Las Vegas Second Cup Race

[blakebeatty]

How would you rearrange the schedual to get a second cup race in Las Vegas? From which track would you take the race?

I think that likely the easiest would be to give Vegas the second date from Atlanta. No sponsorship this year, ****ty ticket sales, plus it's a Speedway Motorsports Track. Obviously this will not happen, however

[harvick#1]

never, I'd hate to give another cookie cutter track to replace something else, unless its gitting rid of California for good or Kansas.

they ruined Las Vegas for a good 4 years and they just turned it into another Kansas, at least the Old Vegas track had an identity, now its just like all the other boring 1.5 mile tracks

[djarumdudley]

gonna disagree with the Kansas comparison. Vegas was much racier than I expected it's first time out. something Kansas is just achieving now. in a couple years Vegas will be more akin to Atlanta or Homestead with a tri-oval. it seems like these 1.5milers need 20 degrees or more of banking to make them effective for good racing.

as for a rearrangement, first dump California's 2nd date and move Darlington back to it's traditional date. give Kansas the Mother's day weekend slot. then give the 2nd Vegas race the Kansas date in September.

[harvick#1]

less Cookie Cutters, more Road Courses/Short Tracks :D

[Erki]

Why should there be a second Vegas race? Dunno about you, but to me, this year's race felt a bit like a snoozer. :\ Maybe it's because it was at 2am but who knows...

[djarumdudley]

i would greatlyy prefer a short track or road course to another cookie cutter as well. but the likelihood of that is quite slim. given a choice of Vegas or California, give me Vegas any day. Vegas was considerably more exciting this year than in one's past and way better than a California race could ever dream to be.

[Lee Roy]

Agree with moving one of the Fontana dates to LV.

[tstran17_88]

I thought the Vegas race was pretty good right out of the chute considering what happened at Lowe's last year. It could have been worse. I think the powers that be tried to mirror what Miami-Homestead did when they repaved/redesigned their track with the progressive banking.

Fontana needs to loose a date...one which they never deserved in the first place. I'd rather see Darlington back on Labor Day...but IMO Nascar would have to do some repostioning of a few races to make that happen with Vegas, California's spring race and Darlington somewhat close together.

[BobbyC]

Fontana should lose a date, but Texas has also drawn poorly in its position.
Here's how I see it:

Fontana should move up a week to March and lose its fall race. Move avoids race from Oscars.
Las Vegas - Second race of season. Second race on Labor Day
Infineon - Make it fourth race in a West Coast Swing.
Texas - Lose its fall race. Spring race moves to fifth race of season.
Atlanta - Spring race moves to third week of April (week after Masters golf tournament), fall race in current Bristol slot.
Watkins Glen - Move to September.
New Hampshire - Fall race in August (replaces Watkins Glen date)
Bristol - Flips with Atlanta, moves August race to November (see below), to be penultimate race of the schedule.
Darlington - Move May race up one week. Second date at END OF SEASON.
Talladega - move to third-to-last race to create a Dega-Bristol-Darlington finish.

[jeffmr2]

I was at the vegas race and i heard the subject of a second race discussed a number of times.The overall consensus was to drop the second california race for it.I personally would rather see the second martinsville race or infineon replaced with a night race at vegas.

[Hoss Ghoul]

Martinsville destroys Vegas and California, end of that story...

The Vegas race was decent, and is further proof that the multi-purpose mildly banked ovals for open wheel racing are awful for NASCAR.

Nevertheless, the 1.5 and 2.0 mile oval syndrome that plagues NASCAR(thanks to the mistaken belief that open wheel racing was a potential moneymaker) needs to be killed off for good.

Tracks like Atlanta and Charlotte provided(still do) great racing for decades, but the thrill has been lost with weak pretenders like the low banked Chicago, Kansas, Las Vegas, and Texas(a little better) speedways.

California was never any better than a ******* version of the significantly higher banked Michigan, which was interesting for its variety, since dilluted.

Realizing this we've seen Homestead and now Las Vegas completely revamp their configurations, more or less copying the original succes of Charlotte and Atlanta, albeit with computer programs, simulations, and progressive banking.

Meanwhile, the great NASCAR tracks, Bristol, Richmond, Martinsville, Dover, etc, etc(some etc being lost, admittedly), soldier on drawing well despite being in such close proximity to each other(and others).

Full rant, I realize, but tear down P.O.S. tracks like California that hasn't put on a great race since CART, and build more 3/4-1 mile track. Don't fawn over a mediocre race at a track like Vegas that only seems impressive in the current watered down state of things.

Add more road courses while we're at it...heh.

[Sparky1329]

I'd prefer to see more road course races than two on the schedule. Flat track racing is b-o-r-i-n-g. Second California is a waste of a date.

[Jonesi]

I'd prefer to see more road course races than two on the schedule. Flat track racing is b-o-r-i-n-g. Second California is a waste of a date.

Generally agree. If Nascar wants support in the NW for a track there, they should race at Portland for a couple of years. Wouldn't mind seeing the 2nd Cal date move to New Riverside if it ever gets built.
Can't really blame Cal Spdwy for not selling out, Nascar gave them two poor dates, middle of expected rainy season, and end of hot summers. If they offered me a super deal on Labor Day tickets (+50% off) I wouldn't go and I'm only about a hours drive down the freeway.

[jeffmr2]

Martinsville destroys Vegas and California, end of that story...
.

Surley you mean in youre opinion,you say this so matter of fact as if theres no doubt in the fact that you could be totally wrong.

I personally find martinsville to be the bore of the season,most of the passing being through pit strategy or the using the bump and run,i find this form of racing just one step above demolition derby racing.Give me two or three wide racing day at 180+ mph anyday.I say this only from the point of view of watching martinsville on tv,no doubt its more exctitng at the track (i'll be going to my first short track event in november at phoenix)

As regards road courses i think they should be dropped untill nascar learn how to use local caution yellow flags rather than full course cautions everytime theres the slightest of problems on one small area of the track.

[harvick#1]

the thing is, there is no two-or-three wide racing on cookie cutters unless its the start of the race or a restart. after that, I'm channel surfing for something else. Las Vegas was a bore, California was a bore. and for most of Atlanta, it will be a bore.

thank god for Bristol next week and the debut of the CoT :devil: :D :bounce:

[jeffmr2]

the thing is, there is no two-or-three wide racing on cookie cutters unless its the start of the race or a restart. after that, I'm channel surfing for something else. Las Vegas was a bore, California was a bore. and for most of Atlanta, it will be a bore.

thank god for Bristol next week and the debut of the CoT :devil: :D :bounce:

I thought Vegas had quite a lot of exciting 2 wide racing especially from about 5th place back.The battle between Steward,Newman and Ky.Busch for 7th,8th,9th over the last 5 laps was amazing even going 3 wide out of turn 2.
I agree the debut of the COT should be very interesting,would have preferred it to be at Talladega tho.

[djarumdudley]

Bristol will be great COT or not. Bristol isn't the place to debut the car though, they're just going to wreck a rewcently built and limitidely available cars. they should be running the current cars just to eliminate rolling stock to guarantee full time COT in '08.

[ghostdancing]

Dover, Dover should have two races a year, hold on........... it does, dohhhh

Wait, what about say, Bristol, that should have two races a year, I like that idea, doh.......... it does.

Errrr, I dunno, must admit, I did like the new Vegas track, but two races there a year will be one to many.

Don't wanna be controversial, but what about bring back DARLINGTON, I always enjoyed the racing from there. Doh, there is one, in MAY.

What we need is some more tracks, and a track without a precarious, tricky, dangerous pit row entry, cause they all have that, dont they?

Ha Ha.

[jeffmr2]

Somewhat off the point i know but why ive been to vegas for past 3 years is the price and convenience.I can get relatively cheap direct flight from uk,3 day race weekend tickets from $99,motel room less than $40 a night and 3 day bus pass to the track for $40.I dont think there is a need to mention the nightlife!!
Are there any other race weekends that can be done for similar cheap price and convenience?
There are other tracks i'd love to go to like Dover but i've read about how difficult it is getting to and from the track.Ireally do think these factors should also be taken into account in deciding what tracks get two races.

[Jonesi]

motel room less than $40 a night

Where are you staying that's that cheap in Vegas? The cheapest on the Strip is Circus Circus, which goes from about $40 to $140 on race weekend, even the off Strip Motel 6, Easy 8, etc I've heard were $80-90 that weekend.

[jeffmr2]

Where are you staying that's that cheap in Vegas? The cheapest on the Strip is Circus Circus, which goes from about $40 to $140 on race weekend, even the off Strip Motel 6, Easy 8, etc I've heard were $80-90 that weekend.

Excuse me i made a mistake on my post,the motel room was $55 a night.It was a motel 6 just off the strip,in a great loctaion less than 5 minutes from hooters.