Richmond Int'l Raceway "has asked NASCAR to move the track’s spring race from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon," according to Randy Hallman of the RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH. Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said that RIR President Dennis Bickmeier "recently asked for the change after getting feedback from fans and discussing the possibility with Campbell." He said that NASCAR "has not responded to the request." RIR has scheduled two Saturday night races -- the "only track with a pair of prime-time events" -- since '98. Campbell said moving RIR’s first race to Sunday daytime "helps differentiate the two races from each other." The annual September event "has its own cachet as the final race before NASCAR’s postseason Chase for the Sprint Cup begins" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 9/13). NBCSN's Nate Ryan reported RIR officials believe they "might get a different audience" for their races if one was an afternoon start. Ryan: "They feel as if they can take advantage of a little bit of the three-day weekend, and it might draw a bigger audience on TV as well." NBCSN's Dale Jarrett said, “That is an outstanding idea, really, to separate the two and make this one something a little bit different, kind of the way they do things in Bristol. ... The fans around here will appreciate it” (“NASCAR America Sunday,” NBC Sports Network, 9/12).
