7:03 am | August 30, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:
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Bob PockrassNASCAR
Richmond Raceway spent $30 million to reinvent its infield and create what it hopes is a great fan interactive hub during its race weekends.
One of those interactive elements was a fan walk inside the garage, where fans can nearly touch the cars as the teams work on them. Fans and crews are separated by just a simple chain rail. It’s not a garage pass — this is an area where they are actually in the garage looking from the inside of the stall at the front of the cars.
When NASCAR decided this week that the Sept. 22 event at Richmond would be an impound race, it was a little startling.
Think about it: Track builds an amenity to get fans closer to teams as they work on cars, an enticement not really offered at any other track (except Phoenix with its new infield as well). NASCAR, in its reasonable quest to streamline inspections on two-day weekends, has less time in the garage where teams are working on the cars.
The revised schedule, released Wednesday, shows that “post-qualifying” tech from Friday night will start at noon Saturday. But Richmond already has set its schedule for fan access to start at 1 p.m. for those season-ticket holders with the required passes, and 2 p.m. for non-season-ticket holders.
Anything new certainly deserves an open mind before seeing it executed for the first time. But it’s hard to push out of the mind that this fan interaction opportunity was a good idea that is now being wasted on Saturday (the day when most fans are at the track) by a new NASCAR philosophy — not a bad one, for sure — to have fewer full inspections on a race weekend.
To Richmond’s credit, its website as of Tuesday was not promoting the ability to see cars in the garage Saturday. It talks about being able to watch cars as they go through inspection stations and the other amenities for what is a $70-per-day add-on for those without season tickets.
Richmond Raceway president Dennis Bickmeier doesn’t seem worried for his new infield. The garage element will be there Friday for those with these tickets when the track is busy all day. Then on Saturday, the track will have a prerace concert, fan forums and fans will be able to get close to driver introductions and victory lane. There’s a viewing area from the infield between turns 1 and 2 that is new, and if a car goes to the garage for mechanical repairs, fans might see some work. It also will be open until an hour after the race.
“I’m not concerned with that [impound],” Bickmeier said. “The value is definitely going to be there.”
He adds: “It’s our first time through. We’re going to learn a lot.”
Bickmeier’s feelings are valid, but there also are high expectations at play here. Any adjustments to the experience would need to be made by the next race, as the venue can’t afford any long-term disappointment. The fan zone at a place such as Daytona International Speedway is bustling on a race day, and there are hopes that the Richmond area has a similar vibe.
“We’ve always gone into this on Saturday, we have to pump up the entertainment value … that’s music, driver Q&As, and you’ll see a lot of programming on the stage,” Bickmeier said. “The value is still going to be there with us bringing the drivers to them.
“On Friday, with all the practice and the cars in and out and a qualifying, there’s not a lot to program the stage. So they’ll see the car in and out of the garage [on Friday].”
Bickmeier said the fans who came to the test earlier this week, and had the view from between turns 1 and 2, left excited about the possibility of what they could see come race day. Bickmeier said he wouldn’t be surprised if fans leave their grandstand seats for this different view for at least part of the race, something they could never do before at Richmond.
“I did a lot of the tours the last two days with fans, and to walk down into the Turns 1-2 area — fans haven’t [previously] gotten down into that area to actually go through the turn. … It really provides that immersion into the sport that we were really trying to get to the fans,” Bickmeier said.
“I think the layout is delivering that.”
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