country comes literally crashing down around ALL of us because we ALLOWED ourselves to be lured in by “pretty words with NO substance”.
But, let’s get off of Obama’s back, ok? lol I can’t stand McCain’s wife — she just LOOKS evil, lol … but, hell — maybe THAT ALONE will scare the Middle East & China & India enough to stop screwin’ with us, grin … stranger things have happened.
… ooops!!!!!
B’s strictly ordered me not to get political anymore, huh? LOL … no WONDER I’ve been posting less lately. If can’t piss people off semi-regularly, then, what’s the point?
grin ….j/k. I’M all for a legit 3rd (or more) candidate, and will now ALWAYS “waste” my (already basically useless) vote on the strongest of them ALL until my SON someday has a THIRD LEGITIMATE OPTION on that presidential ticket.
The days of the Dums and Pubs are OVER, Grump. Or, should be. They’re greedy, crooked scum, and entirely undeserving of our respect OR votes any longer.
In fact, I believe that Congressional representation, itself, should become a DRAFTED position — just like jury duty — everyone from plumbers to doctors to store clerks to welfare mothers … truly, reps of the PEOPLE who don’t give two SHITS about big business, but especially about LOBBIES. (Only keep a few lawyers employed for a while to actually draft the legislation, because they know the language — but only until they’ve trained enough bright-eyed “interns” to do it instead (which they already do anyway), also to be “drafted” once they’ve passed the bar — especially if they owe gov. loans for their degrees.)
Take out the power of “lobbies” in Congress ALONE, and we might JUST get our democracy back, or what might actually pass for it now, anyway.
Yup … that’s my stand on THAT, too, and, as always — I WILL NOT BLINK!! hehe
(Ok ok, B, lol … really done now, but I kept it REALLY LIGHT vs. what I’m REALLY thinkin’, just for you, grin … GEEEEEEZ — do I get bonus points for that, at least???!!!) GRIN
Post a Comment