The owner of Lowes Motor Speedway (LMS) in Concord NC is trying to build a dragstrip onsite which is good I would like to have a 1/4 mile track that close to the house, but the a neiborhood close by complained about the posssible noise and the town counsil changed the zoning for that area to ban Dragstrips. Yesterday the owner of the track told the town counsil that if they didn't let him put the dragstrip there he would close down LMS and build it somewhere else. He said he could build a new track for $350 mil. Kinda curious to see if the town council changes there mind and if he will actually move the track. He has the money he paid the town of Charlotte $50 mil to build a light rail track from the speedway to the new Nascar Hall of Fame.

 

I'm not big on Nascar, but I heard about this. All I want is the change that guy has under his couch cussions and I'd be set!

 

We vacationed in the area couple years ago. Went to the shops around Concord, up to Kannapolis and Hickory at RCR, caught the outdoor car show they had on site and saw Ralph Earnhardts #8 early car. Had a great time.
I would think NEXTEL/ATT has contracts binding him, Lowes is a great track and I guess a 1/4 mile would make hime mo' money at that. Hate to see another southern track close like Darlington.

 

Don't surprise me a bit. NASCAR is trying to run from their southern heritage as fast they can. Yes I go to Texas every year and fly my flag proudly.

 

On the news here last night the speedway at Rockingham is going to open back up just sold it to the guy who owns the driving experience i think is what they said.

 

I quit watching Nascar when they changed to the Basketball type driveoffs.

 

The track owner said yesterday that he has been offered 600 acres for a new track and has had mutiple offers from other cities. I still think that concord will cave in but only time will tell. He says he will keep it in the charlotte area and have heard that he would like to put it south of charlotte somwhere in mecklingburg county closer to the hall of fame.

 

Concord was in such a rush to annex the speedway before Charlotte got to it first. If it wasn't for the speedway Concord wouldn't be the way they are now, plus if the speedway does leave I know the City of Concord will go belly up because think of all the sporting businesses that will leave too.

 

The real story is that if they don't come to an agreement, he'd move the speedway to Charlotte from Concord, not away from the area.

 

Concord will have to cave in. Thats alot of tax money they would loose if it left not to mention all the hotels and restruants that would be affected also. They said on the news last night that Rowan Co has called and made him an offter to move it there. He aought to be able to build the dragstrip there the race track has been there since 1960 when the only other thing around was cow pastures it isn't the owner of the tracks fault that some people decided to build there house only one mile from the race track.

 

NASCAR=BORING. It hasnt been the same since Dale died. I keep trying to watch a race, but it just blows now. I bet in 50 years the tracks will all be in the far north and Cali., cars all the same, motors all the exact same being driven by robots.

 

Dale's probably rolling in his grave right now.

 

But at least he'd have a HANS device on this time...

NASCAR has gone national now, and I believe that the Frances will follow the money. If there is money to be made by forsaking their Southern roots, then they will only regret how slowly they can do it.

Darlington was just the beginning. Now it's big leagues, and it's ALL about the money. The small tracks simply can't bring enough money on a given weekend to "earn their keep". There is opportunity cost, because every weekend in a small town track is a weekend NOT spent at a huge speedway making tons more money.

Money is the only loyalty in this game.

JMO

 

Well said, it's sad to see all the shortracks with so much history abandoned

 

It will catch up with the Frances. NASCAR was a way of life for The South. Suits and soccer Moms will abandon it when something else new and "exciting" comes around. Then they will be begging for the rednecks to come and watch what now has become nothing more than a boring circus.