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Unless there is a mjor change in the track design, thres no reason that pit road would be any different than it was, along the front stretch. I dont recall any infield camping at all except team (driver) campers. I really dont recall if the area we were in was expressly for campers, or not, but I know it was all primitive where we were.
So one driver could win 3 of the 4 races, or 2 of 3 and the other win the last one and get the Cup? ....
No, I would like to see a "best of" the finishes of the last 3 or 4 races. Award points based on finishing order and tally them up after the last 3-4 races and give the Cup to the best average finisher.
What N. Wilkesboro is doing is generating buzz. Sure the place won't be able to hold a lot of fans due to the surrounding infrastructure, but do you think that more people will tune in on TV than previous race(s)?
Everyone was complaining about TMS being boring/bad racing last year. NASCAR is trying something different. If it pays off for viewers/ratings, then NASCAR has scored a victory. If not, then back to the drawing board.
For some reason though, I think the Debbie Downers will just complain about the traffic and lack of bathrooms or something like that...and that will be the major news story.
What N. Wilkesboro is doing is generating buzz. Sure the place won't be able to hold a lot of fans due to the surrounding infrastructure, but do you think that more people will tune in on TV than previous race(s)?
Everyone was complaining about TMS being boring/bad racing last year. NASCAR is trying something different. If it pays off for viewers/ratings, then NASCAR has scored a victory. If not, then back to the drawing board.
For some reason though, I think the Debbie Downers will just complain about the traffic and lack of bathrooms or something like that...and that will be the major news story.
If you had some drunk mofo pizz on you because the trough in the floor was standing room only, and you waited for hours to just get out of the parking lot you'd complain too.
I really hope this works out for Nascar, and the speedway and area itself. The thing Im looking forward t the most is the truck race the night before.
Unless there is a mjor change in the track design, thres no reason that pit road would be any different than it was, along the front stretch. I dont recall any infield camping at all except team (driver) campers. I really dont recall if the area we were in was expressly for campers, or not, but I know it was all primitive where we were.
The last race at N Wilkesboro was in 1996
It wasn't until 1997 that 43 car fields were set. I remember Dale Jarrett missing a race at Bristol, I believe it was, in '94 I think.. by DNQ when he was in the 18 car. Back in the early 90's, short tracks were capped at 36 cars.
So.. Wilkesboro never ran with the number of cars that a 'normal' race would run there. Which, now, would be 40. At least for Cup.
Martinsville had 2 pit roads until 1999.. At which time.. They basically made 1 long-ass pit road that runs from the entrance of Turn 3 to the exit of turn 2.. And it's still a very crowded pit road.
Bristol was faced with the same issue and kept the two pit roads, but made the "Single pit road under caution, two pit roads under green" which.. I'm sure Martinsville wishes they had done, because it's a much better solution to the problem.
Therefore.. Since Wilkesboro is just SLIGHTLY larger than Martinsville.. They're going to have the same issue. So, the question still is.. How will they handle it? Will they make one big-ass pit road? Or will they follow the Bristol model?
If you look at an overhead view of the track from a few years back..
Count the pit stalls. There's only about 30 that I can see in that pic..
That might be fine for the All Star race, but not for a full Cup race. Not even for a Truck race.. Which I believe is scheduled.
Based on what I can find. The track 'originally' had 43 pit stalls.. If there are only 30 there in that pic.. Obviously, they're going to stretch around the track.. Now, the problem with that pic is.. Some of the lines, you just can't see, so I can't be sure my count is accurate.
But.. You can see that.. Apparently.. Pit road runs from the entrance of Turn 3 to the exit of Turn 1.
I'm just saying that.. Now's the time to make any changes needed.. And.. I would think that one of those needed changes would be doing a front stretch pit road and a back stretch pit road. We know that two pit roads creates a disadvantage.. UNLESS.. They operate it like Bristol does. that's how I'd prefer to see it done.. And.. Now would be the time to do it.
there's many reasons for that. Top of the list would be safety. You can give them larger pit boxes.. Basically 20 on the front and 20 on the back.
Further.. Look at that overhead view.. Where in the hell are they going to park vehicles? For the early races where they only are likely to have 20k fans... They should be OK, unless.. God forbid.. it rains. at which time, you're going to have a swampy, muddy mess.. Of course.. Again, that photo is old.. perhaps they're paving a parking lot (Or lots)...
That's speedway property, what's highlighted in Blue.. Also that patch where the arrow points, and the field directly across 421.
To me.. There should be no problems for 20k, so long as it doesn't rain.. but.. I wonder what they envision the capacity being here long-term?
Obviously.. I hope that these people are smarter than I am and have plans for all this already.. However.. I also remember Kentucky's races where many people missed the race because of traffic.. Texas' first race where the parking lots were mud pits.. A 20 mile backup leading to Martinsville when I went there (06 or so) and we scheduled to get to the track 4 hours early, but wound up getting to our seats right as the green flag dropped due to traffic.
So.. Wilkesboro is an SMI track.. But, they also own Texas (see above) and Kentucky (see above).. So while I would HOPE lessons have been learned.. History says otherwise.
the best hope here.. The races this year will be a 'dress rehersal' that will allow them to ID the problems.
I get what youre saying now, my bad. The old pits go back into turn 3. Zoom in on your link you can barely make them out.
Looking and thinking again, there may have been so changes made back in 2010 or so when those modifieds were there so that may be why theres only 30 spots in the main section so here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0alhPAmQVk at 13:32 is a good view of pit road, and at 20:19 - 30 or so is a couple coming on pit road in 4. This was the last time I was there.
Oh and at 2.06:58, the guy with his arm extended in the white T shirt - Thats ME! I had on my Davey Allison(RIP) shirt that day, but I like Bodine too.
Last edited by UpstateJohn; 02-03-2023 at 11:04 AM..
I get what youre saying now, my bad. The old pits go back into turn 3. Zoom in on your link you can barely make them out.
Looking and thinking again, there may have been so changes made back in 2010 or so when those modifieds were there so that may be why theres only 30 spots in the main section so here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0alhPAmQVk at 13:32 is a good view of pit road, and at 20:19 - 30 or so is a couple coming on pit road in 4. This was the last time I was there.
Oh and at 2.06:58, the guy with his arm extended in the white T shirt - Thats ME! I had on my Davey Allison(RIP) shirt that day, but I like Bodine too.
That's possible.. I don't recall.. Well, let's me more accurate.. I have no idea how many cars are in a standard modified race at a .625 mile track or what the max is.
Remember.. Was it Sears Point that for a while back in the early 2000's had "Gilligan's Island"?
You're on race coverage? Bastard.. Best I have is being on the "Best of Monday Nitro"
You can hardly tell its even a person, but yep, thats me.
Do you recall when the drivers would come up to Greenville afer the fall Darlington race on Labor Day? I had bought that shirt I think it was 91 at Charlotte just minutes before I ran into Davey, but he didnt have time to sign it then, and I took it to in 92 to the driver signing that next Labor day and he signed it then. Of Course he died in 93. I still have it somewhere, along with my Dale Earnhardt signed dollar bill. Ive mentioed it before a couple of years ago.
You should have been at the "BiLo" the night Ric Flair came back. I thougt that place was coming down.
You can hardly tell its even a person, but yep, thats me.
Do you recall when the drivers would come up to Greenville afer the fall Darlington race on Labor Day? I had bought that shirt I think it was 91 at Charlotte just minutes before I ran into Davey, but he didnt have time to sign it then, and I took it to in 92 to the driver signing that next Labor day and he signed it then. Of Course he died in 93. I still have it somewhere, along with my Dale Earnhardt signed dollar bill. Ive mentioed it before a couple of years ago.
You should have been at the "BiLo" the night Ric Flair came back. I thougt that place was coming down.
I vaguely remember that.. But that was the first year or two after I had come back here, and I was in college.. So.. It wasn't something that I had time (ahem, money) to get to.
That video *IS* the night that Flair came back at the Bi-Lo.. It was like the 2nd event ever there. I was on the entrance about 4 rows back from ringside. I wound up getting the sickest I have about ever been.. I always kinda blamed it on the fact that even tho it was September, our seats were cold as hell because we were sitting right above the ice with just what seemed to be a rubbermaid mat as separation. More likely than not.. Some asshat sitting next to me had the flu or something and I got it.
We wound up on screen quite a bit.. Camera panned right by us SOMEWHERE during that as we were all screaming "We want Flair!" as I was flashing the "4".
I vaguely remember that.. But that was the first year or two after I had come back here, and I was in college.. So.. It wasn't something that I had time (ahem, money) to get to.
That video *IS* the night that Flair came back at the Bi-Lo.. It was like the 2nd event ever there. I was on the entrance about 4 rows back from ringside. I wound up getting the sickest I have about ever been.. I always kinda blamed it on the fact that even tho it was September, our seats were cold as hell because we were sitting right above the ice with just what seemed to be a rubbermaid mat as separation. More likely than not.. Some asshat sitting next to me had the flu or something and I got it.
We wound up on screen quite a bit.. Camera panned right by us SOMEWHERE during that as we were all screaming "We want Flair!" as I was flashing the "4".
OH! Well Hell! I dont remember that part. Maybe I was out back then. My buddy worked security there and let me in the back entrance and I was in and out all evening.
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