Atlanta Could Lose Spring Sprint Cup Race If It Doesn't Attract Fans

Atlanta Motor Speedway Has Struggled To Attract Large Crowds For Its Spring Cup Race

Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway "needs to draw a solid crowd or the Georgia track could lose one of its two Sprint Cup races as early as next season," according to Pete Pistone of CBSSPORTS.com. It appears SMI "has been cleared to bring a Cup date to the Kentucky Speedway, now that pending legal action by the former ownership group against NASCAR has been settled." AMS has been in the "bulls-eye for several years due to the track's less than stellar attendance record." The track's spring race "has struggled to sell tickets for years," and Pistone noted should that trend "continue on Sunday, most believe it will seal the deal of Atlanta becoming a one-rack track and Kentucky will inherit its second weekend." Meanwhile, ISC "intends to follow a similar path" as SMI in its effort to "bring a second race to Kansas Speedway to coincide with the track's latest improvement, a multi-million dollar hotel and casino complex." After "struggling to fill its seats" for two Cup races, Auto Club Speedway "would seem to make the most sense as the one losing a date among ISC's portfolio, although tiny Martinsville Speedway ... is also a possibility" (CBSSPORTS.com, 3/3).