Observations during the Coca-Cola 600 weekend

[media-credit id=38 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]CHARLOTTE, NC – As NASCAR’s spring visit to Charlotte comes to an end, I felt it only fitting to share observations of the time.

– Hats off to track owner Bruton Smith, track President Marcus Smith and their amazing army of employees. The Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) was completed in 1959, but to visit the track one would never know it. CMS continues to improve the historic venue to stay up with modern day. Last year saw the installation of the giant HD television on the back stretch which allows one to see the action from anywhere – wonder how well those on the Space Station can see the race. This season saw the addition of new Pit Suites and hospitality facilities on pit road and the movement of the Souvenir trailers closer to the track where patrons didn’t have to continue to cross the road, thus alleviating some of the congestion that adds to the traffic on race day. Of course changes also have negative effects, Changes in the infield resulted in media parking being moved making it more taxing on those covering events.

– If you have the opportunity to visit Charlotte during the May race events, you will want to visit Speed Street in the heart of downtown Charlotte. This annual event continues to grow and the organizers continue to improve the event. Speed Street allows sponsors to get up close to the fans of NASCAR. There are a number of activities for all ages, as well as a number of driver appearances over the three day event. This year, Speed Street was expanded onto other areas of the city, thus spreading out the congestion. The Coca-Cola stage, which usually hosts the bigger concerts of the weekend was moved to the doors of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The only negative I could see was that the Hall closed its doors at 6:00 on Friday evening just as thousands descended on the city. For a site that has struggled to reach the visitor expectations it had, I would have thought that it would have been the perfect night for extended hours.

– It is clear that the economy continues to effect NASCAR. We see the stories about teams struggling to find sponsors, but it is never more evident than to view the crowds – or lack thereof. Driving in on Saturday morning, the fields around Charlotte Motor Speedway that are normally the weekend home to those that come and camp for the weekend sat empty, while I strongly believe that there may have been more people in the garage area for Saturday’s Nationwide race than in the stands. While the crowd on Sunday was much larger than Saturday, and I would say a decent number, it just had a different feel. There continue to be many empty seats on a weekly basis and here in Charlotte, the infield not only saw empty areas, the infield crowd was much tamer.

– Seeing Rick Hendrick walking down pit road toward Victory Lane following Kasey Kahne’s first victory for Hendrick Motorsport, with a smile that was ear to ear, it is clear that winning never gets old in NASCAR. With 201 point race victories under his belt, it is evident that Hendrick will continue to invest what is needed to continue the success his teams have enjoyed. One can only wonder what the level of elation will be when Dale Earnhardt, Jr, does the same. Earnhardt continues to improve week to week, but that elusive first Hendrick victory remains elusive.

– Finally, for me one of the highlights each year of the Coca Cola 600 is the number of military personnel that are not only at the track, but participate in ways such as parading the drivers around the track during introductions and are honored during the event. Clearly I am getting older, because each year, the faces that I see wearing the uniform get younger and younger. I sincerely thank each and every man & woman who are serving this great country and their families who sacrifice each day, so that we gather at locations like Charlotte Motor Speedway and enjoy not just racing but Freedom. God bless each of you!