What is the first Nascar race you attended
Stock Car Racing History
1981 Firecracker 400.
Forum Activity for @jay-coker
The New 9-Team NASCAR Race Team Alliance
Current NASCAR
Andy hit the nail on the head. As I Tweeted on Monday, the F-1ification of this sport just happened. Nascar has no one but themselves to blame. All they care about now is the tv contracts, because that is their source of revenue. The fans used to be, but when they stopped coming due to Nascar's rule book being written on an Etch-A-Sketch, they went to the networks and have basically sold the sport off to them. Now the owners are going to leverage their team into strong arming Nascar to do what they want, or else someone like Bruton Smith or Roger Penskeis going to form a rival league and take all of the major players with him. That being said- I actually think a rival racing league or even divisioncan be a good thing, as it would allow the sport to go to more tracks and give more places multiple dates on the schedule. It would also give them the ability to hold a one race, winner take all format with the best of both series running against each other in a seven race series. Don't get me wrong; I am a purist. I don't like the Chase, I don't like all of the changes. The problem is the American television viewer. Everything has to be Americanized to our short attention spans, and that is why everything in the sport is different now. The bottom line is that Nascar had better get ready, because when Rick Hendrick and a few of these other big players pull out over something they don't like, it's not going to be pretty.
WANT TO READ ABOUT A 20 MILLION DOLLAR A YEAR DEAL IN NASCAR?
Current NASCAR
While I can't swear to this, my guess is that they will shift where they are putting their money in the future. The College Football Hall Of Fame is being built here in Atlanta (where the Nascar Hall Of Fame SHOULD have gone) so it stands to reason that because HD already has a big presence on the ESPN Gameday show on Saturdays and because they are headquartered out of Atlanta that they will play a big part in sponsoring the Hall and other things in the future. Also- watch the sponsorship of the new Atlanta football stadium closely- Home Depot would be a logical sponsor given that Falcons owner Arthur Blank was one of the Home Depot's founders.
NASCAR legend, Richmond native Donlavey dies at 90
Stock Car Racing History
Two years ago after reading an article by Tom Higgins about Junie, I arranged to have a copy of Junie's win at Dover in 1981 and his win in the 1987 Twin 125 at Daytona sent up to him. I can only hope that he got as much joy out of watching those races as I got by getting them together for him. One of my all time favorite personalities in Nascar. A lot of people got their shot thanks to him- the list of drivers he had is legendary. May he rest in peace.
Hoss Ellington Passes
Stock Car Racing History
A hilarious story about Hoss, as told by Coo Coo Marlin:
Hoss Ellington Passes
Stock Car Racing History
I should also mention that another longtime fixture in the Cup garage- Norman Koshimizu- who was a part of Bobby Allison's Winston Cup Championship crew in 1983 as gasman, and again with Rusty Wallace in 1989- passed away earlier this month, again with a battle with cancer. He was 69.