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Unreasonable request NASCAR's decision leaves fans out in the cold
Updated: Thursday September 20, 2001 3:28 PM
New England in November -- there's nothing like it. Cool, crisp, autumn afternoons, perfect for drinking hot cider and watching college football. Perfect even, for watching a Winston Cup race -- on television. The New Hampshire 300 was one of many sporting events postponed because of last week's terrorist attacks. It should be rescheduled, no doubt about that. Forget network TV, even forget the fans -- think simple economics. That race pumps millions into the Granite State's economy. Of course, NASCAR should make every reasonable effort to give the people what they want. Emphasis on "reasonable." Nov. 23 in New Hampshire is hardly "reasonable." Cold, yes. Snowy, possibly. Reasonable? Not likely. In case the good people down in Daytona, Florida, have forgotten their basic meteorology, they have things called "seasons" up north. And it's generally reasonable to assume that late November in New England ... it's cold. Here's a thought: Let's just throw some chains on the tires and run this puppy on Lake Winnipesaukee. Sure, the average high in New Hampshire in November is 46 degrees. Of course, that means it could be 62 degrees on Thursday and 30 degrees on Friday ... voila! An average temperature of 46 degrees! And if you think that kind of fluctuation is impossible, you haven't spent a whole lot of time in New England. The average low in New Hampshire in November? That would be 28 degrees. "I hope Buster Alton [the pace car driver], who is from North Carolina, can drive a car with snow tires," said Jim Hunter, vice president of corporate communications for NASCAR. "I think we might send him up there for some practice." Oh, and Nov. 23? That would be the day after Thanksgiving, just the day people want to roust themselves from the comfort -- and warmth -- of their homes to freeze their tails off for four or five hours of uninterrupted NASCAR fun. Sorry, Grandma, can't visit with you today, we have to go to the race! Yes, Frank, I am aware that you and your four kids drove six hours in a Chevette to spend the holiday with us, but it can't be helped -- we've got tickets to the race! "I think it's a great date," said Hunter (there's always the possibility that he was joking). "Being an eternal optimist, I think we could catch a great fall weekend up there -- sunshine, clear skies. It could be a great time to spend an afternoon in New England." And if it's not? "In the summer, our fans take their clothes off," Hunter said. "In this case, they'll just have to put more on." This time, Hunter was joking, and, of course, in reality it doesn't matter -- somehow, concerns about something as trivial as weather seem entirely selfish right now. But couldn't they come up with something else? Tahiti, perhaps? What about never? Would never have been OK with them? "No, canceling it altogether was never a consideration," Hunter said. "The sheer economic impact of a canceled event would be terrible." Makes sense ... but would switching dates with another track have been so unreasonable? Bob Bahre , whose family owns and operates the New Hampshire track, declined an offer from Texas Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith to buy the date. Such a move would necessarily upend the lives of thousands of track workers in both places, not to mention utterly destroy tens of thousands of fans' carefully laid vacation plans, but, c'mon, this is NASCAR. What are the inconsequential concerns of simple people when weighed against the need to race? "No, it couldn't be done," Hunter said. "There was absolutely no possibility of a switch. That would have been just spreading the misery, taking one track's misfortune and imposing it on another. Then there are issues like ticket packages, the complexities of how they're sold -- there are three races scheduled for New Hampshire. [Swapping] was never a consideration." So, in the end, Nov. 23 it is. Nevertheless, NASCAR does appreciate the burden it is placing on its fans. "I would say that anti-freeze for both cars and spectators will be a hot commodity," said Hunter.
Stephen Thomas covers NASCAR for CNNSI.com. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.
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