2011 NASCAR SCHEDULE Silly Season Thread

by AntmanB Mon Sep 19, 2011 7:08 pm

Where aare the top 3 series running in 2011?

Here's What's Been Announced so Far.................

Martinsville race dates stay the same in 2012: Martinsville Speedway’s 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule will have a familiar look to it. Martinsville’s two 2012 Sprint Cup races will fall on the same weekends as they did in 2011. The Goody's Fast Relief 500 is scheduled for April 1 while the TUMS Fast Relief 500 will be on October 28. The Goody’s Fast Relief 500 will be the sixth race of the season while the TUMS Fast Relief 500 will be the seventh race in the NASCAR Chase for Sprint Cup.(Martinsville PR)(9-19-2011)

Iowa Speedway releases 2012 schedule: Iowa Speedway officials on Saturday night unveiled a 2012 schedule that features an extra race weekend and a second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event. The Camping World Truck Series, which attracted an announced crowd of 24,408 in July for the Coca-Cola 200 at Iowa Speedway, will stage a race on July 14, 2012 and circle back around to Newton for another race on Sept. 15. Race fans could also have two opportunities to watch Danica Patrick next year in her first full-time season on the NASCAR Nationwide circuit. Patrick announced last month that she planned to leave IndyCar in 2012 to race a full Nationwide schedule and part-time on the Sprint Cup series. For the second consecutive year, Iowa Speedway will stage two Nationwide races. The Nationwide series and NASCAR K&N East/West Challenge will race in Newton on May 19-20 and again on Aug. 3-4.(Des Moines Register)(9-18-2011)

NASCAR returns to Watkins Glen August 9-12, 2012: The Glenora Wine Cellars U.S. Vintage Grand Prix presented by Welliver marked the finale of the 2011 race season at Watkins Glen International and the historic road course is already looking ahead to 2012. WGI is proud to announce that during the weekend of August 9-12, The Soul of American Road Racing will host the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the 27th consecutive time on Sunday, August 12. The Zippo 200 NASCAR Nationwide and Canadian Tire 200 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series races will both return on Saturday, August 11. Moved from the traditional weekend a season ago, this is the second-consecutive year that Watkins Glen International is set to host NASCAR the second weekend of August.(WGI)(9-15-2011)

Richmond announces 2012 dates: On the heels of what many race fans are calling one of the best races at Richmond International Raceway in years and the most entertaining race of the 2011 season, track officials announced that America's Premier Short Track will again host two NASCAR weekends in 2012. Next season Richmond International Raceway will feature NASCAR racing April 26-28 and September 7-8. The spring weekend features the second annual Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race on Thursday night, April 26; the NASCAR Nationwide Series on Friday night, April 27 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on Saturday night, April 28. The Saturday, September 8 date again features the final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event before the Chase cutoff, rendering the Wonderful Pistachios 400 as the "One Last Race to Make The Chase." The weekend begins Friday, September 7, with the NASCAR Nationwide Series race.(RIR)(9-15-2011)

Vegas race dates moves back two weeks: Nevada’s largest annual sports weekend has a new date for 2012. Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s NASCAR Weekend is scheduled for March 9-11, 2012, a week later than in recent years. Again in 2012, the Kobalt Tools 400 is scheduled to be the third stop on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour. The 2012 event will mark the 15th visit of NASCAR’s most elite series to Las Vegas’s 1.5-mile superspeedway. The Sam’s Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series event will precede the NASCAR Sprint Cup event on Saturday, March 10. Stratosphere Pole Day for the Kobalt Tools 400 will be held Friday, March 9. “We’re very excited about this new date,” said Chris Powell, LVMS general manager. “Even though we’re just a few months removed from this past year’s event, we already are in the process of renewing tickets for the 2012 event, and the renewals are coming in at a strong pace. NASCAR Weekend in Las Vegas has become one of the most significant events on the motorsports calendar, as evidenced by the tremendous crowds that turn out all three days. The new date should further increase the anticipation that race fans have for this event.” The 2011 event drew more than 300,000 people to LVMS and generated more than $198 million for the local economy. Times for all events will be announced at a later date. FOX Sports will televise the Kobalt Tools 400 for the 12th consecutive year. Television information for the Sam’s Town 300 will be announced later. Tickets as well as Neon Garage, Lucky 7 Preferred parking and driver introduction passes are on sale now by logging on to lvms.com or calling 1-800-644-4444.(LVMS)(9-9-2011)

Rockingham to make announcement - Trucks? UPDATE Governor Bev Perdue and Rockingham Speedway owner, Andy Hillenburg are scheduled to make a joint announcement on the facility’s growth and the potential economic boost it will have to Richmond County, the city of Rockingham and the state of North Carolina (Rockingham Speedway), rumor has it that the track will get a NASCAR Truck Series race in 2012.(9-3-2011)
AND: Rockingham Speedway will host a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, tentatively scheduled for the second weekend of April 2012, sources have told ESPN The Magazine. The event will mark the track's first NASCAR event since the then-Winston Cup Series held its 78th and final race at "The Rock" on Feb. 22, 2004.(ESPN)(9-3-2011)
UPDATE: Rockingham Speedway announced that Richmond County and the city of Rockingham, N.C., will once again be home to NASCAR-sanctioned racing with the addition of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 on April 15, 2012.
“In 2007, we set a goal to return Rockingham Speedway to its roots,” states Andy Hillenburg, president of Rockingham Speedway. “The introduction of the truck series to Rockingham Speedway is representative of years of hard work and the support of the county, city and state government officials, who understood the positive economic impact a NASCAR-sanctioned race could offer to the Piedmont region. We are very excited about this news and know our supporters are just as proud to have Rockingham’s national racing roots become a reality once again.”
Good Sam Club, the world's largest RV owners’ organization will serve as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Rockingham Speedway, while Cheerwine, legendary soft drink of the south will serve as presenting sponsor. “We are thrilled about the return of NASCAR racing at Rockingham Speedway and we're even more excited to have a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event on the schedule for 2012," said Marcus Lemonis, chairman and CEO of Camping World & Good Sam. "The Rock has a rich tradition of hosting tough racing and thrilling finishes, and we expect the same to hold true next April. We look forward to being a part of next year's race and exposing those avid fans to the Good Sam RV products and services.”
Rockingham Speedway, affectionately known as “The Rock,” will begin safety improvements to its race track this fall. One improvement will include the installation of a Steel and Foam Energy Reduction barrier, known as the SAFER barrier system, which is a required feature for all top three tier NASCAR-sanctioned race tracks to help improve driver safety. Additional upgrades will be made to the track’s scoring system and pit road, as well as other aesthetic improvements. “NASCAR is looking forward to returning to Rockingham Speedway with a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event in 2012,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice-president for Racing Operations. “The fans and community have shown strong support and the track is making significant improvements to its facility. We appreciate all the hard work by Andy Hillenburg and his staff to get to this point. It should be a fun event.”(NASCAR)(9-7-2011)

Kentucky Speedway gets 2012 Sprint Cup race date: NASCAR's Sprint Cup racing series will return to the Kentucky Speedway. Track officials revealed Tuesday that on June 30, 2012 the track will host its next major race. Before a State Senate Transportation Committee Tuesday, Mark Simendinger, the track's general manager said NASCAR is satisfied scenes like what happened earlier this summer won't happen again. However, the senators had plenty of tough questions of their own. Among the thousands of people who got tied up in traffic on the way to the Kentucky Speedway's inaugural Sprint Cup race was State Senator Bob Leeper (I-Paducah). "I was one of those people," Leeper said. "I have my tickets here." Simendinger once again took full responsibility for the traffic mess. "We do not want to have this issue again," Simendinger said. "I can't stress that to you guys enough." Simendinger said the track and state transportation officials think they can avoid similar parking and traffic problems in the future with planned improvements - more parking, more lanes and better traffic flow. "I want enough parking, enough lanes, I want them moving fast enough so that, and we didn't build this track and we're not spending all this money to just be ok," said Simendinger. It's not just the Speedway spending money. Improvements also come at an almost $4 million price tag to the state and that brought the most criticism from senators. Kentucky Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock told senators that the cabinet's main concern is keeping I-71 moving and the state was going to have to spend the money to do that on NASCAR weekends. Simendinger said the state improvements were part of the plan the Speedway pitched to NASCAR before NASCAR agreed Kentucky could have another Sprint Cup race next year.(Wave News)(9-7-2011)

Changes in Talladega 2012 race dates: Talladega Superspeedway announced that the 2012 Aaron’s Dream Weekend returns to a traditional place on the calendar; May 4-6. The 2012 Talladega 500 Weekend also moves up on the calendar to October 5-7. Talladega historically held a race in May from 1971 through 1994. The shift in dates should bring a favorable change in the weather that has affected the past two spring weekends at Talladega Superspeedway. May historically is a drier and less stormy month than April in Alabama. “We approached NASCAR about changing the date of the Aaron’s Dream Weekend and have been extremely pleased with their cooperation and flexibility,” said Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch. “May is a great month to visit Alabama and we look forward to welcoming all our race fans. As one of the most historical tracks in NASCAR, it’s great to see another tradition return to Talladega.” Race fans don’t have to wait until 2012 to experience the excitement of a Talladega race weekend. True southern hospitality combined with the most competitive racing in NASCAR awaits race fans during the Oct. 21 -23 Talladega 500 Weekend. For tickets, call the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket Office today at 1-877-Go2-DEGA. Guests that purchase their tickets in advance have the opportunity to save over those who purchase during race week. Tickets are also available online at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.(TSS)(9-6-2011)

Kansas announces 2012 race dates: Kansas Speedway officials announced that the facility will again host two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekends in 2012, albeit both will be held on different surfaces, and the spring event weekend has moved to April to ensure the recently announced track improvements are completed. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns with the inaugural SFP 250 on Saturday, April 21 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns with the STP 400 on April 22, 2012, which will be the final race at the facility under its current design and with the current racing surface. When NASCAR returns to Kansas Speedway for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Kansas Lottery 300 on Oct. 20 and the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Hollywood Casino 400 on Oct. 21, 2012, race teams will need to throw out the notes they have cultivated over the past decade at the facility and prepare for a new racing surface that includes banking up to 20 degrees. Remaining 2011 events at Kansas Speedway include the Hollywood Casino 400 on Oct. 9, the Kansas Lottery 300 on Oct. 8 and the Kansas Lottery 98.9 on Oct. 7 and tickets for all events are on sale now by calling 866.460.RACE (7223) or by logging onto kansasspeedway.com. Parking is always free at Kansas Speedway and fans can bring in one 14x14x14-inch soft-sided cooler with their favorite food and beverages.(Kansas Speedway)(9-2-2011)

Texas Motor Speedway announces 2012 schedule: Texas Motor Speedway's 2012 racing schedule will feature the opening Saturday night race of the Sprint Cup Series season, the eighth race in the Chase and the only twin racing format in the IndyCar Series as part of its 10-day, 15-event motorsports season. The Samsung Mobile 500 and AAA Texas 500 will highlight the start and culmination of the Sprint Cup season, respectively, while the Firestone Twin 275s will once again be the most unique event on the IndyCar Series schedule. The Samsung Mobile 500 will mark the first Saturday night race of the Sprint Cup season on April 14 while the AAA Texas 500 returns Sunday, Nov. 4, as the eighth stop in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoff format. The Firestone Twin 275s - the first twin races in IndyCar Series history that debuted last year - will follow the Indianapolis 500 and an off week on Saturday, June 9. The 2012 schedule will once again feature two visits by all three major series in NASCAR - Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the Camping World Truck Series - and sandwich the single visit by the IndyCar Series in the summer. Start times for each event will be announced at a later date.(TMS)(8-245-2011)

MIS will have two Cup races in 2012: Michigan International Speedway is set to host two NASCAR Sprint Cup races again in 2012. Track president Roger Curtis says he has signed sanctioning agreements. The first race is scheduled for June 17 and the second for Aug. 19. MIS has hosted at least two NASCAR races every year since 1969, with the lone exception in 1973. Following Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400, the two-mile speedway will be completely resurfaced for the first time since 1995, at a cost of $7 million. Curtis says the track has had $60 million in improvements the last five years.(Detroit Free Press)(8-20-2011)

Pocono goes from 500 to 400 mile races in 2012 UPDATE: Pocono Raceway President Brandon Igdalski told Sirius XM NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that cutting the track's two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races from 500 miles to 400 next season is "being considered". "We're looking at things, but we haven't made that decision quite yet," said Igdalski. "We're looking at it for the future, whether it's this year, next year, or a couple of years down the road. It's a different sport and a different time than it was years ago, and we're always looking at things." Igdalski took the helm of the historic tri-oval when his grandfather, track founder Dr. Joseph Mattioli, announced his retirement Friday. Igdalski said he was unaware of his grandfather's plans, adding, "We got a call about 30 minutes beforehand saying, `Be in the Media Center in half an hour.' I had no idea he was going to retire. My jaw hit the ground."(Sirius Speedway)(8-10-2011)

UPDATE: Pocono Raceway's first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was in 1974, a second Sprint Cup Series race was added to the Pocono schedule in 1982. Sunday's Good Sam RV Insurance 500 was the 68thSprint Cup Series at Pocono Raceway. Each race was scheduled for 500 miles and each produced its share of drama and excitement. Starting with the June 10, 2012 Pocono Sprint Cup Series race, the scheduled distance for both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races will be shortened to 400 miles. "The 400 mile distance will make NASCAR racing at Pocono even more exciting," stated Raceway President and CEO , Brandon Igdalsky. "Race strategies will change, fuel mileage calculations will be altered and I firmly believe that our fans will be treated to outstanding racing at the 400 mile distance." "NASCAR supports Pocono Raceway's move to two 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2012," stated Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR Senior Vice President, Racing Operations . "We believe this will be a good transition for the fans and competitors. It will provide the teams with a new type of strategy and should make for even more exciting competition at a unique facility that has a long-standing history in our sport." Eight weeks after the Pocono 400. It will be the August 5, Pennsylvania 400. Both 400 mile races will have the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards as companion races. The August Pennsylvania 400 weekend will also feature a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on August 4.(Pocono Raceway)(8-10-2011)

Nashville declines to seek any 2012 NASCAR races: Dover Motorsports, Inc. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Nashville Superspeedway, has notified NASCAR that it will not seek any 2012 race sanctions. Vice President and General Manager of Nashville Superspeedway, Cliff Hawks, stated, "Nashville is a tremendous market filled with passionate race fans. We have some extremely dedicated and talented employees who have made this track a great destination, but the reality is, after ten years of effort, we have to face the fact that without a Sprint Cup race and/or a significant change in the operating model for other events, we simply cannot continue." Nashville has a few events left on the schedule for the remainder of 2011 that will not be impacted by the announcement.
Denis McGlynn, President & CEO of Dover Motorsports, stated, "We deeply appreciate all the hard work that our employees have put into making Nashville Superspeedway such a remarkable facility, and Cliff Hawks will remain to assist us with transition issues. We have also had years of unrelenting support from state, county and local officials and from the racing community - from racing fans and drivers to sponsors, team owners and various sanctioning bodies. We are, however, at a juncture where we must evaluate all of our options for this track, including its possible sale."
Nashville Superspeedway first opened in 2001 and is situated on almost 1,400 acres of owned land just outside of Nashville, Tennessee on Route 840 (connecting Interstate 40 with Interstate 24). The 1.33 mile concrete superspeedway has 25,000 permanent grandstand seats, lights for nighttime racing, foundation work for a dirt track, short track and drag strip and infrastructure in place to expand to 150,000 seats.
Dover Motorsports will disclose additional financial details relative to today's announcement as soon as practicable. The Company expects to incur a to be determined non-cash impairment charge to write down the carrying value of long-lived assets at the facility to fair value and to incur certain severance costs. These will be third quarter events. Dover Motorsports provides a letter of credit to guarantee payment of certain tax exempt revenue bonds whose proceeds were used for public infrastructure improvements benefiting the Nashville facility. The bonds were originally issued by the Sports Authority of the County of Wilson in 1999 in the amount of $25,900,000 and $21,000,000 of this amount remains outstanding. Since the bonds are direct obligations of the Sports Authority and are payable from property and sales taxes generated from the facility, they have not historically been recorded on the Company's consolidated balance sheet under generally accepted accounting principles. Today's announcement does not affect these bonds and they will continue to be paid from any applicable taxes. To the extent that the taxes are insufficient, the Company's letter of credit will be drawn on to make up any difference and the portion of the bonds expected to be so paid will be recorded in the third quarter as a liability of the Company on its consolidated balance sheet (Nashville Superspeedway).(8-3-2011)

2012 Dover spring race moves back to early June: Dover International Speedway officials announced that the Monster Mile will return to its traditional spring NASCAR race dates at the track, June 1-3, 2012. The fall race weekend will be held on Sept. 28-30, 2012, and will again be part of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Also keeping with the tradition of being the best value in motorsports, Dover International Speedway plans to unveil a new pricing strategy in the coming weeks for its 2012 events that will offer race fans a level of value not seen at the Monster Mile in more than a decade. The spring weekend will feature the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, while the fall weekend will carry the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Tickets for the June 1-3, 2012 race weekend will go on sale to the public on July 5, 2011.(Dover Speedway)(6-22-2011)

and of course yall know about trucks not going to irp and nns to Indy Next Year.