Do You Care? Miami Residents Don't

Today's feature coverage in The Miami Herald newspaper of the NASCAR Cup Championship battle Sunday between Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson had generated 1 comment in the paper's on-line response section.

Here is the comment:

Jamscotch

Nobody cares about Nascar in Miami. What matters here:

1. Heat
2. Dolphins
3. Strippers
4. Marlins
5. Panthers (FIU)
6. Panthers (hockey)

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/16/3099594/jimmie-johnson-remains-calm-collected.html#storylink=cpy

We've had the discussion many times about ending the season at Homestead and given our advice to NASCAR, which they continue to ignore. Sad.

The building of Homestead was a noble effort back in the day following the devastation of Hurricane Andrew. And I'll give ISC some credit for rebuilding the track multiple times in an effort to find a desirable, competitive layout. But its really a no-man's-land relative to Miami proper. Homestead is hardly South Beach. About as much of a joke as "Chicagoland" - Joliet is NOT Michigan Avenue.

A couple of other things jumped off the page at me as I look at that succinct comment. One, I figured strippers would be number 2 behind LeBron. Two, I'd think The U football would be in the top 5. And three, NO WAY are Marlins in top 5.

Chase,

In both 1984 and 1985, I ran 7-Eleven promotions with Ralph Sanchez at the old Miami Bayfront race course layout for the IMSA Grand Prix of Miami.

When Ralph built Homestead, I was disappointed that it had been built with such an emphasis on Indy cars in the design of the turns - radius & banking.

Following the initial November 1995 NASCAR Busch Series race at Homestead, I was contacted in the spring by the Miami-Dade and Homestead Chambers of Commerce on a referral from NASCAR.

We had earned a reputation in Richmond of working closely with hotel/motel properties to be fan friendly and not raise rates or set minimum stays during race time. They'd had a disaster in Homestead with both fans and media at their 1995 Busch race. Many photographers had their camera equipment stolen from their rooms at night while they were at dinner and the fans were not treated nicely.

I was met at the Miami airport by the President of the Homestead Chamber of Commerce. I was amazed when he showed me the areas where Hurricane Andrew had just wreaked utter devastation. This gentleman owned a number of mobile home parks and they'd been destroyed. On top of that the government had decided to close Homestead Air Force Base and that just added insult to injury. The Homestead economy was in shambles.

I was amazed at the money that Sanchez had spent on the Speedway offices and other ameneties when he built the place. I don't guess Ralph ever went to a NASCAR race, because all of his hospitality suites were these little booths like you'd find at an NBA arena, not what a NASCAR sponsor would expect. Anyway, I spent the night at the Hampton Inn in Homestead and have never seen so many mosquitoes and other unidentified insects. I couldn't wait to get out of the place when the appointed time came for my ride the next morning.

The Chamber of Commerce held its luncheon meeting at an area country club and invited all hotel/motel property owners in the area. I gave a "Fan Friendly" presentation to the group and received many compliments and promises that the assembled group now knew what fans and media expected. Andy Hall of NASCAR Public Relations (now with ESPN) also gave a presentation.

I have still never attended an actual race at the Homestead complex. I always wondered if things got better for fans and media after my presentation to the Chamber of Commerce.

Miami is an interesting city. Yes Heat and Dolphins seem to dominate sports. The Marlins just got into a new stadium where the old Orange Bowl used to be. Not sure how that has helped attendance but Marlins baseball is not the most dominant thing discussed in sports in the South Florida area. The one thing I noted about Homestead when I went there, it is in the middle of no where. There is nothing around it.

As you mentioned on credentials to enter I have my R/R passes on a ring along with an expired Nascar pitpass and guess what--- yup a wave of the wad of collectables I have in my truck on the lanyard and im in like flint.

The one thing I noted about Homestead when I went there, it is in the middle of no where. There is nothing around it.

And they should be happy. In a few years, they'll start building houses nearby. The day after the first people move in they'll start a campaign to shut down the track because it's too noisy and there's too much traffic for one weekend a year. I've seen it over and over, even with people who buy a house next to the interstate. Something exists for decades before these people move in, and these folks pay a reduced price for their house because of it, and then they immediately try to get rid of it.

imo - there is at least ten better places to end the great chase than this place - been once and will never go back - anyone who hasnt been - your lucky for you aint missed nothin !!!