NASCAR BANQUET IN CHARLOTTE

I have wondered this, so many times. I love some of his ideas! Just wonder how others many of have, as well, and what your are thoughts on it? We never know......

WORTH A PARADE

By Tom Higgins - ThatsRacin.com Contributor Wednesday, Dec. 05, 2012

Las Vegas? New York? Charlotte? Last week in this space I wrote a column suggesting that NASCAR might do well to return its post-season awards proceedings to New York from Las Vegas.But my biggest pitch was to switch the party from Las Vegas to Charlotte.

Maybe I'm being provincial, but the more I've thought about the idea, the greater I'm convinced that Charlotte is the best site, never mind that the Queen City doesn't have the glitz of Las Vegas or the glamour of New York.

In the piece a week ago I suggested that the awards banquet and events surrounding it be scheduled in January in conjunction with the annual NASCAR Cup Series pre-season preview.

The dinner would be held at Time Warner Cable Arena, with the drivers, team owners and other dignitaries seated on the floor of the facility. Tickets would be sold to fans who could sit in the grandstand and watch and a ticket would include admission to the nearby NASCAR Hall Of Fame.

Proceeds would be mostly donated to charity either the NASCAR Foundation or a charity of the champions choice with a small portion going to the Hall of Fame to cover expenses.

For 30 years now NASCAR has held the awards soiree in December at hotel ballrooms, first in New York and more recently at Las Vegas. The only way fans have seen the shows is on television. TV coverage would continue for those who couldn't make it to the arena.

Allow me to expand my bid on behalf of Charlotte. Perhaps most importantly, in addition to coinciding with the NASCAR Preview, which already attracts thousands, the awards activities would tie-in with the annual induction ceremonies at the Hall of Fame.

All manner of other fan-pleasing promotions could be scheduled An idea that excites me most is the possibility of a parade in downtown Charlotte!

The parade would start a few blocks north of the square at Trade and Tryon. It would proceed down South Tryon, turn left on Stonewall Street and end at the Hall of Fame.

Leading the parade would be the 12 drivers who qualified for The Chase, the showdown for the points championship, won in 2012 by Brad Keselowski and his Penske Racing team.

The drivers, along with their wives or lady friends, would be seated in convertibles. Just behind each would come his race car, immediately followed by the teams big, shiny transporter. The parade would include, also in convertibles, every living member of the Hall of Fame.

I daresay that many modern-era fans never have seen in person such legendary NASCAR figures as Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, Dale Inman and the Wood Brothers, Glen and Leonard.

All living former Cup Series champions would be honored and have a place in the parade as well Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, Bill Elliott, Terry Labonte and Rex White. And there would be high school bands from the Charlotte area intermingled in the parade especially those from Iredell and Cabarrus counties, where most of the Cup Series teams are based. I can almost hear 76 Trombones now! Come on, NASCAR, give it a try.

Read more here: http://www.thatsracin.com/2012/12/05/98589/nascar-awards-show-in-charlotte.html#storylink=cpy

This makes way too much sense. What's Tom thinking?

Yes indeed... definitely too sensible to happen.

Never in a million years will this happen for the above stated reasons....It makes to much sense.What a brilliant suggestion and would generate much needed funds for the Hall Of Fame and local charities. I sure like Mr.Higgins way of thinking.

I too, love his way of thinking, Bill. It's kinda sad, what should be, and could be...just sad..

Well i will say not a bad idea sounds good to me

It would be awesome to have the banquet in Charlotte. Even more awesome would be having the banquet to honor the winners and NOT so exhibition of Hollywood or Vega "talent" and I use that word very loosely. I think most race fans are interested in their drivers and crews and NOT such "entertainment" as was provided in Vegas. A couple of good county music acts would do. I somehow feel most of the drivers and crews would agree with me. Watching the audience at this year's banquet would suggest that from the looks on the faces of those the camera panned. But, alas, as those of you wiser than I have pointed out, makes too much sense.

It's obvious that the brain trust in Daytona wants to distance its self from the Roots of NASCAR which is the South. They will not, In my opinion have the banquet in the region where it all started. They are afraid they will be perceived as NOT a national or global attraction.
Just by putting on such an uninteresting show they show a total lack of understanding about the whole program. The fact they used entertainers with NO race interest or knowledge shows me they are only trying to make it appear as a national show. Everyone watching the banquet knows where and who started it and would not mind traveling to Charlotte to see it. I have been to Vegas about 8 times for national trade shows and quite frankly it dowsnt show me anything special..... Jmho.

I think you're spot on, Bill, about the current France family leadership wanting to distance itself from the south. One of the first real tasks Bill, Jr. let Brian handle when he was "in training" in California with Dennis Huth and Ken Clapp in the mid-80s, was to arrange for radio commercials to promote the Talladega track. Brian immediately fired the Alabama agency producing spots using Eli Gold (by that time considered an Alabamian) and hired a California agency and talent with disastrous results.

The original New York Banquets (I attended the first in December 1981 - 1998) were very classy and dignified. The first year (1981) it was held in the Waldorf's Starlight Ballroom, then in the Grand Ballroom in following years. Originally hosed by Barney Hall and later by Bob Jenkins when ESPN began televising, they were very well done affairs without the stupidity of a host who knew nothing about NASCAR.

Bill, Jr. and RJ Reynolds wanted the Banquet in New York because that was where most of the CEOs were located, as well as most of the major ad agencies. It was never to gain national media exposure, as some have written. All of the CEO and agency wives encouraged their husbands to attend. I can attest that my wife enjoyed the New York shopping excursions with other NASCAR wives. The City was beautiful at that time of year and we always had a wonderful time. It certainly beat the February 1981 Banquet in an ancient, deteriorating, dumpy, musty, smelly old Daytona Beach hotel dining room when Dale Earnhardt received his first Cup Championship trophy.

Those New York Banquets were mostly about sponsors and securing and keeping the money flowing into NASCAR and about the wives. I never went to one I didn't enjoy. I can assure you that my wife, Joyce, seated to my right in this 1985 New York Banquet photo below, always had a lovely time and enjoyed herself. That was important to Bill France, Jr. He liked to keep the wives happy. Smart man.

I can't say that my wife always approved of some of our other activities/antics at the Waldorf-Astoria, such as teaming up with the late Chris Economaki to serenade the patrons of the Zebra Lounge! That is her disapproving "smile" you see in this photo below.

At the very first New York Banquet in 1981, I had a Wrangler table up front. Bud Moore, our new car owner for 1982 and wife Betty were seated with us. Tim Richmond arrived without a date or a seat. Dale Earnhardt asked if I'd let Timmy sit at our table. Somewhere in my photo archives I have that picture, of me sitting between the late Dale Earnhardt and the late Tim Richmond - great friends and fierce competitors - at the inaugural 1981 New York Waldorf-Astoria NASCAR Winston Cup Awards Banquet. In my feeble old mind, that photo is priceless. As Johnny Mallonnee would say, "Memories."

If you remember, in 1998, to celebrate its 50th Anniversary, NASCAR and ESPN collaborated to produce "NASCAR's Night in Hollywood" - hosted by actor, Don Johnson, another stupid choice as an emcee for a NASCAR function.

It was an important night to me, because my employer and friend, the late Richmond promoter, Paul Sawyer was presented the NASCAR Founder's Award that night by Bill France, Jr. to recognize his contributions to NASCAR's first 50 years. I would have preferred a more dignified event than one that featured Don Johnson trying to crack jokes and Morgan Shepherd on roller skates.

However, with all that said, I think Tom Higgins' proposal that Patsy has posted is much superior than what happens currently in Las Vegas. First and foremost, I'd like to see the dignity return to the banquet.

Dave, I do remember that 1998 fiasco with Don Johnson as emcee. In my opinion that was the start of the down hill shows.Please find that photo cause it is as you said ....Priceless.

Now doesn't it make sense to have it there to support the money losing NASCAR's Hall Of Fame?

Key words here, JAck....."make sense"...which the ones making the decisions, "maketh not".

Interesting to re-visit Tom Higgins' article from 5 years ago. Interestingly, I've heard the rumor that the year-end Cup banquet may well be moved back to Charlotte as early as 2018. My hunch is this. Teams will be sent back to Vegas for a 2nd race based on the recently announced move of a race date from Loudon. That keeps them back in the western US market as they were with the banquet.

As teams look to continue cutting costs as revenues drop, owners are likely looking for ways to trim travel. One easy way is to eliminate the flights, rooms, per diems, rental cars, etc. for an out of town banquet. 

Nothing announced - and haven't seen the rumor spread by the mainline NASCAR reporters. But have heard the move has legs.

Ol' Tom - spot on again it seems.