Awarding a second Cup date should be based on quality racing

By Mike Smith (contact)

Friday, Dec. 5, 2008 | 7:53 p.m.

Kansas Speedway won’t receive a second Cup date by 2010 despite earlier claims by NASCAR Chairman Brian France that a second race was a distinct possibility. It turns out that plans to build a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on the property has to be pushed back because International Speedway Corporation won’t meet the completion deadline required by Kansas’ Lottery Gaming Review Board. As a result, ISC has to reapply for a casino license and it believes this process can’t be finished in time for ISC to request the second race date for 2010 from NASCAR.

But no one from ISC or NASCAR is giving up on the casino or a second Cup race. My question is why have a second Cup race at this facility at all? The racing at Kansas doesn’t exactly give the fans an adrenaline rush. Any decision to add a second date obviously has everything to do with the casino project and nothing to do with the quality of the racing at the track. And what track would lose a date so that Kansas would get two events?

Just once I think NASCAR fans deserve to have the decision to award a second race to a track based on the quality of the racing and not entirely on the bottom line. Isn’t quality racing the real product NASCAR is selling? If it isn’t, then NASCAR is nothing more that an advertising firm.

Purchase your copy of "Nuts for Racing"

This week's StockcarToon