Chop, cut, and rebuild continues in NASCAR-land. The once guaranteed-sell-out-venue of Richmond Int'l Raceway is removing seats........
http://wavy.com/2016/01/05/richmond-to-remove-backstretch-reduce-capacity-to-60000/
The B.Z.F. legacy.........killing the product!
and the down-sizing goes on...... Well, at least Brian can claim sellouts, maybe.
From 112,029 seats to 60,000 and they still can't sell them. What am I missing?
The entire area where fans spelled out "God Bless America " on the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 attack will be gone.
Here's what they were writing about my dear, old Richmond track a brief 13 years ago, in Feb. 2003. My, how times have changed in the Brian France decade:
Dave, I knew you worked very hard to build Richmond, such a shame. Seat removal... it's epidemic in NASCAR.
It saddens me that all of the fan support over the years just does not mean a damn to Nascar. I moved from Alabama to North Carolina in 1977 and thought I was in racing heaven. For many years it was Rockingham, Wilkesboro, Martinsville, Bristol, Charlotte and Richmond. Plus many LMS tracks like Trico/Orange County, South Boston, Hickory, and dirt like Concord, Wake County and Wilson. Racing was everywhere. Moved from Raleigh to the Charlotte area 20 years ago and Nascar was on the radio everywhere. Qualifying, all races for the top 3 series. Would go to the race tracks raceday and had a blast. Did not need all of this so called "fan experience". My fan experience was watching legends and my heros get into Fords, Mercury's, Chevy's, Mopars, Pontiacs and out-run and manhandle a car. I enjoyed every hot, sweaty July at Talladega as well as the snow on the ground at Rockingham. I did not leave Nascar, Nascar left me. So as they continue to take seats away from the tracks, I just hope ISC and Bruton see my name on those seats that are being removed.
Excellent, Blane! The talking heads new buzz word is "re-purpose" ....."we will re-purpose the area where the grandstands WERE to allow a greater fan experience........"blah blah blah I've lived in NC all my life,and been a race fan too. I can personally relate and identify with your sentiments. NASCAR/Brian has made so many poor decisions, eventually critical mass is reached; implosion is eminent.
At the rate they're going, ISC will soon tear down all the seats at Richmond that we worked so hard to build back in the 90s. The news item of the latest Richmond grandstandtear downbrings tears to my eyes. I watched every one of those seats constructed on a daily basis when I was Media Relations Director at Richmond from 1990-1999. Just pitiful.