The Crown Jewels Question Again

[Snake X3]

Did you not see the crowd for the North South? I believe it was a record

Yes, I saw it and I'm happy when any race gets great fan support. The North-South is one of my favorite races. My question "is what defines a race as a crown jewel?" I'd really like your opinion on it. I've always thought it was a designation given to races that every driver clamors to win. It's a big race with a long history of bringing out the best drivers. Great purse. Great fan support. But most importantly, all of the top drivers are there and winning that race means more than just the money. In a nutshell, the same thing that makes the World a crown jewel only to somewhat lesser extent.

The guys on the Lucas tour are at every high paying prestigious event if they aren't racing a tour race. The WoO guys, not so much. Maybe that's because only a couple of the WoO guys have a real chance against the Lucas regulars and all of the top drivers that run pick and choose schedules.

I think things have changed over the years. 50k plus to win events are much more commonplace and there is a lot more money to go around during the year. Because of that, a lot of the WoO guys would rather have a weekend off than take a crack at winning against the Lucas guys and Bobby Pierce and guys like Marlar and McDowell. It's not such a big deal to miss the Show Me or the Firecracker when they can run for 50k plenty of times on their own tour, especially if they have to travel a long distance to get there. The more high paying races, the better for the drivers, but it really diminishes the prestige of winning a race when many of the best don't feel compelled to even enter.

I'm not trying to put you on the spot. I understand that you represent Lucas and you may not be able to speak freely, but again, I'd really like your opinion of what qualifies a race to be considered a crown jewel.

[Snake X3]

The North/South comes after a long stretch of races in late June through early August where WoO teams use that as an off weekend. I have wondered if that race was a week or two later on the schedule if it would do better.

I agree. As others have said, it's place on the schedule has always been an issue. Unfortunately, when you have two touring series, it's pretty much unavoidable, especially for the WoO drivers when Lucas has most of the races that have been traditionally called Crown Jewels. It doesn't matter much to me which races are called Crown Jewels. My favorite races remain unchanged. If they stop calling The Jackson or the North-South a Crown Jewel, it won't matter to me a bit.