Gentlemen, start your engines (Charlotte, Concord: credit, condos, work)

[SunnyKayak]

A good way to impress the owner and sponsor.

I thought about it last night why it isnt mention in these forums like other sports is the sport is about the drivers and not about a team per say. For instance in Football you are either pulling for Pittsburgh Steelers or Oakland Oilers and alot of the residents of those states back their team up from the state they are from.

It kinda why there so much friction over Jeff Gordon being that he is from CA in a sport that is popular in the southern culture.
This why events at Lowes has alot of tourists over residents due to Charlotte population is mostly transplant who never been to a race.

[Buffsalum]

Perhaps the lack of interest in the Charlotte forum has a lot to do with what is mentioned in the following article. Here's an excerpt:

"Anyway, I recently moved from Charlotte, N.C., clearly NASCAR's main hub, to the Midwestern town of Kokomo. Nervous I would lose touch with the sport, I've learned that's hardly the case.

In fact, I feel more connected to the sport's fan base than I did living in the self-proclaimed NASCAR capital of the world where I could see the sanctioning body's headquarters from my mid-rise condo and could hear construction crews building NASCAR's new Hall of Fame.

I say that because in uptown Charlotte, I felt fans were a bit closeted living in the bright and shiny banking community. They had to maintain the metropolitan attitude the city boasts and wouldn't be caught dead with a NASCAR decal in the rear window of their foreign import."

NASCAR.COM - NASCAR town pride strong outside of Charlotte area - Feb 8, 2008

Charlotte is becoming more cosmopolitan and with the influx of people from parts other than the south, no wonder there is less interest.

[SunnyKayak]

Wow coming from someone who moved to a unknown town called Kokomo

I love how the sport has used technology to make the TV version an experience.

I wish they take away the nanny behavior that Nascar is pushing with too many rules and regulations.

Tony Stewart has it coming with this weekend ordeal with Kurt Busch and I would like to see someone set his attitude in place or least watch the pay back during the season.

I hope with H.O.F. that in future Wilkesboro and Rockingham would open back up maybe as Motorcross or something similar. They both would be good for go cart racing.

[mm34b]

Originally Posted by SunnyKayak

:
I hope with H.O.F. that in future Wilkesboro and Rockingham would open back up maybe as Motorcross or something similar. They both would be good for go cart racing.

Rockingham is back in business for 2008.

ARCA RE/MAX Series Series car owner and former driver "Indiana" Andy Hillenburg who owns Fast Track High Performance Driving School, paid $4.4 million for the track. Hillenburg plans changes to the circuit, including adding a Legends Car oval. Just hours after closing the deal for the sale, he called some sanctioning bodies to arrange dates for his new circuit. He hopes to have NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Camping World East Series races at the track in the future. The road-racing course has also been restored for road racing events.

A 500-kilometer ARCA RE/MAX Series race will take place on the weekend of May 3-4, 2008, featuring two rounds of qualifying and practice on Saturday and the Carolina 500k on Sunday. Hillenburg also announced it will be the richest race on the 2008 ARCA schedule and feature a starting field of fifty cars.

The USAR Hooters Procup Series has announced that the track will host the championship final for the 2008 Four Champions playoff on November 1, 2008.

Rockingham Speedway

In my opinion, the best Kart track for professional and amateurs is at VIR near Milton, NC. The local NASCAR teams also test there before leaving for Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California each year. The test day is scheduled for May 29th this year. It's open to the public for $10 admission.

2007 NASCAR Test Day Photos - VIRginia International Raceway - Stock Car Open Test Days

VIRginia International Raceway

[Buffsalum]

Originally Posted by mm34b

In my opinion, the best Kart track for professional and amateurs is at VIR near Milton, NC.

Are there any go kart tracks closer to Charlotte or in Western NC/Northwestern South Carolina? I just moved to Rutherfordton and want to get my boys into go kart racing.

Tony Stewart has had it coming for a long time. I think NASCAR should just let it play out... you know that Kurt Busch will have more to say (or do) on this one... and that is what makes racing so enjoyable to watch, IMO

Personally, it was nice to see Jr. do so well in an Hendricks car. He may finally have a shot at winning a decent number of races... now that his motor won't be blowing up on him all the time.

[Deez Nuttz]

I think car racist is one of the biggest sports here....when I hear about most any type of racing. NC comes into the picture fast....be in Charlotte motor speedway, or Rockingham or even old tales about moonshiners in the mountains in their souped up 40's Fords and Dodges with the cops in hot pursuit after them.

[mm34b]

Originally Posted by Buffsalum

Are there any go kart tracks closer to Charlotte or in Western NC/Northwestern South Carolina? I just moved to Rutherfordton and want to get my boys into go kart racing.

NC Outdoor Kart Tracks
Albemarle Speedway, Elizabeth City, NC
Antioch Speedway, Morganton, NC
Bear Creek Raceway, Dobson, NC
Cameron Raceway, Cameron, NC
Caswell County Raceway, Leasburg, NC
Coleridge Speedway, Ramseur, NC
Concord Motorsport Park, Concord, NC
County Line Raceway, Elm City, NC
Hammer Down Speedway, Red Springs, NC
Highway 24 Raceway, Richlands, NC
Johnston County Speedway, Garner, NC
Liberty Raceway, Staley, NC
Lowe's Motor Speedway, Charlotte, NC
Margarettsville Speedway, Margarettsville, NC
Millbridge Speedway, Salisbury, NC
North Carolina Speedway, Rockingham
Orange County Speedway, Rougemont, NC
Pamlico Kart Club, Grantsboro, NC
Riverside Raceway Park, Mayodan, NC
Riverside Speedway, Tar Hill, NC
Schloss Speedway, Louisburg, NC
Southern Pitt Raceway, Ayden, NC
State Line Speedway, Lawsonville, NC
Table Rock Speedway, Morganton, NC
NC Indoor Kart Tracks
Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC

[ultgar]

Originally Posted by mm34b

North Carolina native, Dale Jr. wins tonight's Budweiser Shootout in Daytona.

We purchased a house in Mooresville last year (I'm still trying to make the full time move down from NJ) and it seems the Earnhardt name is legendary around here. When Dale Sr died, they renamed the road that DEI is on to Highway #3 . Ironically, even the Catholic church in town is called St. Theresa . SD

[anifani821]

I think part of the "low key" response you get from locals here in NC is that we grew up w/ racing b/f racing was "cool." Many of us grew up watching local races at dirt tracks on Sat nite. My dad helped pay his way through college by selling concessions and programs on Sat nite at the local race track.

So for those of us who go waaaaaaay back - and are natives - racing is not the glamorous sport that we see promoted today. Doesn't mean we aren't into it! Just means we are really laid back about it.

Also, many of us grew up with - or around - the race car drivers who are from this area. They are our "local celebrities" so we are protective of their privacy.

[Buffsalum]

Thanks mm34b. It looks like I've got a lot of tracks to choose from. However, VIR looks like it has a great motorsports summer camp for kids.