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Even before the NASCAR Chicago Street Race has had a chance to run, we got the announcement that NASCAR is looking at other cities that could possibly host a street race in the future. This can mean a few different things, but what speaks loudest to me is the idea that they’re not looking at the Chicago Street Race to be a permanent fix, they’re looking at potentially rotating the site of NASCAR’s annual street race.
To me, that’s a good idea, because while I do like the concept of a street race or two on the schedule per year, an annual event might be a bit much for the locals of any giving city to endure year after year. A rotating street race amongst a handful of cities might be the perfect out for that kind of issue.
A while back we, here at the Daily Downforce did a 5-part list of cities we would like to see host a NASCAR street course event. Well, now, as we gear up for the Chicago Street Race on July 4th weekend, we present to you 5 MORE cities we’d like to see take on NASCAR in the streets.
Nashville has a lot going on right now when it comes to the racing world. The Nashville Superspeedway is providing some of the best intermediate racing on the circus. The only problem being that it’s not really in Nashville, it’s about an hour out. With Nashville being the place where we crown our champion in a yearly banquet, I think NASCAR could do better to incorporate the city itself.
The Nashville Fairgrounds is being renovated and would be a great place to host something like the NASCAR All-Star race or something. But it’s still standing shaky ground at the moment with the Nashville CARES movement on Twitter. There’s a lot of uncertainty there.
What if, then, there was a temporary solution? What if NASCAR could do another crossover event like they did with INDYCAR a number of years ago and they both take on the streets of Nashville in the same weekend? That’d be pretty cool in my book and would be a pretty groovy race to tide us over until the Fairgrounds returns to the glory of its past, silencing the haters.
I’m not much of a fan of country music these days. My tastes today run more towards gothic metal and arena rock. But when I was a boy, that was my jam. But not just any country music, though. I was a Brooks & Dunn fan through and through. I still buy Ronnie Dunn’s solo albums when they come out. Yeah. One of my fondest memories from the career of B&D is the handful of years when they hosted the CMA Awards…and in those 3 or so years, it was the Big Apple that played host to the show. That was seen then as a big deal.
Nashville has long been associated with country music and moving the show to a place like New York was viewed as blasphemous by some and considered an interesting experiment of growth by others. I think you know what category most of us here at the Daily Downforce fall into in the old school vs. new skool debate.
So, why not try the streets of New York? I mean, it doesn’t have to be anything permanent, that’s not what we’re looking for here. We’re just looking for places to include in the rotation. With New York being the city that never sleeps, it’d be interesting to run a street race in Manhattan…under the lights!
D. C. is viewed unfavorably by many people because of its politically charged nature. That’s kind of how it has always been. But it is our nation’s capital. I think, NASCAR being the undisputed #1 motorsport in America, we should be able to take it to the streets of D. C., even if it is only for a one-off race.
I went to Hawaii as part of the Carson-Newman University Jazz Ensemble my senior year in college. It’s a pretty cool place. It’s the closest you can get to going to another country without actually leaving the United States.
This would be a great place to host an exhibition race, perhaps at the end of the year after our champion has been crowned. It’s a great vacation spot and NASCAR could run an event there similar to what the NFL has done in the past with their Pro Bowl…you know, back when it was good. It could be a leisurely farewell for the year as the NASCAR execs and drivers and teams run a race purely for the joy of racing, kick back, and relax in the pacific sun.
NASCAR has only one sanctioned track in the state of Washington. It’s Evergreen Speedway, a NASCAR home track for series like the ASA and Wheelen Late Model Series. Why not take NASCAR there in a big way by having them take on the Seattle, Washington? It would be a great attempt at exposure for the sport to a crowd that might not have ever seen a real NASCAR race, which is what events like the Chicago Street Course and the Clash in L. A. are supposed to be aiming to do.
Well, those are my picks, NASCAR fans. Tell me, what do you think about NASCAR exploring cities for more street races in the future? Do you think it’s a bad idea, good idea, or are you indifferent to it altogether? Let us know and keep it right here for all the latest news and stories in the world of motorsports.
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