NC Governor Breaks Promise to Rockingham Speedway
Current NASCAR
!!!
Forum Activity for @dave-fulton
NC Governor Breaks Promise to Rockingham Speedway
Current NASCAR
In the entire history of these United States, do you reckon there is evidence of even one single politician in any state who left officer poorer than when they were first elected?
NC Governor Breaks Promise to Rockingham Speedway
Current NASCAR
Ironic that they are being used this Rockingham weekend for the z-Max 4-Wide drag event.
NC Governor Breaks Promise to Rockingham Speedway
Current NASCAR
One correction I would note. In multiple stories in many different publications I have seen it mentioned that it is unprecedented for NASCAR to return to a previously dropped venue. That is not true. Watkins Glen and Road America immediately come to mind. Are there others?
NC Governor Breaks Promise to Rockingham Speedway
Current NASCAR
Now that she has decided not to seek re-election, I guess it's safe for my state's governor to renege on her promise to race fans.
Gov. Bev Perdue breaks her promise to Rockingham Speedway
by Staff Report
Richmond County Daily Joiurnal
April 12, 2012
Governor Beverly Perdue
North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue, who promised to attend the historic NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Rockingham Speedway on Sunday, has changed her plans and wont be coming.
She would like to have been there, but she will be with family this weekend, said Press Secretary Chris Mackey, of the Governors Press Office, on Wednesday.
Last September, during the announcement of NASCARs return to the speedway on Highway U.S. 1 north of Rockingham an unprecedented move by the racing circuit Perdue lauded economic projections that the race will generate between $7.2 million and $10.5 million in revenue for Richmond County and the state of North Carolina, plus more than 300 jobs, according to an article by Joe Menzer of NASCAR.com.
She promised to return on race day and predicted a sellout crowd at the facility, which now seats 34,500 (the back stretch grandstands were dismantled and sold to SMI as part of the auction deal), Menzer reported.
The Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 presented by Cheerwine is set for 1 p.m. this Sunday at The Rock.
Read more: Richmond County Daily Journal - Gov Bev Perdue breaks her promise to Rockingham Speedway
updated by @dave-fulton: 03/10/17 05:25:28AM
Va. Science Museum to Sponsor New Richmond Track Kids Zone
Current NASCAR
This is a nice touch to engage the younger generation at the Richmond track.
Kids Zone to be established at RIR
Virginia 529, RIR create Kids Zone
RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia 529 College Savings Plan announces the creation of a new Virginia 529 Kids Zone powered by the Science Museum of Virginia for the April 26-28 NASCAR weekend at RIR.
By: Billy Fellin
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: April 12, 2012
Aerodynamics, drag, mechanics and physics are all scientific terms that are at play in every NASCAR race of the season.
On Wednesday, the Science Museum of Virginia and the Virginia 529 College Savings Plan announced a partnership with Richmond International Raceway to bring these scientific forces to exhibits, games and crafts for kids 12 and under in an area to be known as the Virginia 529 Kids Zone powered by the Science Museum of Virginia.
The Kids Zone will be near the Commonwealth Mall area at the track for NASCAR weekends at RIR, starting April 27.
"We wanted to bring in something different and think about how we can engage families more," Virginia 529 College Savings Plan CEO Mary Morris said. "We want to get kids involved in it. For us, it's great to engage families and kids and how you can have fun with science and what goes into a NASCAR race."
Virginia 529 also announced continued sponsorship of the fall Nationwide Series race at RIR, as well as the family sections of the stands.
It is the fourth year of the sponsorship for Virginia 529.
"It's a great partnership and great to work with a company close to the raceway," RIR president Dennis Bickmeier said in his speech. "We can get together often and bounce ideas off each other."
Many young children attended the announcement and got to test some of the more than 20 planned exhibits and demonstrations, such as using moving air to ring a bell, air currents keeping a ball in the air and the popular Diet Coke and Mentos geyser.
"We are hoping to excite the kids and get them thinking about what they can do in the future," Morris said. "There are so many things kids and young adults can do with education beyond high school."
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
Kroger to Sponsor Entire Brickyard NASCAR Weekend
Current NASCAR
I'll sure miss IRP, but it is nice to see IRP's longtime Busch Series sponsor step up and sponsor the entire NASCAR weekend at the big track.
Brickyard 400 expanded weekend gains grocery as sponsor
11:14 AM, Apr. 12, 2012
The Star
Written by
Steve Ballard
Kroger will sponsor the expanded Brickyard 400 weekend July 26-29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, officials for the grocery chain and the speedway announced today.
Kroger was title sponsor of NASCARs Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series races on Brickyard weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway in Clermont. The Nationwide race is moving to IMS and will be joined on the schedule by the first Grand Am sports car series race on the speedways road course.
The new agreement also will benefit the Riley Childrens Foundation in collaborative with Indianapolis native John Andretti, a veteran racer and Riley supporter.
Kroger has been a longtime, active partner with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and an integral part of Central Indiana life, so were happy to expand and strengthen our relationship, Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp. president and chief executive officer, said in a news release. Every aspect of this partnership will enhance the fan experience at IMS.
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
A Special Time for the Parsons Family - Story by Benny's Son, Keith
Stock Car Racing History
With NASCAR returning to Rockingham, the late Benny Parsons' son, Keith recalls for us one of the most heartwarming days in American motorsports. The story also says a lot about the integrity of the late L.G. DeWitt.
Published in the Richmond County Daily Journal , home paper of the Rockingham track:
Parsons: A special time for the Parsons family
by Keith Parsons
Benny Parsons and his DeWitt Chevrolet
One of my favorite stories from perhaps the greatest day of my dads NASCAR career is the one about how it almost didnt happen.
Let me start at the beginning.
My dad, Benny Parsons, came to the final race of the 1973 season leading the chase for the Winston Cup championship, as it was called in those days. Thanks to a convoluted point system that rewarded laps completed as well as finishing position, no one knew exactly where he had to finish to beat his closest pursuers Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty.
The fact that BP and his race team even had a chance was seen as somewhat of a miracle onto itself. They raced out of a shop at DeWitt Junction, a sprawling complex located between Ellerbe and Norman and named for the array of businesses owned by L.G. DeWitt, one of which included the race team. Rockingham car dealer Russell Bennett was one of the sponsors, but even with his help, this group of locals led by crew chief Travis Carter got by on a much smaller budget than its competitors.
Still, through the first 27 races, BP had accumulated more points than anyone. The season finale that year was a home game of sorts for the team, coming at what now is Rockingham Speedway, which DeWitt owned at the time.
The strategy was simple: stay out of trouble, complete as many laps as possible and focus on themselves, not Cale and the King. BP was in perfect position to do so after qualifying fifth, and in the early laps, he found a spot all by his lonesome among the 43 cars that started and began thinking about what the championship would mean.
It wouldnt be that simple. On lap 13, a couple of cars got together in Turn 2, a treacherous spot on the track still to this day, and BP couldnt avoid the Mercury driven by Johnny Barnes. The entire right side of the L.G. DeWitt Racing Chevrolet literally was torn away, including the steel bars of the protective roll cage, and any opportunity to bring that title to Richmond County appeared lost.
But Travis led a spirited reconstruction of the car, and members of other teams jumped in to help. Somehow, a car that had failed to qualify for the race still was parked in the garage, and word quickly came to the crewmen that they could take what was needed from it. After about 90 minutes, the work was completed, including the installation of the new roll bars, and BP prepared to get back in the car to make some more laps.
Before he could do so, DeWitt pulled him aside. He had watched the work being done and despite the expertise of those doing it, DeWitt had concerns.
Benny, are you sure this car is safe? DeWitt asked. The championship isnt worth you getting hurt.
Can you imagine? Here was the owner of not only the race team, but the track where it was competing, more worried about keeping his employee, his friend, out of danger that winning an improbable championship. It says so much about DeWitt that he did this, and probably says a lot about my dad that he ignored the warnings and drove the car back on the track.
History was made that day and a title was won, and from what I hear, DeWitt held quite the party up at DeWitt Junction.
Now, nearly 40 years later, thanks to Andy Hillenburg and his staff at Rockingham Speedway, more history is upon us. NASCAR, for the first time in its history, is coming back to a track, and a community, it once left behind.
It is very difficult to explain what the track has meant to my family over the years. Despite the amazing comeback that day in 1973, or perhaps because he used up all his good fortune that day, Rockingham Speedway wasnt very kind to BP over the remaining years of his career.
There was the accident with Darrell Waltrip in 1975 that led to a nights stay in the hospital for both of them, and another one in 1982 that left my dad with searing pain in his right shoulder for the rest of his life.
And finally there was the heartbreaking fall race in 1979, where perhaps his best chance to win at the track so close to home came up eight laps short. A late caution helped Richard Petty come from behind to beat BP by just a couple of car lengths.
Still, I know he would be as happy as anyone that NASCAR is coming back with the Camping World Truck Series, a series BP loved from the start. His brother, my uncle Phil, is coming back to work the TV broadcast of the race for Speed, and he knows the importance of this weekend.
This track has meant so much to our family, Phil told me earlier this week. It is a great tribute to what Mr. DeWitt started, and it says a lot about what people in the sport still think of the track. I dont know anyone who ever dreaded coming to Rockingham, and even the drivers in the Cup series who cant be there this weekend are really excited about it.
Its a testament to how much the track means to everybody.
BP also would be glad that Andy is the one responsible for the resurgence of the track. He always called Andy one of his favorite people in the sport, and he admired the passion for racing and the perseverance Andy showed to become such a valued part of it.
Hopefully, race fans from all over will show their appreciation this weekend. One who will is Cullen Griffin, a longtime fan from Rockingham who attended that fateful race in 1973, along with hundreds of others over the years. He plans to be in the same seat Sunday for the truck race that he sat in for the most recent NASCAR race in 2004.
I couldnt be happier, Cullen told me. I hope, and hope, and hope that the people from Richmond County and the surrounding areas come out to support Andy and what he has done.
I will be there, as will my brother, Kevin, attending a race at the track where both of us have so many memories. I cant wait to create some more.
Read more: Richmond County Daily Journal - Parsons A special time for the Parsons family
updated by @dave-fulton: 08/24/18 11:14:14AM
Nice article about Don Smyle
General
A very interesting and enlightening article. Thanks for posting.