Track Smack: Surprises, Junior and two at Vegas (cont'd)

3. It's time to race at Las Vegas, which means it's time to listen to track chairman Bruton Smith lobby for a second Sprint Cup date. But which one-race track most deserves a second weekend?

Dave Rodman: The timing is perfect, considering Vegas, in every way you could consider it, I think could certainly support a second date.

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Few cities have been hit by the recession as hard as the one that NASCAR visits this week.

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David Caraviello: OK, I love Vegas. The people there are fantastic, president Chris Powell does a great job, the facility and the city are amazing. But after what's happened in California, I'd have real qualms about awarding a second date to a facility with 142,000 seats.

Dave Rodman: Hmmm. DC2, I think you are really making a grapes-to-pineapples comparison when stacking Las Vegas Motor Speedway against the former California Speedway. And Vegas is the pineapple, baby.

Joe Menzer: I still say Vegas. Look, there are a number of tracks that were overbuilt. In this economy especially, those places are not going to sell out. But a crowd of 90,000 or more to any sporting event right now is nothing to be ashamed of.

David Caraviello: Dave, the Southwest is the new Southeast, the one part of the country most susceptible to market over-saturation. Not sure another race in that region would be a good idea.

Joe Menzer: But it's Vegas, baby!

Dave Rodman: Look at it this way. Date and geographical proximity could hurt Vegas -- but let's see how many people Vegas puts in this weekend.

Joe Menzer: Vegas is getting a bad rap these days. A few bad-apple bailout recipients start canceling conventions there, and suddenly everyone wants to bash the place. Listen, they aren't the ones at fault, meaning the casinos and the entire Vegas conglomeration in general.

David Caraviello: Hey, would I like to go to Vegas twice a year? Absolutely. I love the place. But if I'm going to hand out a second race, it's going to be to a facility with a smaller seating capacity, like Chicago or Kansas.

Joe Menzer: Why? They'll get the same crowd total as Vegas -- or maybe a little less! In fact, Chicagoland has a grandstand seating capacity of 75,000. Kansas is at a little more than 81,000. So even what would be considered "a bad crowd" at Vegas likely will exceed full houses there by at least 10,000.

Dave Rodman: If NASCAR's eyeballed 78,000 estimate at California was accurate, that was pretty good work, though only ISC knows how many of those might have been complimentary (i.e., free). Depending on what Vegas does, I'd start doing the transfer papers right now to take a California date a little farther east. But in this (ahem) non-monopolistic environment I guess that ain't about to happen.

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Joe Menzer: Furthermore, who is to say that, in this current economic climate, Chicago and/or Kansas would be sure to sell out two dates. I'm not sure about that in either case.

David Caraviello: We've been over this before -- a lot of these tracks with two races and 100,000 seats are struggling. Part of that is the recession, no doubt. But part of it is the fact that times have changed, and these facilities are overbuilt. Do you really want to run the risk of having another race with lots of empty seats on TV?

Dave Rodman: It doesn't appeal to me that much, but Vegas -- if it's reasonably supported, which would be a crowd of more than 100,000 -- should be a lock for a second date. If Bruton's forced to do something, Atlanta is the California of the East.

David Caraviello: Well, let's see how Atlanta's new Labor Day date does. Again, I love Vegas. Great city, great track. I'd go there three times a year if I could. But if I'm NASCAR, I'm a little worried by the track record of these huge facilities with a second date, that's all.

Joe Menzer: Well, more of the overbuilt places need to start downsizing a little. Like they've done in Texas where they took out seats in the backstretch and made the ones they kept there more affordable. Or like they are doing at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, where they are trading some regular seats for track-side motorhome camping, which seems to be increasing in popularity. Look at Martinsville. Clay Campbell, who runs M'ville, argued that his size of track might ultimately become the most popular again. Is it coming back to that?

David Caraviello: Totally agree, Joe. Fans in all sports want more intimate venues with better sight lines and better customer service. That's not to say a place like Vegas doesn't provide great service -- unquestionably, it does. But smaller stadiums are the wave of the future.

Dave Rodman: As I've always said, they need to mix things up, give some different ideas and places a chance. Geez, Talladega's fall race last year, I think, was about the most shocking sight I've ever seen at a race track in terms of empty seats -- since those huge gaps at Lowe's have been common for years. But it doesn't mean they're not doing some other great things. All the facilities are working like mad, so good for them.

David Caraviello: Of course, if Bruton really wants another date, he does have a smaller facility up there in Kentucky ...

Dave Rodman: That baby is a classic white elephant, no matter how small, until that court deal is resolved.

Joe Menzer: Well, that's also very interesting. I agree with Roadman, let's give some places like that a chance and mix it up a little. Plus, Kentucky is close to Cincinnati, and you know how I love Skyline Chili and Montgomery Inn ribs!

Dave Rodman: Joe, if you and I are the duo, I'd say let's make it happen.

David Caraviello: There won't be any food left in the Ohio River Valley if they turn you two loose up there.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the participants.