GOT A QUESTION TO ASK THE MEMBERS ON RACERS REUNION
Stock Car Racing History
Perry, I had to laugh seeing the Homestead / Miami-Dade photos. The inaugural NASCAR race there in 1995, a Busch Series event, was an absolute disaster. The hotels and motels gouged the fans and teams with unreasonable rates and length of stay provisions AND a number of teams and photographers had their rooms buglarized and cameras and other equipment stolen. NASCAR threatened not to hold any more events and the local Chamber was devastated after what they'd endured with Hurricane Andrew and the closing of the Air Force Base.
At the time I was working at the Richmond track as Media Relations Director and we had the reputation of the best organized group of "Fan Friendly" Hotels/Motels on the circuit.
The Homestead track had been built by the late Ralph Sanchez and I had worked with him back in 1984-1986 when we were sponsoring multiple 7-Eleven cars at his Miami IMSA city circuit course races.
Sanchez contacted me in Richmond and asked if I'd address the hotel / motel operators at a Chamber of Commerce meeting. NASCAR actually bought my plane ticket and the Chamber of Commerce paid for my lodgings and meals. I met some really nice folks and the hotel / motel bunch seemed receptive to change. I do remember losing my prescription sunglasses when they fell out of my blazer pocket at the Miami Airport. I retraced my steps to no avail. They were gone for good. Welcome to Miami!
While I was there, Billy told Sanchez he'd never do a sanction for a Cup race until the turns, built for Indy car racing, were reconfigured with some banking, which Sanchez agreed to do. That's now been about 20 years ago, but seems like yesterday. I never did find the proper name for the little black biting bugs infesting my room at the Hampton Inn in Homestead!
