Lights for the Speedway
 

Another way to help kill the short tracks.

http://www.ibj.com/the-score-2012-12...AMS/post/38472 :13:

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

...or a way to build around it. Picture this, lights at the Speedway for the Brickyard on a Saturday night means a big crowd comes to town for the NASCAR traveling circus, opening up the possibility of our local tracks to do a "mini-sprint weeks" type event. Possibly 3 nights of local dirt track racing to allow the tourists to enjoy some close racing, and to add fans to our favorite type of racing. When we used to go to Daytona in February, we always took a couple nights to get over to Volusha Speedway for the dirt track racing. Instead of thinking of how this could hurt our local bullrings, think of how it could help. Maybe the Speedway includes a $10. discount coupon to any of the short tracks with every Brickyard ticket purchased? Brighter minds then mine will have to figure all this out, but it's just my 2 cents worth,:10:, bob.

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

I'm ready! It will be great to see a night race at the Brickyard! Maybe one day they could run a 2nd Indy Car Race at night too! I think the 500, should stay during the day.:6:

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

I agree JT, leave the Indy 500 alone, don't mess with tradition! It still draws hundreds of thousands of fans, sure, some seats are empty, but when a venue holds 300,000 people, you expect some open space. Funny though, there's never any of that open space around me, i'm always squeezed in. Name 1 other race track who would complain if they only had 200,000 fans on the grounds for a race. i already have my ticket bought for May and my ROW of seats in turn 1 for the Brickyard. Nowhere i would rather be...bob.

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

It was actually hotter this year for the Indy 500 than the Brickyard 400, but that is not usually the case. The 500 this year had a near capacity crowd, but the heat was so intense you could see the open grandstands becoming less populated as the day progressed. The entire north end of the track was virtually empty for the Brickyard 400, while the covered stands had a decent count.
Even if they add lights, the 500 should always remain a day event. We've lost a lot of traditions over the years; I sure wouldn't want to see that one go. I've been to every 500 since 1965, and all of the Brickyard 400's. I enjoy the challenge of getting up very early in the morning, getting to my parking space, watching the crowd arrive, then hustling back to Haubstadt for another race after the 500, or enjoying a leisurely drive back through Mooresville and a meal at Gray Brothers after the Brickyard. If they run the Brickyard at night, that would end that.

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

Tradition needs to be done away with.... just because it worked in 1965 don't mean it's going to work in 2013 and beyond. I like this guys attitude and vision.

Originally Posted by Spi-nex:
Tradition needs to be done away with.... just because it worked in 1965 don't mean it's going to work in 2013 and beyond. I like this guys attitude and vision.

What are u, stuck on stupid??

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Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

I personally wouldn't waste the $ if this is 90% for the Brickyard. More fans would attend the first few years, then the attendence would back slide again.

People aren't staying away totally because of the heat. The event is a turd, lights won't fix that. It just took people about 15 years to realize those cars aren't built for that track, bottom line.

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

Originally Posted by Dgentry51:
What are u, stuck on stupid??

Uh, what is your problem? As far as I know I've never personally attacked you for anything.

Tradition holds everything in racing back. In order to survive we need to change the way we do things. I don't let myself be locked into 1 way of thinking just because something has been done the same way for decades...

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

let me shed a little bit of light on the "traveling Fan". These people are willing to attend events a day or 2 before the event they traveled into. As soon as the "said event" is over, these people are gone in a flash. If the 500 were to move to a Saturday night race, those fans will get up Sunday morning and drive home. There not headed to the local track. Light will help bring in a few pwople to the 400 for the "First ever night race" at Indy. Fact is the track is a dog for Nascars. Pave the grass between the pit lane and the track. Let cars race on the flat apren again. Might help a little.

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

Uh, I don't have a problem with a little "tradition", I don't see where it has held up anything, in some cases, the lack of it has caused a lot of things to go away. I don't see where lights at the Speedway, would be a help either way, this society is so full of "whooses" is why it's "too hot", the "traditional" folks, and drivers and teams will still be there, like the "traditional" saying goes, "if you can't stand the heat, stay th Hell outa th kitchen"! Bob

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

Originally Posted by HARFprez:
...or a way to build around it. Picture this, lights at the Speedway for the Brickyard on a Saturday night means a big crowd comes to town for the NASCAR traveling circus, opening up the possibility of our local tracks to do a "mini-sprint weeks" type event. Possibly 3 nights of local dirt track racing to allow the tourists to enjoy some close racing, and to add fans to our favorite type of racing. When we used to go to Daytona in February, we always took a couple nights to get over to Volusha Speedway for the dirt track racing. Instead of thinking of how this could hurt our local bullrings, think of how it could help. Maybe the Speedway includes a $10. discount coupon to any of the short tracks with every Brickyard ticket purchased? Brighter minds then mine will have to figure all this out, but it's just my 2 cents worth,:10:, bob.

The NA$CAR fans will be at IRP that week, not a local dirt track.

With another night race on TV, how many people will skip attending a race at their local track to watch the Cup race on the tube?

If the the lights are put in at IMS, the 500 will be held on Saturday night soon after. Screw the Nite Before or the Little 500, it's about TV ratings and the bottom line.

That would be two Saturday nights the local Indiana tracks would have to go against IMS. Guess who the winner would be in that match.

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

Originally Posted by TQ29m:
Uh, I don't have a problem with a little "tradition", I don't see where it has held up anything, in some cases, the lack of it has caused a lot of things to go away. I don't see where lights at the Speedway, would be a help either way, this society is so full of "whooses" is why it's "too hot", the "traditional" folks, and drivers and teams will still be there, like the "traditional" saying goes, "if you can't stand the heat, stay th Hell outa th kitchen"! Bob

Motorsports will never survive with if they subscribed to your logic Bob. You have to be able to adapt, racing can't survive on the traditional fan that's more and more evident every day.

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

My thoughts, not that anyone asked:

I don't want to see The 500 moved to either another day or to nighttime. That would likely cause me to drop my tickets. I might be interested in a fall night race, if it happened.

I couldn't care less what they do to The Brickyard 400. I won't be there, period. I won't sit home to watch it on the tube either.

I think a 24 Hours of Indy race for the GrandAm/American LeMans series, or whatever the new name is, could be interesting.

steiny
:32:

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

If it comes down to a Saturday night event against the Little 500...I`ll drop the Indy 500 in a flash..even thou I have had tickets there for 40 years..You cant beat the Little 500.........:31:

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

Logic be damned, if it weren't for "tradition", there wouldn't be any racing or a lot of other things, like Christmas, and Thanksgiving, for instance, I don't do anything I can't be involved with, if I can't take my car to a race track, and race, or help someone in the pits work on their car, there's a very good chance I won't be there, I ain't much for "watchin"! Bob

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

nascar's popularity is waning, lights are not gonna save the taxi cabs at the speedway.as far as tradition, nascar has not been at the speedway long enough for tradition.as far as indy car go's,the only reason why people go to the indy 500 is the tradition.

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

Good work little brother. I also must say three nights with lights for NASCRAP at Indy, good bye Raceway Park.
Night 1 at IMS, Trucks

Night 2, Nascrap jr

Night 3 , Cup cars

Raceway Park , nothing.

Also the even remote thought that a Nascrap fan is going to stop by a local track on the way home is ridiculous. A lot of local tracks have found that out.

As for traditon, you must not be a sprint car fan. It is the most traditional form of oval track racing there is ,
traceing it's roots to the beginning of auto racing in this country. Oldfield and Christie on dirt miles go back over 100 years. But that's tradition isn't it, racing on dirt fairgrounds tracks. We need to change that one, don't we.

Also , I hope that guy at the Speedway doesn't get too comfortable, ask Randy Bernard.

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

Count me in with the naysayers....The Speedway should never have lights, or Tony Hulman woulda put some in.

Look at all the traditional day time tracks that have added lights over the years! Daytona, Terre Haute, among countless others. Night racing is great and fans love it!

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Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

I am really ok with lights. Just don't move the 500. Then when it rains all morning, we might have a chance to see the race that night. Plain and simple, the only way the local tracks are going to bring in nascar fans is to HIRE nascar drivers to run at there track that week.

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

I do not see them installing lights any time soon. Not only would it be a huge investment, but you would have to light walkways and under roofs of grandstands. Plus a large amount of parking is off public streets and yards. As for helping short tracks NASCAR fans only watch cup races. They wouldn't go any where else in significant numbers. With daylight saving time they could almost run in prime time with out them.

Re: Lights for the Speedway
 

Originally Posted by Spi-nex:
Tradition needs to be done away with.... just because it worked in 1965 don't mean it's going to work in 2013 and beyond. I like this guys attitude and vision.

Just remember that change and progress are not necessarily the same thing! There was a time when the grandstands were filled from Indy to Milwaukee, to Sacramento to Langhorne to Phoenix because many of the same cars and drivers came from and continued to compete on short tracks of various surfaces. More Clausons and fewer Brazilian sugar daddy's!