We have some bad news for all the NASCAR fans out there tonight! According to a press release from the track, tonight’s racing has been canceled due to rain.
The press release states:
“We’re sorry to announce that due to rain, the NASCAR event at the Lucas Oil Raceway has been postponed. As a result, all ticket buyers will receive a full refund today. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and hope to see everyone at the track soon. For more information, please feel free to contact us via phone or email.”
This is the second time tonight’s race has been postponed. The first postponement came at 6:30 p.m., due to heavy rain earlier in the day. The track had to be shut down for several hours while the track surface dried out. This year’s event was scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. ET, and was supposed to include the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series. A NASCAR spokesperson had no comment on the matter.
It’s The Economy, Stupid
It’s hard to put into words the feeling you get when a racing season goes by without a single cancellation. After years of struggling with a stagnant economy, we’ve finally started seeing improvement in the world of motorsport. The IndyCar Series has gone from one season to the next without a loss, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has gone 34 races without a single one, and it’s even given birth to a new racing series, the Formula E. On the other side of the pond, the World Rally Championship hasn’t had a single cancellation since it was created in 2013. One would think that with more people working and more money circulating, track operators would be scrambling to get every event on the calendar. But you’d be wrong!
It’s the economy, stupid! The tracks make the most money off of NASCAR and IndyCar events, and it’s cost them a lot of money to keep their fans happy. For decades, fans have been going to the track to watch their favorite drivers race, and for decades, the tracks have been making record amounts of money. But now that the economy is improving, fans are starting to realize that they can get the same entertainment value from home, and the tracks aren’t seeing the revenue they’re used to.
Racing Is A Family Affair
I grew up in a racing family. My father and his siblings all followed motorsport, and the car collection my uncle Kenny built was probably the largest privately owned collection in the country. We’d often head down to the track on weekends, and I have vivid memories of going to a race with my dad and uncles, riding shotgun in the back of the family car as we went around and around the track. It was a bonding experience, and something I always looked forward to.
This year has been a tough one for me personally. My father passed away in June, and two of my uncles followed suit in August. It’s been a struggle to find my bearings since, but I’m trying to be more positive. I know that my dad and my uncles are looking down on me, and they’d want me to keep going. I have a lot of support around me, and this weekend, I’m going to be doing something I’ve never done before: attending a NASCAR race alone. Ever since my dad and my uncles passed away, I’ve been talking to my mom about going to a NASCAR race with her. She always wanted to see how the drivers drive, but she’s never been overly interested in motorsport. This year, for my dad’s and my uncles’ birthdays, my mom and I are going to Penske Racing’s The Profit initiative, and I can’t wait to share this experience with her. It’ll be a little emotional, but I’m sure it’ll be fun. I hope you guys can make it down to the track this weekend, it’ll be a birthday gift for my dad and my uncles!
I love motorsport, and I’m grateful for all the opportunities it’s given me. It’s been a struggle to find my place in the world since my dad and my uncles passed away, and it’s been difficult to find a way to express myself artistically in a way that feels like it comes from my heart. But I’m working on it, and I hope you guys can continue to support me and my pursuits in motorsport. We’re going to need all the fans we can get, especially with this economy what it is now.