by Brad Keppel  |  About The Author   |  Discuss

Lowes Motor Speedway just finished up a two day open test for the Nascar Sprint Cup Series. Jeff Gordon, four time cup champion, was fastest overall when the lights finally went out and everyone rolled out of there.  

Lowes Motor Speedway gave a really great opportunity for ticket holders to the upcoming Bank of America 500 in October. They set up bleachers at the start finish line, behind pit road, allowing their fans to see things from a different perspective. This gave families the ability to see all the action in the garage area and the cars from a complete different angle. Some people even took off work and drove several hundred miles just for the chance to get a glimpse of their favorite driver. Lowes Motor Speedway has done a fantastic job trying to give fans the opportunity to get behind the scenes and see what it's like in NASCAR Country. I just saw a media release today giving fans the chance to get on pit road or even be at driver introductions prior to the start of the Bank of America 500. There's even a ticket you can purchase to get you close to the stage as Jessica Simpson performs the pre race concert. Come on guys how can you pass that one up?

  All these perks and some that I haven't mentioned are an attempt to bring the sport back to the fans. I feel that over the years the fans are getting farther away from their heroes of the sport. I see little kids and adults alike mesmerized by a Jr. sighting or being close to the actual car they watch faithfully every weekend. The fans and the track owners seem to be the ones that are paying the price for the rising popularity of the sport we have all come to love. Driver access has become harder and harder as the demands by corporate sponsors have increased and the driver’s schedules just become too packed. That's why I think it's so cool that the tracks are trying to bridge that gap and nobody does it better than Lowes Motor Speedway here in Charlotte. The reason for their approach is, of course, this is NASCAR Country. Everything and everybody are right here so logistically they can do it. The problem I see is that the fans are unable to get out to the tracks like they have in the past with the price of fuel and lack of disposable income. With all the change that we see on the news everyday what is going to happen to the sport? Are sponsors going to be able to pay the big bucks they have in the past? Will the track owners and sponsor's be able to continue increasing the purses?

I feel the team owners need to start having their driver's start paying back the fans for their support. Instead of the driver going to the corporate suite and signing a few autographs let him go back to the souvenir hauler like they used to. I know that there are some drivers that still go out and sign autographs and talk with their fans but I feel they should all be required to do it. Let's give something back to the fans and get them closer to the drivers. Times are tough for everyone right now and maybe having the opportunity to see their hero up close will make these times more bearable. 

You can contact Brad at bkeppel@speedwaymedia.com

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