Thoughts on I-80's Move to Friday

Probably the biggest news in this area (in terms of scheduling) is I-80’s move to Friday night racing from their long-time Sunday home.

I think for so many years, there was this secret desire to build the next “Sunset Speedway,” and the need to recreate Sunday night memories of NASCAR sanctioned stock car greats battling around the paper-clip oval while thousands of poultry-fed fans stared into the summer sun as it descended behind the backstretch.

But, like the original plans of the first owner’s “Daytona of the Midwest,” these dreams just never materialized.

The world changed and Sunset Speedway was not just a casualty of urban sprawl, it was a casualty of the changing times. Finally, with the move to Fridays...the legacy can be laid to rest as the track was so many years ago. As Thomas Wolfe wrote, “you can’t go home again.”

But it’s a progressive move. Some may say a survival move, the last move.

No longer will a city, even as big as Omaha support a track on its own, especially when the travel has essentially doubled. People cite the geography “it’s only 20 minutes” but in reality, cutting across town, getting through traffic, leaving at a time to guarantee you a spot - the time is much longer. Eagle is only “12 minutes east of Lincoln.” If you’re on 84th and O. Living on the North side of town, it’s a 30-40 minute trip. The trip from I-80 to wherever makes for a late Sunday night when you have to be up the next morning. Yes, I-80 is in the middle between Omaha and Lincoln - it’s also as far away as possible from each without being close to the other.

And, now that the fan isn’t driving the revenue - the back gate is - and what was a 50-60 car show won’t pay the bills without the packed stands. The shrinking pool of cars has to be drawn from further around. And that time adds up again. Sitting in the hottest parts of the day from 4-6 PM to get an early arrival home isn’t making things much more fan or racer friendly in the end.

The move to Fridays makes sense. No start times have been given, but I’m guessing...hoping that a later start is in order, to allow teams travel time after leaving work and let the activities begin as the day begins to cool.

There will be complainers. There will be hangers-on, there will be those few who are so terribly inconvenienced, they will go elsewhere...or complain like they will. But the benefits outweigh the losses. Does it impact other tracks? Perhaps, but cooperation will only go so far, no matter how well intentioned promoters are.

-Jason