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This may not be the most likely of things to happen, but, what if NASCAR elected to stage some street courses for their lower tier series only? A street race weekend for the Xfinity Series, Truck Series, or maybe even ARCA while the Cup Series runs elsewhere. With the amount of road course races currently in the Cup Series, it’s an idea worth considering at the very least in terms of development.
Where could NASCAR go? Could this open up the ability for NASCAR to tackle some smaller markets previously untouched by major racing series?
Knoxville, Tennessee is one of NASCAR’s biggest markets in the TV ratings on a weekly basis. As a result, why not bring NASCAR to its’ city streets? The closest track to Knoxville is Bristol, which is about 90 minutes away.
Imagine if they tried to stage a summertime race around Neyland Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team. It could be NASCAR’s version of the Nashville street course that IndyCar races on. It’s a unique way to bring NASCAR to a market that has shown its’ love for the sport in the TV ratings.
Another relatively large market that does well in the TV ratings. Hosting a race on the streets of the Greensboro/Winston-Salem area would be something that the locals would definitely appreciate. Yes, there are already plenty of races in North Carolina, but imagine if the Xfinity or Truck Series ran this type of standalone weekend while the Cup Series was somewhere like Charlotte?
Maybe during the fall Charlotte weekend, the Xfinity or Truck Series could run a street race in this market not too far away. It’s an interesting theory to say the least, and it’s a way to bring more NASCAR to a market that loves the sport.
If NASCAR has trouble getting its’ top series to Seattle, then why not bring some street racing to Tacoma, Washington with the lower series? NASCAR has tried this before, as what was then known as the Winston West Series ran two street races there in 1986 and 1987. So, NASCAR has been there before.
NASCAR has shown that the Pacific Northwest is a place they are looking to expand as evidenced by a standalone race in Portland. Tacoma is closer to a bigger market in Seattle, Washington, and it has hosted racing before. Why not try again?
South Carolina does not have quite the racing history North Carolina does, but man does it still have a penchant for horsepower. Again, bringing the racing to the people in a market that loves NASCAR. Greenville, South Carolina is one of NASCAR’s biggest TV markets, but Charleston has a bigger brand.
Why not bring NASCAR’s lower tier series another race in a place that appreciates NASCAR? Charleston, South Carolina is a great place to do it.
If Knoxville is not an option, then why not Memphis? It’s a market that has held NASCAR racing before in the lower series, and it had professional sports in town via the Memphis Grizzlies. Because of this, NASCAR has the option to bring its’ lower series to Memphis as well.
This one is a more risky market, but it’s still an option. Also a market where there is not a race track nearby, means that there is either a large group of NASCAR fans that want a race, or no interest at all. Regardless, it’s a worthwhile idea.
