Time For NASCAR To Put Its Collective Foot Down

Let me begin by relaying a quick message to NASCAR: You run the sport, not Bruton Smith!

Last night it disturbed me considerably when I read an article that Martinsville Speedway might lose a race in order to give Kansas another.

Huh? Martinsville...Why?

Was anyone aware that last week was the first side-by-side racing we've seen since Daytona, or how relieving it was to actually go to a good short track?

And we'll take a date from there and give it to Kansas?

Kansas sells out, and I am all for giving them another date, but don't take it from Martinsville. Leave us with five short track races to run in a 36 race schedule.

Are you kidding me with the idea to take that away?

Take the date from California, which doesn't draw. This is a track that has been a mistake since we've given it two dates. They can't even draw with a free concert beforehand, while Martinsville sells out just about every time.

Plus, the TV ratings were outstanding last week for the first time in a while and yet, we want to move that date to Kansas?

NASCAR needs to put their foot down in this situation.

I am getting so sick and tired of cookie-cutter tracks. Why are we looking to give Kansas another date? Shouldn't we look at giving Darlington another date first. This is a track that sells out every time and the ratings are always high.

It would be awesome if NASCAR gave back the Southern 500 to Labor Day weekend.

Take the date away from Atlanta Motor Speedway. That race doesn't draw, and the track's biggest mistake came after it was re-configured in 1997. It became too much like every other track out there.

NASCAR is getting away from its roots, and away from where their best race tracks are.

Leave it to multi-track owner and NASCAR promoter Bruton Smith, who doesn't care about the "Best Nature of the Sport", but about how much money he is making. This is a man who threatened to black out a race at California this season because there was no sell-out.

NASCAR needs to realize that it's not about how many people show up at a track. For example, Martinsville only holds 65,000 people. However, they had their highest-rated race since Daytona thus far in 2009.

Califorina holds 200,000 people. They had 78,000 people there in February and the ratings were the lowest of any race this season.

When more people watch your sport, whether on TV or not, that is a good thing, and it's especially sweet when those people buy tickets and buy the product you are trying to sell.

Take the hint, NASCAR. We are all sick and tired of cookie-cutter tracks, so something about it.