This weekend's First Union 400 "may be the last hurrah" for
NC's North Wilkesboro Speedway, one of NASCAR's original "short
tracks" that soon could give way to the newer, larger
"superspeedways." John Helyar examines the trend in this
morning's WALL STREET JOURNAL, writing, "All that national
interest [in NASCAR] makes the Winston Cup's stops in southern
backwaters like North Wilkesboro, Martinsville, VA, and
Rockingham, NC, anachronistic." Sponsors like the larger venues
for entertainment purposes, while drivers like the bigger purses.
With superspeedways coming on line soon in TX, FL, NV and CA, "a
wave of short track takeovers" -- similar to North Wilkesboro
where the Staley family sold out to larger track owners -- may be
coming. NASCAR President Bill France Jr. is said to "loathe" the
idea of cutting out the old-time operators, but Helyar reports,
"NASCAR-watchers believe he'd be glad to see them handsomely cash
out, a la the Staleys." Darrell Waltrip, on Wilkesboro: "It's a
throwback to the past, but this sport has places to go and things
to do" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/12).
INDY CAR POLL: As part of its March 5-April 1 '96 survey
research, ESPN Chilton polled respondents on the current feud
between the new Indy Racing League and CART's IndyCar circuit.
Of respondents at least a little bit interested in auto racing,
20% said they had heard of the IRL, while 80% had not. Asked
which race they would prefer to watch, the Indy 500 or CART's
race at the Michigan Int'l Speedway, 47% said CART at Michigan,
37% said the IRL at Indy, 12% said no preference, a 4% said
neither (THE DAILY).
