Is Anyone Else Aware Of This Development?

[chopter]

nascar screwed up with the changes they made over the last 20 yrs or so. we should be watching camaros,mustangs,and chargers racing instead of what they have now.

[FANSFund]

NASCARs contraction in recent years has been a very good thing and healthy for NASCAR racing. As many have previously stated, they grew at an alarming rate and built to what was to become the peak of their demand curve which is to say they over built.

That said, for people to throw away Chicago, and for that matter, the state of Illinois is somewhat short-sided. What other state offers more dirt tracks-per-capita than IL? Then you add surrounding states like WI, IA, MN, IN, OH, MN.
What business dominates all of those states? Farming and the Ag business who are by far one of the largest supporters of racing by business category.

Imagine how things would be different if Chicagoland had decided to embrace its IL and surrounding states roots and built a short-track style oval - small 1/2 mile or 3/4 mile. Replicate the Bristol magic in doing a concrete surface. Run the event on a Saturday night versus 3 pm at the end of June in hottest most humid part of the day. The venue still could have supported the 47,000 seats it currently has with the smaller track. Plus, they could hold ARCA and local/regional late model, modified and dwarf car events.

Not much thought when into building Chicagoland... it was built due to peak demand as fast as they could put it together. Now imagine if they could re-work what is currently there it into something unique and special to capitalize on a the demand of the region.

Respectfully,
Rich Olson
Minneapolis, MN

[Shiny Side Up 18]

Sounds like the track WILL NOT be affected.

https://kickinthetires.net/news/upda...y-will-remain/

[CIRF]

Imagine how things would be different if Chicagoland had decided to embrace its IL and surrounding states roots and built a short-track style oval - small 1/2 mile or 3/4 mile. Replicate the Bristol magic in doing a concrete surface. Run the event on a Saturday night versus 3 pm at the end of June in hottest most humid part of the day. The venue still could have supported the 47,000 seats it currently has with the smaller track. Plus, they could hold ARCA and local/regional late model, modified and dwarf car events.


Not much thought when into building Chicagoland... it was built due to peak demand as fast as they could put it together. Now imagine if they could re-work what is currently there it into something unique and special to capitalize on a the demand of the region.

Respectfully,
Rich Olson
Minneapolis, MN

A lot of truth in that your statement, Rich. It has to become more obvious every day to the folks who were/are in charge at NASCAR or ISC, whichever the case may be, that they really screwed the pooch by hastily building so many tracks that mirror each other in length and configuration.

It's a blessing the NASCAR track's that were proposed and heavily lobbied for near New York City and Seattle, Washington were never built. That would only have compounded the issue.

As you previously said Rich, it's glaringly obvious that fans and potential fans would prefer variations of tracks such as Richmond and even Iowa. And, there is most definitely room on the schedule for another Bristol with some unique nuances, as well. Oh well, too late now.

Sounds like the track WILL NOT be affected.

https://kickinthetires.net/news/upda...y-will-remain/

That's good to see, Shiny. Even though we've only attended a few Indy Car races, a couple of ARCA and Xfinity races each and even a race involving the short lived and disastrous USAC Gold Crown cars it would be sad for many of us as race fans to see it disappear. Glad it's not!

[HoosierDirtFan]

The weather was perfect for the rescheduled date. I was there. It couldn't have been nicer that day.

I wasn't talking about the weather on the rescheduled date!

[GEAR_HEAD]

I wasn't talking about the weather on the rescheduled date!

What's the difference? She rescheduled it, and canceled on a completely dry, sunny day.

[Shiny Side Up 18]

This should put the issue to rest.

[Morgs153]

Oh my lord, the old Chicago Speedway. That place was originally a horse track in Cicero converted for auto racing. Barely 4 years of use and $70 million sunk into a place that was basically in the slums. When haulers lined up to go inside they needed guards to keep from getting ripped off before entering the joint. Whoever thought that place up deserved to p!ss away 70 mil.

The thing I never liked about the track in Joliet was that it was yet another Charlotte clone. Another D oval 1.5 mile cookie cutter Texas, Kansas, Atlanta track. They should have built a Rockingham clone.

I don't ever feel sorry for NASCAR screw ups. They bought a beautiful track at Pikes Peak just to close it down.

[CIRF]

Oh my lord, the old Chicago Speedway. That place was originally a horse track in Cicero converted for auto racing. Barely 4 years of use and $70 million sunk into a place that was basically in the slums. When haulers lined up to go inside they needed guards to keep from getting ripped off before entering the joint. Whoever thought that place up deserved to p!ss away 70 mil.

The thing I never liked about the track in Joliet was that it was yet another Charlotte clone. Another D oval 1.5 mile cookie cutter Texas, Kansas, Atlanta track. They should have built a Rockingham clone.

I don't ever feel sorry for NASCAR screw ups. They bought a beautiful track at Pikes Peak just to close it down.

We went to just 1 event at Chicago Speedway. It was an ASA 200 lapper with a 25 lap USAC National Midget race following the stock cars. There was more actual racing action and excitement in the 25 lap midget race than in the whole 200 lap ASA race.

I believe Chip "Nasty" Ganassi was heavily involved with the Cicero track along with the family that owns the Arizona Cardinal's NFL football team. That family is a long time staple of horse racing and horse racing track ownership in the chitcago area. Everyone involved took a thorough financial bath, and yes, it was/still is a high risk neighborhood. But that describes 90% of chitcago.