With Thanksgiving behind us, it’s time to turn the focus toward crowning Jimmie Johnson with another NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. That is certainly nothing new as of late, but something is a little different this year.
For the first time since the early 1980s, the banquet will not be held in New York. Instead, Wednesday, the Talladega team and I will head to Las Vegas for the start of something new – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series banquet at the Wynn.
I, for one, have always enjoyed going to New York. Over the years, it’s like any other place, you get accustomed to things, you know where the good restaurants are and you just know your way around. But I can tell you it wasn’t that way the very first time I went to New York back in 1993. Much like how I feel about going to Vegas this year, I had no idea what to expect.
One thing is for sure, the Sprint Cup Series banquet is always a good time and Las Vegas always does a good job of hosting events. Therefore, it should be another great time as we honor Jimmie Johnson and his team for a fourth consecutive year.
I will send another blog Thursday to let you know how everything is going. Stay tuned.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
November 24, 2009
If you sit down and really consider what Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus accomplished when the checkered flag fell on the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, it’s very impressive. I was very impressed last year when he won his third straight championship, accomplishing a feat that only Cale Yarborough achieved more than 30 years earlier.
I attended my first race at North Carolina Speedway in 1979, the season Yarborough was going for his fourth straight championship. He was driving for Junior Johnson that year and despite four wins, 19 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes in 31 races, he came up short in his bid for what Jimmie Johnson accomplished this season.
In our sport, I have always felt like there are some records that will never be broken. Richard Petty’s 200 wins as well as the seven championships that Petty and Dale Earnhardt have accomplished. I believe I will put Jimmie Johnson’s four straight titles right alongside the feats mentioned above, although I’m not so sure the seven championships might be within reach.
Whether you’re a fan of Jimmie Johnson and his team or not, you’ve got tip your hat to what they’ve been able to do in the last four seasons. Congratulations.
Now, let’s get started on the debate of who will stop them from winning a fifth straight Sprint Cup Series title. After all, it’s only 81 days until the 2010 Daytona 500.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
I attended my first race at North Carolina Speedway in 1979, the season Yarborough was going for his fourth straight championship. He was driving for Junior Johnson that year and despite four wins, 19 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes in 31 races, he came up short in his bid for what Jimmie Johnson accomplished this season.
In our sport, I have always felt like there are some records that will never be broken. Richard Petty’s 200 wins as well as the seven championships that Petty and Dale Earnhardt have accomplished. I believe I will put Jimmie Johnson’s four straight titles right alongside the feats mentioned above, although I’m not so sure the seven championships might be within reach.
Whether you’re a fan of Jimmie Johnson and his team or not, you’ve got tip your hat to what they’ve been able to do in the last four seasons. Congratulations.
Now, let’s get started on the debate of who will stop them from winning a fifth straight Sprint Cup Series title. After all, it’s only 81 days until the 2010 Daytona 500.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
November 16, 2009
The season wraps up this week with the Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway and for some it will be a sad day, for others the checkered flag can’t come fast enough.
For some in the sport who have been traveling week in and week out, Sunday evening will be a welcome sight. However, don’t be fooled with misnomer of ‘off-season’ that is used to describe December and January. The sport is very busy during these two months with banquets mixed in with the holidays, as well as adjusting and adapting to the many changes that are typical between seasons.
When I traveled the circuit for several years, there was a lot of enjoyment and excitement from one stop to the next. And when Atlanta, the season-finale back then, rolled around, I would always think I was excited for the end of the season. Back then, it would usually take me about a week before I would start missing all of the travel and excitement that comes with our sport.
Although I don’t travel the entire circuit, there’s still that excitement around my house for another champion to be crowned and another season of NASCAR racing to be put in the record books.
But if it’s like any other year at my house, shortly after Thanksgiving, we’ll start our countdown to the Daytona 500 and the start of another season.
For some in the sport who have been traveling week in and week out, Sunday evening will be a welcome sight. However, don’t be fooled with misnomer of ‘off-season’ that is used to describe December and January. The sport is very busy during these two months with banquets mixed in with the holidays, as well as adjusting and adapting to the many changes that are typical between seasons.
When I traveled the circuit for several years, there was a lot of enjoyment and excitement from one stop to the next. And when Atlanta, the season-finale back then, rolled around, I would always think I was excited for the end of the season. Back then, it would usually take me about a week before I would start missing all of the travel and excitement that comes with our sport.
Although I don’t travel the entire circuit, there’s still that excitement around my house for another champion to be crowned and another season of NASCAR racing to be put in the record books.
But if it’s like any other year at my house, shortly after Thanksgiving, we’ll start our countdown to the Daytona 500 and the start of another season.
Friday, November 13, 2009
November 13, 2009
I had a great opportunity Thursday to talk with a group of students from Troy University. They were part of the Health and Physiology Club from the university and all of them had something in common – an interest in sports.
I could tell by some of the questions, that some of these young adults have an interest in NASCAR racing and even an interest in maybe one day working in the sport. Which brings me to a question I get asked pretty frequently ‘how did you get started in the sport?’
There are certainly different paths to take and it also depends on what path you want to take. To be a driver, the path likely will be different from someone wanting to get into the public relations side of the business. For me, the direction I took went through the public relations department at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Through an internship at Charlotte, I was able learn some valuable lessons, as well as make some contacts that still help me today. That certainly was a great opportunity that I was afforded.
As I told the group from Troy Thursday no matter what their desires might be, if internships or opportunities come up, take advantage up them and put all of your effort into it. You never know where it might lead.
I could tell by some of the questions, that some of these young adults have an interest in NASCAR racing and even an interest in maybe one day working in the sport. Which brings me to a question I get asked pretty frequently ‘how did you get started in the sport?’
There are certainly different paths to take and it also depends on what path you want to take. To be a driver, the path likely will be different from someone wanting to get into the public relations side of the business. For me, the direction I took went through the public relations department at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Through an internship at Charlotte, I was able learn some valuable lessons, as well as make some contacts that still help me today. That certainly was a great opportunity that I was afforded.
As I told the group from Troy Thursday no matter what their desires might be, if internships or opportunities come up, take advantage up them and put all of your effort into it. You never know where it might lead.
Monday, November 9, 2009
November 9, 2009
It’s the week after and fan feedback continues to come. Some choose emails, some mail letters and others use some form of social media – Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Social media is a new faze that I have really come to enjoy. It’s also a new way for us to communicate with our fans – whether it’s a new offer, a new amenity or just the opportunity to have a conversation with our fans. When we started our Facebook page, I’m not sure we knew exactly what to expect. We have more than 12,000 friends on Facebook who we are able to provide feedback and information. But the best part about it is, those 12,000+ fans are able to provide us with valuable feedback and information as well.
Some of the feedback we are getting is about the on-track activity that occurred during the AMP Energy 500. Fans both at the track and at home watching it on television has expressed they thought the race was boring. While it might not have been what you’ve seen in the past at TSS, I believe it was far from boring. What do we use to define a good race in our sport? At Talladega we base it on lead changes and the number of different drivers who might lead the race. On Nov. 1, there were 58 lead changes among 25 drivers. The number of lead changes fall within the top 10 in the history of our sport and the most this season.
Even with that said, we have been responding to feedback all week to let our fans know that we hear their concerns. And much like we do in other instances, we will get to all of the right people to make sure our fans concerns are heard and addressed where possible. I appreciate the input and the staff here at TSS appreciate the input, so keep it coming.
Social media is a new faze that I have really come to enjoy. It’s also a new way for us to communicate with our fans – whether it’s a new offer, a new amenity or just the opportunity to have a conversation with our fans. When we started our Facebook page, I’m not sure we knew exactly what to expect. We have more than 12,000 friends on Facebook who we are able to provide feedback and information. But the best part about it is, those 12,000+ fans are able to provide us with valuable feedback and information as well.
Some of the feedback we are getting is about the on-track activity that occurred during the AMP Energy 500. Fans both at the track and at home watching it on television has expressed they thought the race was boring. While it might not have been what you’ve seen in the past at TSS, I believe it was far from boring. What do we use to define a good race in our sport? At Talladega we base it on lead changes and the number of different drivers who might lead the race. On Nov. 1, there were 58 lead changes among 25 drivers. The number of lead changes fall within the top 10 in the history of our sport and the most this season.
Even with that said, we have been responding to feedback all week to let our fans know that we hear their concerns. And much like we do in other instances, we will get to all of the right people to make sure our fans concerns are heard and addressed where possible. I appreciate the input and the staff here at TSS appreciate the input, so keep it coming.
Friday, November 6, 2009
November 6, 2009
The week after a race is typically one of the more depressing weeks of the year. We spend six months preparing for an event and we ride that adrenaline right up until Monday morning after the race, and then it’s all gone. People always ask me, ‘man, it must be nice to see all those campers leave on Monday morning?’ My response is the same every time, ‘if that was the case, I would change jobs.’
But we have had some things going on around here this week, with the Nationwide test for the new car on Monday and the construction crews moving in equipment for the grandstand renovation. The new car test seemed to go very well and NASCAR seemed to be pleased with what they saw. The new car will not debut at TSS until 2011, but will be at Daytona in July of 2010.
Wednesday I sat in on a construction meeting concerning the grandstand renovations and realized just how choreographed this project has to be. They have started taking out the seats and demolishing the concrete pillars where the seats were. As you can imagine, these contractors are on a pretty tight timeline and understand the urgency – they have to be finished with Phase 1 before the Aaron’s Dream Weekend. There are no other options.
This reminds me of 2006 when we paved the track for the first time 25+ years. There were a lot anxious people during that project, because without a race track we couldn’t have a race. That was the first thing the contractor was told when they got the job to re-pave the track and they were reminded daily. In the end, the drivers gave the paving crew a standing ovation at the driver’s meeting, and maybe at the end of the grandstand project, another standing ovation will be given.
But we have had some things going on around here this week, with the Nationwide test for the new car on Monday and the construction crews moving in equipment for the grandstand renovation. The new car test seemed to go very well and NASCAR seemed to be pleased with what they saw. The new car will not debut at TSS until 2011, but will be at Daytona in July of 2010.
Wednesday I sat in on a construction meeting concerning the grandstand renovations and realized just how choreographed this project has to be. They have started taking out the seats and demolishing the concrete pillars where the seats were. As you can imagine, these contractors are on a pretty tight timeline and understand the urgency – they have to be finished with Phase 1 before the Aaron’s Dream Weekend. There are no other options.
This reminds me of 2006 when we paved the track for the first time 25+ years. There were a lot anxious people during that project, because without a race track we couldn’t have a race. That was the first thing the contractor was told when they got the job to re-pave the track and they were reminded daily. In the end, the drivers gave the paving crew a standing ovation at the driver’s meeting, and maybe at the end of the grandstand project, another standing ovation will be given.
Monday, November 2, 2009
November 2, 2009
Well, I’m not sure where to even begin to start to wrap up the AMP Energy 500 weekend. I guess the best word to use to describe it is WOW!
We had a little bit of everything happen this weekend, as we wrapped up our 40th anniversary season and kicked of a new tradition – HALLOW-DEGA. I guess when TSS got its new date for 2009, I’m not sure I knew what to expect or how well the fans would embrace it. Well, based on what I saw Saturday and Saturday night walking around the stadium, HALLOW-DEGA was certainly celebrated in great fashion at TSS. The parties and bands at the Corporate Display Saturday night were wonderful and it was a pleasure to meet some fans. I met one family who started coming to TSS when they were pregnant with their first child 5 years ago. With them Saturday night was their 5-year-old daughter and their 17-month-old son. They were really enjoying the festivities and told me they planned to make this a yearly event for them and their family. And the Zac Brown Band concert was phenomenal and very well attended. They put on a great show.
Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray left TSS as winners. Kyle won the Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Fred’s Saturday and Jamie ran up front all day and was able to claim his first Talladega victory. Both events were good races, I thought. Once again there were more than 50 lead changes in the Sprint Cup Series race at TSS. And when you consider we have only 188 laps or opportunities for a lead change to be scored, that’s pretty impressive.
Mother Nature threw us a curve over the weekend, and we had some rain race week that we certainly didn’t need. However, I continue to be amazed and excited about the patience and passion our fans have sometimes. With all of the weather, our parking lots and campgrounds were wet in some areas. Despite that, every fan I talked with said they were having a good time.
So with the AMP Energy 500 weekend complete, I always get the response, “well, I guess you’ll take Monday after the race off, right?” Not hardly. This morning we started demolition this morning on our lower grandstand project. I was able to get on a piece of machinery and start the demolition myself. That was enjoyable. This $13 million job will widen the seats and rows in the grandstand along the frontstretch. It’s going to be an exciting project to watch. We will do the first phase to be ready in time for the Aaron’s Dream weekend, while the remainder of the project will be ready in time for the 2010 AMP Energy 500.
Oh yeah, did I mention several Nationwide Series cars are here testing their new car?
We had a little bit of everything happen this weekend, as we wrapped up our 40th anniversary season and kicked of a new tradition – HALLOW-DEGA. I guess when TSS got its new date for 2009, I’m not sure I knew what to expect or how well the fans would embrace it. Well, based on what I saw Saturday and Saturday night walking around the stadium, HALLOW-DEGA was certainly celebrated in great fashion at TSS. The parties and bands at the Corporate Display Saturday night were wonderful and it was a pleasure to meet some fans. I met one family who started coming to TSS when they were pregnant with their first child 5 years ago. With them Saturday night was their 5-year-old daughter and their 17-month-old son. They were really enjoying the festivities and told me they planned to make this a yearly event for them and their family. And the Zac Brown Band concert was phenomenal and very well attended. They put on a great show.
Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray left TSS as winners. Kyle won the Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Fred’s Saturday and Jamie ran up front all day and was able to claim his first Talladega victory. Both events were good races, I thought. Once again there were more than 50 lead changes in the Sprint Cup Series race at TSS. And when you consider we have only 188 laps or opportunities for a lead change to be scored, that’s pretty impressive.
Mother Nature threw us a curve over the weekend, and we had some rain race week that we certainly didn’t need. However, I continue to be amazed and excited about the patience and passion our fans have sometimes. With all of the weather, our parking lots and campgrounds were wet in some areas. Despite that, every fan I talked with said they were having a good time.
So with the AMP Energy 500 weekend complete, I always get the response, “well, I guess you’ll take Monday after the race off, right?” Not hardly. This morning we started demolition this morning on our lower grandstand project. I was able to get on a piece of machinery and start the demolition myself. That was enjoyable. This $13 million job will widen the seats and rows in the grandstand along the frontstretch. It’s going to be an exciting project to watch. We will do the first phase to be ready in time for the Aaron’s Dream weekend, while the remainder of the project will be ready in time for the 2010 AMP Energy 500.
Oh yeah, did I mention several Nationwide Series cars are here testing their new car?
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