Kansas City vs Charlotte vs Atlanta vs Daytona

[monsoon]

[Brickell]

This is a no brainer to me. While Charlotte is the nuts bolts of Nascar, Daytona is the public face of it. Ask 100 random people what city they associate with Nascar and I'd bet that 80% would pick Daytona. Of course I might be biased on this one.

Kansas City... Atlanta... ?? Not a chance.

I still think it's more of a redneck gathering than a sport, but I'm willing to admit to and respect it's growing popularity.

[Neo]

I still think it's more of a redneck gathering than a sport, but I'm willing to admit to and respect it's growing popularity.

Same here, but it's one hell of a money maker.

[Spartan]

I would think Daytona would be the best contender. The Daytona 500 is a well known race even to non-fans.

I don't know what would be preferred to NASCAR fans, but I think that Kansas City woudl be the best choice becasue of its location in the heart of the US. It would be central to all fans accross America.

[monsoon]

[FLClarkKent]

In theory, Daytona would be a good choice...but one has to wonder whether a city its size, only about 80K in population, can offer incentives on the scale of city's like Atlanta and Charlotte.

Here's a link to what Florida officials think about the possibility of a NASCAR Hall of Fame in Daytona Beach.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJour...1FLAG010705.htm

[ShowMeKC]

Well, when you say Kansas City and reference to NASCAR, you are talking about Kansas City, Kansas. So I'd have to say Daytona, because there is no way KCK would get it.

[bobliocatt]

This thing is going to go to either Daytona or Charlotte. Although Daytona is much smaller, it may have a better chance, because its already a big tourist destination, it has "better" weather (conductive to tourist activities, like this), and its about 45 minutes from Orlando and its attractions.

[larry]

Although it seems that you hear more about Daytona than Charlotte when it comes to races, I think that it would be more sensabe to put a NASCAR museum in Charlotte. The reason that I say that is because NASCAR has its actual roots in North Carolina and Charlotte is surrounded by NASCAR hubs like Darlington, Rockingham, Richmond, etc. It would make more sense. Addationally, Daytona already has a year around tourist draw (Daytona Beach). Charlotte can use a tourism boost.

[monsoon]

[bobliocatt]

Although it seems that you hear more about Daytona than Charlotte when it comes to races, I think that it would be more sensabe to put a NASCAR museum in Charlotte.  The reason that I say that is because NASCAR has its actual roots in North Carolina and Charlotte is surrounded by NASCAR hubs  like Darlington, Rockingham, Richmond, etc.  It would make more sense.  Addationally, Daytona already has a year around tourist draw (Daytona Beach).  Charlotte can use a tourism boost.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know too much about Nascar, but with any business, I'd assume they are going to go to the city where, in the end, they can make the most money. Since Nascar's roots also sit in Daytona and the city is in a region where millions of (ready to spend all of my money) tourist are already coming, that probably puts Daytona as a forerunner.

For Charlotte to ultimately win over DB, its going to be up to the city, North Carolina & private local companies to put together a much stronger incentive bid. This sounds a lot like the ACC championship game competition that the city recently lost. Although I'll probably never visit this thing, it should be interesting to see how it turns out.

[jolive]

Guys,

History should be considered more than what city has the most popular race when assigning a town as the "The Hall of Fame" for NASCAAR. Charlotte takes it easy. The Winston was also well known.

[wolfdawg54]

It is a toss-up between Daytona and Charlotte. Everyplace else on the list does not make sense at all. Personally, I think that Daytona will have a good shot.

[Brickell]

Daytona has plenty of history when it comes to stock racing. Don't underestimate it.

[ATLBrain]

I don't care how much money this would bring in to Atlanta. I hope it goes somewhere else. Sure, I sound snobby, but Atlanta has spent decades trying to get rid of its redneck image. We're so close now. This wouldn't help that effort.

I voted for DB. It just seems like a natural fit with the greatest NASCAR race held right there.

[ATLman1]

Even though I love Atlanta I don't want it in the city. I don't think people in Atlanta would want it too. People in Atlanta don't watch NASCAR so there is no need to have it here. Atlanta to me is not really southern compared to Charlotte. I think it belongs in Charlotte because that is where the true fan base is located.

[FLClarkKent]

Atlanta to me is not really southern compared to Charlotte.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just curious what you mean by that. When I think of "Cities of the South," Atlanta is usually the first that comes to mind. There's no shame in being Southern.

Anyway, you're not alone in being wary of having a NASCAR Hall of Fame to come to your town...

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJour...sHAST010905.htm

[ATLman1]

I am just saying that Atlanta has lost a lot of its southern ways because of the transplants from other cities. Many people from different parts of America and the world have come to Atlanta for jobs. I think most people would say that Atlanta is not truly southern compared to places like Birmingham or Nashville. Same goes for cities in Florida. Even though it is geographically located in the south doesn't make it a true southern city. I am southern myself and proud of it. The South to me has the best of everything.

[monsoon]

I am always amazed by Atlantians suffering from the we aren't Southern syndrome, yet in almost the same breath claim that Atlanta is the Capital of the South. The fact of the matter, is that Atlanta sits right in the center of what the rest of the world perceves the South to be and they identify Atlanta to be the "Southern City". The states further away, Virginia, North Carolina, South Fla. and Texas are all much less like this area.

Atlanta ought to embrace its Southern culture and not try to shrug it off like a disease. Because take that away and the city is reduced to just a set of skyscrapers and endless non distincitive sprawl that could be located on any interstate in the United States.

BTW there is a huge fan base in Atlanta for NASCAR. The Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of the nations largest tracks and aside from having two Winston Cup (nextel now) races there area a host of other races held there throughout the year. You simply could support that track if there was no interest.

[ATLman1]

Just because there is a track there doesn't mean the local people support NASCAR. Atlanta probably saw that by building a track there, it would bring out-of-state people (Alabama, Tenn, and the Carolinas) to put money in metro Atlanta's economy. Most people in the Atlanta area probably don't care much about NASCAR.

[ATLBrain]

I am always amazed by Atlantians suffering from the we aren't  Southern syndrome

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I admit that we have plenty of folks who think like this, but IMO the vast majority of Atlantans are very proud (too much so?) of being Southern. Even my transplanted Yankee friends and neighbors tend to adopt a pseudo-Southern persona. Some even attempt the accent (LOL... just as funny as a native southerner trying to talk like a Yankee). I've noticed that many of those who think Atlanta is some nether-world that has overcome its region are (oddly enough) the transplanted Southerners, especially from rural areas of the region. I don't know how well I can make this point, but I point to the city's embarrassing newspaper(s), Journal/Constitution, as a classic example. I have read it for twenty years now, and it has always struck me as a mouthpiece for its publishers/editors on how Atlanta should be more like the North. Yet, the place is run by exiles from rural Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, the Carolinas who happened to escape that world and go to college somewhere up North. It's just odd. When the paper is not ragging on the lowly citizens for regional idiosyncracies and comparing us to how things are done in the north, it tries to blow up the cities image as some harmonious racial paradise (just like Boston).

Now don't confuse good ole homestyle snootiness with a desire to be Yankeefied. Atlanta can snob it up with the best out there. And many Atlantans take their cues from the Buckhead faction (even to this day!). This is often seen by non-Atlantans as stuffiness, or specifically attempting to rise above the other lowly southerners in town. I find this ironic, since these are the ones who would tend to be most offended by being called northern in any sense. It's actually one of the things that I don't like about this city, and I could be considered to be a typical Atlanta family man of the so-called establishment (e.g. two young'uns in private school, golf club, Presby church, house in Druid Hills, etc.).

There... I've spilled my guts. I'll refrain from such emotionalism in the future.

[DHall]

I would say KC all the way! The only problem is that it can't get past all the Charlotte boosterism around here...

[satalac]

i chose charlotte because that's pretty much where is started. most of the big teams are based around there too. daytona could be a good choice too because of all the tourism and i know it would be huge during the 500. atlanta, it's a good southern nascar loving city (and yes, it really is), but it doesn't have the history that charlotte or daytona does. i'm still not quite sure why kc got a bid. now back to this atlanta thing. the buckhead arguement doesn't really hold, because all of the major southern cities have well to do areas. nashville has belle meade and brentwood, memphis has germantown, etc.... that doesn't really change the fact that they are very southern cities. atlanta is pretty much as southern as they come, which is definatly not a bad thing. being southern doesn't mean you're a redneck or a racist. i think that's why some people don't want to say they're southern because they feel they will be labeled. my thing is, if you think i'm a redneck or a racist for being from the south, then go ahead and think that. it's not going to hurt me any. it's going to hurt them for being ignorant.

[dormer]

The thing with KC is that the track and facilities there are THE model for quality (due to the fact that it is the newest???) compared to the other racetracks, so that is why I think KC is in the ring. Now, Daytona just went through a complete architectural overhaul, so its face value just went up big time, but still does not compare to the available space and infrastructure that KC currently has. I'm from KC, so I suppose there's a *little* bias there, but, honestly, if I had to cast a vote, it would be Daytona... hands down. From the weather to the fact that the whole Daytona Speedway area is a destination in and of it self, to the fact that's where the NASCAR began and where the "business" arm is located. The only incentive I can see for it not to be in Daytona is if there were no community based support/incentive.

-D