Will Chase race make a difference at Auto Club Speedway?
The logic behind moving Auto Club Speedway into NASCAR’s Chase For The Sprint Cup seems terribly flawed.
It’s no secret to just about anyone who follows the sport that the Southern California track has experienced a precipitous decline in attendance over the last few years.
That could be for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the racing at the 2-mile oval is at best tolerable and at worst downright horrible.
Why not give a track with better racing and more tradition – California has only been hosting Cup races since 1997 – a shot at a Chase race?
You can bet the scores of fans who were so disillusioned when Darlington’s longstanding Labor Day weekend showdown got axed for California a few years ago would find Darlington replacing California in the Chase to be the ultimate redemption.
And if not Darlington, how about one of the two road courses?
Both Watkins Glen and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., have started to produce some exciting races in recent stops. Having a Chase event would certainly raise the profile of those tracks and perhaps lure more fans to road-course racing.
Don’t get the wrong idea, though.
I personally would like nothing more than for California’s newly aligned second date to be a smashing success this year and in years to come.
Certainly, the race is better suited for early October than Labor Day Weekend because of the substantially more tolerable temperatures.
But does any track that struggles so badly to draw a crowd really deserve to be in the Chase?
Maybe, just maybe, the change in dates will spark interest in Auto Club Speedway, which has to compete with nearby Los Angeles and all that city has to offer.
But for some reason, I kind of doubt a new date will make much difference.
