While municipalities across the country jockey for major sporting events, one is doing its best to avoid losing the economic jewel that it has held without interruption for 17 years.
The Winston, NASCAR's all-star race, was born at Charlotte Motor Speedway (now known as Lowe's Motor Speedway) in 1985 and has been run there every year since 1987. That may soon change, as NASCAR redesigns its schedule to better accommodate an expanding national footprint.
The discussion of a move spurred the track, which is owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc., to join with business and civic leaders in the region to form a nonprofit group that raised $650,000 for a campaign aimed at keeping the event in Charlotte, where it has drawn crowds upward of 140,000.
The last economic impact study of the event, conducted in 1999, said the race generated $75 million for the region's economy. Supporters estimate that the impact now approaches $100 million.
"The main objective was to make sure that NASCAR and the sponsors and everybody associated with the event saw that we didn't take it for granted," said Tim Newman, president of the Charlotte USA All-Star Racing Coalition, the nonprofit that was put together to campaign to keep the race.
The group's effort is supported by the tag line "There's No Place Like Home," which was designed to play to the city's strength: its connection to the race teams and support businesses that are headquartered in the region.
NASCAR has talked about rotating the site of the race for years, suggesting that it might need to start treating its all-star event as Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL treat theirs. But the idea has not gained traction, in part because the race teams, most of which are based within 30 miles of Lowe's Motor Speedway, like the Charlotte site because it gives them a break from travel.
Series sponsor Winston also was a fan of keeping the race in Charlotte, down the road from Winston-Salem, which is headquarters to parent company R.J. Reynolds Tobacco.
With RJR replaced by Nextel Communications beginning next season, the latter piece of that equation could change. Racing insiders have suggested that Nextel, which is headquartered in Reston, Va., might prefer to move the race closer to its home. Or that Nextel might take only a presenting sponsor position on the race, opening the title sponsorship to a rotation of companies that could change as the location changes.
Thus far, Nextel has been mum on NASCAR issues, saying it is still crafting its sponsorship plans. SMI executives held their first meetings with Nextel earlier this month. NASCAR hasn't announced its plans for next year's race, but logistical needs make it unlikely that the race could be moved for 2004.
"We're hoping that Nextel will see that LMS is the place to do this because of the proximity of all the teams, the commitment of the Charlotte marketplace and the fan commitment," Newman said.
