|
Special: ARCA Thunder presented by Rockingham Speedway
Starting Friday at 5pm (Click Listen Live)
 Back to SOZ's Main Page
Smoke and Junior Battle for Win at Rockingham North?
5/2/08: SOZ Studios, MI - By Dennis Michelsen "DMIC" (RaceTalkRadio.com)
 Out of turn four at the new Rockingham clone Junior and Stewart touch…side by side all the way to the checkered flag and the winner is…can you imagine hearing THAT on Fox Sports in a few years? OK while most of you contemplate what fumes DMIC has been sucking on his trip to the Rock let me explain. As I passed Rockingham Speedway a wild idea came to me. What if ISC or SMI rebuilt one of their existing tracks to be just like Rockingham Speedway? Instead of another cookie-cutter or flat one-mile track up in New Hampshire we would get a replica of one of the best tracks to ever appear on the NASCAR circuit! Imagine the press such a construction project would get and the great racing we would see! Crazy you say? Crazy like a fox as Junior and Smoke battle at the big market mock Rockingham!Racing Does Return to the Rock
As each of the historic tracks left the NASCAR schedule it was a sad moment in time. The sport outgrew places like North Wilkesboro and Rockingham. Even the Busch Series got too big for South Boston and Myrtle Beach. But that last race at the Rock broke my heart! At least I got to report from North Carolina Speedway for the last four Cup races held here. When the news that racing was returning to Rockingham broke last year I was shocked. This Sunday the ARCA RE/MAX Series will feature their longest race in history…the Carolina 500! You can hear all the action all weekend long right here on RaceTalkRadio including live green flag to checkers coverage on Sunday. While we can't get Cup racing back to the Rock ever, maybe there is another way to capture that excitement.
Programming Guide for Rockingham This Weekend
Friday 5pm ET- Special Edition of ARCA Thunder live from Rockingham!
Saturday 9:30am ET- Qualifying for the Carolina 500 live from Rockingham!
Sunday 10:30am ET- Special Pre-Race Edition of ARCA Thunder!
Sunday Noon ET- Live Flag to Flag Coverage of the Carolina 500! RaceTalkRadio becomes Rockingham Radio with uninterrupted coverage of all green flag laps!
Sunday After the Checkers- Special Post Race Edition of ARCA Thunder!
RaceTalkRadio's Dennis Michelsen and ARCA Insider Chris Knight are on location in Rockingham for all the exciting action of the Carolina 500
Classic Baseball Parks Now in Style
Major league baseball teams made a horrible mistake by opening up multi-purpose stadiums that lacked any personality in the 60s and 70s. Sure the facilities in many cases were top notch but they were sterile places that lacked soul. Whether it was Three Rivers Stadium or Veterans Stadium or Riverfront Stadium you could watch a game there but not make any memories because of the facility. Now walk into Wrigley Field and you can almost see the ghosts of the past turning a double play! (Or in the case of the Cubs botching one!) But now everyone building a new baseball park is thinking retro. Architects are capturing the nuances of old while also pampering fans with the modern amenities. The result is the best of both worlds and an experience that is memorable!
Classic Tracks Should Be in Style
Imagine taking a trip up to New Hampshire International Speedway in 2010 and thinking you were walking into Rockingham instead! I single out NHIS because if anyone can make this nutty idea a reality it is the folks at Speedway Motorsports! If and when a new track is built in the New York metro area maybe it can look and race like Hickory Speedway or North Wilkesboro? New race fans will get a history lesson on what racing was like back in the day but the reality is that it will be even better competition at the replica version of our favorite tracks! Do we really need another 1.5-mile track? Yes I realize that multi purpose tracks are the choice because one NASCAR race date won't make the place profitable. That is another reason NHIS is such a great test case for my crazy idea since they are only NASCAR racing now! (Modifieds and the Camping World East would put on one heck of a show at the Rockingham clone!) Fans will flock to these new retro tracks because of the novelty so selling seats won't be an issue! Hey ISC and SMI, "If you build it they will come!"
Welcome Back Old Friend
Driving past Rockingham Speedway today was a thrill! The old girl is back and will host an amazing race on Sunday. Tickets are still available so head on down and see some great racing. If you can't make it to the track enjoy live coverage from Rockingham all weekend long by going to the main page and clicking on the LISTEN LIVE button starting at 5pm ET today. (Of course you can sample our NASCAR programming via the archives or by clicking LISTEN LIVE before 5pm ET) Welcome back old friend, I thought your day of hosting races was gone for good. Racing has returned to the Rock but we sure could use a Rockingham clone in New Hampshire too!
|
  RaceTalkRadio.com's
Official Newsletter
  Want to listen to RTR
Shows? Click the listen live button!
  The New ARCA Thunder
presented by
Rockingham Speedway
Tuesday's at 8pm on RTR
   |
NASCAR® is a registered trademark owned by National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.
The Spin Out Zone is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NASCAR® or ARCA®.
The Spin Out Zone is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CBS Sports, ABC/ESPN, Fox Sports, SPEED, FX Networks, TNT,
MRN, PRN or Sirius.
The Spin Out Zone owned and operated by RaceTalkRadio.com in association with Spin Out Zone Enterprises.
Images on SpinOutZone.com are used for entertainment purposes only.
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 © Spin Out Zone
All Rights Reserved