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More than ever before, NASCAR Sprint Cup stars are making personal appearances at local race tracks. Is this just a nice fee for little work, or are these drivers actually helping promote and grow grass roots racing. The best answer I can come up with is it depends.

Ken Schrader is a great ambassador for the sport. Although no longer a big name in NASCAR circles, he travels around the U.S. making appearances. He is a genuinely nice guy, and will sign autographs until the last fan leaves happy. He will also race at local tracks he visits, and while it is tough to go to a new track and race against the regulars, he is competitive. There are others like him who will sign autographs, though not for as long, and also race. Some will sign autographs and flag or announce a race or two. These NASCAR stars earn their fee.

Others seem to want to do as little as possible, and that irritates me. Tracks routinely charge $5.00-$10.00 a ticket more on nights when a NASCAR driver appears. For that price a fan deserves “all access,” meaning an autograph, a photo, the driver racing or at least flagging or announcing, and several interviews during the night. It does not mean a driver arrives late, severely limits autographs, reluctantly allows interviews, and hides out in a hauler in between times on the track. There is nothing personal about that, and it barely qualifies as an appearance. 

Do these appearances promote and grow the local sport? That is a tough question. I truthfully do not think many fans discover the sport because of an appearance by a NASCAR driver. They focus strictly on the NASCAR driver and don’t pay enough attention to the quality of racing local drivers can provide. They show up for that one night a year then go back to their couch to get their racing fix from the TV.

Maybe six or seven years ago I-80 Speedway was a stop for the Kyle Petty Ride Across America. The track scheduled a match race between Ken Schrader and local driver Joe Kosiski, and another match race between Petty and local Mike Wallace. Steve Parks flagged those races. Other than motorcycles parading in front of the stands, fans had no other contact with any of the Petty Ride participants. Tickets were $5.00, with all proceeds going to the Victory Junction Gang camp. I have never seen as many fans at that track as showed up that night. The place was packed.

After the very few activities by Petty Ride participants the motorcycles fired up and left. So did the crowd, despite the fact that the evening also included a practice session for what is now WoO late models who had a race scheduled the next night at the track. Some of the very best dirt late model drivers were on hand, and 90% of the people left without watching them turn a lap. Few if any NASCAR fans became dirt track fans that night.

To me, the only real good done by these types of personal appearances is when the tracks make some money to put back into its weekly operations. If the track loses money, and this is not a rare occurrence, it actually takes away from resources that go to locals. I rarely go to these types of events. I am not big on autographs, and don’t care to pay extra to see a NASCAR driver race in a strange car on a strange track and finish in the middle of the pack at best.

I do not go to Carl Edwards night at I-80 Speedway, and you could not pay me to. I did not go to the Bootleggers Race of Champions at Eagle Raceway. If Kenny Wallace were racing with the USMTS nearby, I would go to the show, but not because of Wallace, rather because of the great USMTS drivers. I totally disagree with Knoxville promoters that Tony Stewart has to race in the late model nationals for it to be a success.

However, there are instances that I would pay to see NASCAR drivers on dirt tracks. My promotional genius son who toils in total obscurity has suggested an Office Depot sponsored event in which Tony Stewart races a midget against top midget drivers who are racing their way to their big time event in Belleville. That would be a great show.

Someday I hope to see the Prelude to the Dream, with all the NASCAR drivers racing late models at Eldora Speedway. No, they are NOT as good at this type of racing as the drivers who lend them cars, but it is like a Dancing With The Stars event for me. Other than Stewart they are totally out of their racing element, and it is a fun and good feeling type of event. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: dirt track racing, nascar, nascar spint cup series, tony stewart