Category: XFINITY Series

This piece was originally published two years ago on a blog. With the recent changes to the speedway and the 10 year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s death, it has been revised for reposting.

She stands on the stretch of land between Interstate 95 and the notorious Daytona Beach.

She emanates beauty, strength, power, and glory.

Dreams have both been made and broken on her high banks, and her spectators, the loyal followers and patrons, have witnessed history and heartbreak.

Since 1959, they have come to this 2.5-mile oval in awe and in no need to contradict her. She is a piece of sacred American land, joining the company of The Alamo, Gettysburg, The White House, and even Elvis’ Graceland.

She is important, she is rich, big, and beautiful, she is the attention getter that is the Daytona International Speedway, and she is my home away from home.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]They call her the “World Center of Racing,” NASCAR auto racing. She was born in 1959 when NASCAR founder Bill France had a vision of her and knew that she was the next great sports venue.

But before his vision could become a reality, NASCAR’s grandest stage was the Daytona Beach course, just down the road from where she would be built.

But soon enough, from the dirt of what became a man-made lake that sits in the middle of her, and straight from the ground she arose, all 480 acres of her.

She became Speedway Boulevard’s eye catching and most glorious structure. It is easy to spot her from all directions miles away.

The sun beams brightly on her long sweeping straightaways, 3,800 in the front and 3,000 in the back, during the daytime. Over a thousand lights illuminate her distinctive steep banked corners of 31 degrees. She is one of a kind, a magnificent facility.

Many have come to walk along her green grass and sit among her multi-colored grandstands.

They have come to get an up close and personal view of their heroes and their powerful machines, thanks to her state of the art garage area and newly expanded fan zone.

They have come from near, the Floridians proud of their home coliseum. They have come from far, be it half way around the world or half way across the country.

From all along the coast, they have all come with their excitement and expectations. They make the trip of a lifetime; they make the trip with hopes of leaving happier and satisfied.

They come for not just a couple of hours like other sporting events, but for days and even weeks.

She becomes their home away from home, as they set up camp on her infield with motor homes and tents, which are decorated with decals, flags and everything in-between, everything that shows their NASCAR spirit.

It’s a spirit that has been carried over to the unwritten dress code when attending any of her events as a way to show where loyalties lie.

She is not a place where designer clothes are worn, only solid colors, because she is a place where they are happy to look like racecars.

And when they are not watching those cars battling her, they water ski, swim, and fish on her 29-acre Lake Lloyd. However, it is not an intrusion on her space, it is what she likes, it is what she wants, and it is why she was born.

I, too, have walked through her gates on many occasions. I have stood in amazement at her size, which appears to reach the stars. She easily made me feel humble, grateful and happy all at once.

I have come and observed her when she is quiet, the calm before the storm, when there is not a car, truck, crewman, or other fan in site.

It is the time when she sits undisturbed under a blanket of lights. But I have also come and observed her at her best, in the heat of the battle.

It is because of the impending battle of NASCAR’s greatest drivers that others and I become drawn to her, like a moth to a flame.

Drawn to the history of the events that she hosts: the first race of the year which is NASCAR’s biggest event and most important, plus it also pays the most.

During the months of February and July, she becomes the center of the NASCAR world as well as the second largest city in Florida.

Drawn to the excitement she produces by having 43 cars going 190 mph just inches from each other and her white walls that will ruin the driver’s day with one touch.

Drawn to the accidents that may happen at any time she decides to strike out at an unsuspecting, the accidents that make us hold our breaths. Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman have each felt her wrath by flipping into the frontstretch grass.

Drawn to her wonderful weather, the sun/advertisement plane filled days and starry firework-filled nights.

She is the only place where gasoline and burnt rubber are welcome smells. When the wind blows she gives a picture perfect shot of the giant American flag flying on her infield and of the checkered flag that will wave for the last driver standing.

Richard Petty met with her a record seven times during February and she broke Dale Earnhardt’s heart for 19 straight years. Only a special few have danced with her through the years, and for some of them it has made not only their career but their life.

I’ve stood among the thousands of others in her grandstand and asked her to welcome our favorite drivers into the winner’s circle.

I have journeyed through the tunnel under turn three to her infield and have felt like I was being swallowed whole.

I must have appeared like I was an ant trying to navigate my way through her giant world filled with maze after maze consisting of towers and garages.

Now the clock has begun to turn in anticipation of a new year. The excitement is building and everyone is getting anxious about what’s next.

Anxious about what she, the Daytona International Speedway, has in store for both the fans and the drivers. Right now she sits empty and quiet, however the sound of car engines are approaching from the distance.

She’s finally resting now after seven months of getting a facelift. The dynamic and characteristics will forever be different once the green flag falls this season. New memories will be born as others are put in the 1978-2010 history book.

Her walls are getting a fresh coat of paint and the grass is being groomed for the “Great American Race.” She is going to make sure it lives up to the hype: it will be important, rich, big and beautiful but it will also be sad.

She’s ready to welcome a new driver into the hallowed ground of victory lane but also ti help us remember another one. It has been 10 years since the death of Dale Earnhardt and the loss of a fans champion. I will gather with thousands if not millions around the globe and remember and black and white car.

I will shed a tear or look to the heavens with three fingers held high. I, like others, will remember the past before looking toward the future.

Racing has gone on but has never been the same. Daytona has remained close in the fans hearts and memories, but again, hasn’t been the same. As she awakens and wipes the dust off the gates for the competitors and fans it is with remembrance in mind.

And with a mustached grin ready to shine down from overhead.

Because as Jacqueline Kennedy once again, “So now he is a legend when he would have preferred to be a man.”

Last week, Brad Keselowski tweeted, “Needed a good laugh tonight after being ruled ineligible for both shootout and NW championship in one loooong week. Thanks for the support.” This began speculation that drivers would have to choose the series that they wanted to compete in for 2011.

Since then, this has been confirmed to be true as reported on NASCAR.com.

Kenny Wallace said that there is a box you have to check on the new entry form that he picked up while testing at Daytona for the upcoming 24 hours of Daytona race.

“The brand-new license forms that are out, there’s a box and in it, it states that you have to mark — put an X — what championship you’re running for,” Wallace told NASCAR.com, quoting his application. “A driver will only be permitted to earn driver championship points in one (1) of the following three series: NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide or NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Please select the series in which you would like to accumulate driver championship points. Choose one.”

NASCAR refused to comment on the issue as they said it would be addressed during the Competition Update held during Preseason Thunder later this month.

“I’m sure we can answer all your questions at our competition update.” NASCAR spokesperson Kerry Tharp said.

From whether owner’s points will be addressed to how giving out the points will be done, that is all suppose to addressed come January 21st during Preseason Thunder.

This is something that has been rumored to be happening for the 2011 season since last October. It was a move that was being discussed then to help with driver development, small teams attracting sponsors and bringing the series back to its roots as a developmental series. The last non-Sprint Cup driver to win a Nationwide Series championship was Martin Truex Jr. in 2005. Since then, it has been Sprint Cup regulars dominating the Nationwide Series, taking most of the wins and all the championships.

NASCAR President Brian France also announced that in the next coming weeks, they will be meeting with drivers and owners from each organization to discuss other issues currently facing NASCAR. They will be doing the discussed by organization instead of as a big town hall meeting to hopefully open up the lines of communication more.

“The old theory was that when you’re at the races with them all the time, we had the communication lines wide open,” France said about the team forums last January to Sporting News. “That’s true, but it’s too busy now to assume that we can have all the communications and get all the issues they want to get resolved with us at the track.

“So we just changed it around where we’re having these meetings. … In the town hall meetings, a lot of people didn’t want to speak up when there were 12 other drivers or something like that and they didn’t feel comfortable.”

Brian France has stood stalwart against the verbal stones and arrows aimed in his direction because his approach to the operation of NASCAR is so different from that of his father and grandfather.

He is not the hands on, dictatorial leader of stock car racing that NASCAR’s founder, Bill France and his son, Bill France Jr. were.

Since the time of NASCAR’s inception, the leaders were at the track every race.  They ran the show from the ground, face to face with owners, drivers and crews.

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Brian France was appointed leader of the NASCAR world in 2003 and maintains a corporate style that fans feel distance him from the reality of the sport.

This France may show up at 15 or so races a year and usually just to make a statement of some sort.

It is NASCAR President, Mike Helton’s job to interact with the teams at the track along with a plethora of people whose job it is to keep NASCAR rules and policies enforced on the competition level.

Though France grew up around racing, serving in most every capacity, his interests are in marketing.

His college education at the University of Central Florida was marketing based.  Before being named Chairman and CEO of NASCAR, he managed the marketing department and touring divisions.

France brought the Craftsman Truck Series (Camping World Truck Series) into  NASCAR’s top series during 1996.

There have been many changes with NASCAR since France took the helm in 2003.  Some fans of the sport have failed to forgive him for implementing the Chase in 2004.

Under his reign, the sport became globally recognized.  He negotiated massive television deals and the five year deal with Sirius/XM Satellite radio for exclusive NASCAR coverage.

NASCAR and the mother-ship of the France owned tracks, International Speedway Corporation, is operated out of their headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fl. 

Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr. worked autonomously, but Brian reports to a board that includes his sister Lesa France Kennedy and his uncle, Jim France, who both maintain significant stakes in NASCAR.

France’s time is spent on the business side of the sport.  NASCAR is a massive entity with numerous operating divisions.  The NASCAR leader spends most of his time behind the scenes with policy development and business negotiations.

When France took over as the head of NASCAR, the sport was still expanding.  There were new tracks built in the late 90’s, the economy was growing and fans spent freely at racing venues.

All was going relatively well until the economy tanked in 2008 and 2009. The sport experienced loss of revenue from sponsors, attendance and television ratings dropped and a myriad of cascading events took it’s toll on all phases of the economy  and the general population.

Reportedly, an ESPN Sports poll showed a drop in the average viewing age of males younger than 45.  The fastest growing age group was 45-54 and 65 and older.  The Nielsen Co. indicated 51.6 as the median viewing age.

Clearly such a continuing pattern long term would not bode well for NASCAR, though much of the spending power lies with the baby boomers. 

As a result, digital media, diversity programs, the greening of the sport and licensing issues have taken on greater importance in an effort to attract new fans in varying ways.

France faced criticism for dumping smaller tracks like Rockingham and North Wilkesboro in favor of the intermediate size, cookie-cutter tracks.

Some fans believe France turned NASCAR into a brand as opposed to the sport it once was.  Many people believe he has abandoned the southern roots of NASCAR with the expansion into larger markets throughout the country.

The NASCAR CEO does not operate in a bubble, making decisions on a whim.  Change is made by many working together with a great interest in the good of NASCAR, though that does not guarantee success with all of their decisions. 

In the past decade we have seen more exciting racing, better competition, safer drivers in the COT and better access to races by fans in other parts of the country. 

There are still those who will tell you that the races are boring until the final 25 laps, complain of starting times, want shorter races and on it goes.  The commercials overwhelming the race during television coverage is also an issue to be addressed.

Changes including “Boy’s, have at it,” green-white-checkers, double-file restarts, the redesign of the NASCAR Nationwide cars and much more were implemented under France’s oversight.

The 2010 Chase was the best we have seen following the culmination of 26 weeks that included some of the most competitive racing we have seen in years.

The head of NASCAR is working to regain any ground the sport has lost.  He is open to a great deal of feedback via the town hall meetings, Fan council, social media and of course directly from team owners and drivers.

NASCAR television contracts come up for renewal in a few years.  France knows he has got to get the fans back in the stands and in front of the televisions.

His methods of attracting a new fan base may seem disheartening to diehard race fans.  NASCAR must continue to evolve if it is to remain strong against other major sports. 

Certainly tough decisions will need to be made and some changes won’t fare well with all fans.  In an age of instant gratification it is harder to keep fans focused with so many options.

Shortly France will announce changes to the Chase and decisions impacting Cup drivers in the Nationwide series.  There may be other announcements as well.

France and those who play a major role in the operation of NASCAR will continue to implement changes.  It is just the way it works.

It remains to be seen how this third generation NASCAR leader will be perceived in the history books.  The fact remains, NASCAR is a great sport and France will hopefully do whatever needs to be done to see that it continues as such under his watch.