Opening Night: Royal Purple Modified Series at Meridian Speedway

Saturday, April 8, 2017
By Shane Beck
Meridian, Idaho

A long off season for many, yet not long enough for some, the drives are awaiting to see just who shows up with what?  Coming off a great 2016 season, promoter Todd LaBronte is optimistic of 2017.  

The season kicks off at Meridian Speedway, a race track where driver and former Meridian Speedway Modified track champion Shelby Stroebel dominates.  LaBronte and Meridian Speedway have agreed to four events including a two night show at the historic Diamond Cup, June 2nd and 3rd, a show that features the return of Super Modified racing.  The Royal Purple Modified Series will also make the trip back to the historic Magic Valley Speedway (Twin Falls, ID) for four nights of racing.  

New addition to the schedule in 2017 for the Royal Purple Modified Series is Wenatchee Valley Speedway for the Thunder In The Valley two night show, July 15th and 16th.  

A surprising return to Rocky Mountain Raceways (Salt Lake City, UT) in 2017.  Coming off a decent showing in 2015 the Royal Purple Modified Series was not invited back for 2016.  Part of that decision due to schedule conflict and the other, two promoters not able to come to terms.  Both Mike Eames (General Manager of Rocky Mountain Raceways) and Todd LaBronte are excited for the August 5th 75 lap Hot August Nights racing event in 2017.

The racing action should be fantastic in 2017, with the return of many good drivers from the northwest, four to six different states, the competition should be fierce.  

Drivers to watch out for this season, Idaho drivers Chris Fenton, Shelby Stroebel and Kyle Lathem.  Drivers out of Utah, Zach Webster, and Eric Rhead.  California driver Kyle Tellstrom is always a tough competitor.  

You can follow the Royal Purple Modified Series on Facebook.

Follow Shane Beck on Twitter @racingfanradio or email racingfanradio@gmail.com

Ratings Down, Empty Seats; How Does NASCAR Stop The Bleeding

March 28, 2017

By: Shane Beck

After five races, NASCAR’s TV ratings are showing no signs of improvement, hitting record-lows, according to Sports Media Watch.

Auto Club Speedway - California Ratings dipped again, Fox drew a 2.9 overnight rating for Kyle Larson's win in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway, down 17% from a 3.5 for last year's event, which aired one week earlier in the season. Fox drew a 4.0 overnight for the Cup race from Fontana in both '15 and '14. 

Las Vegas TV Ratings In ratings delayed by the winter storm in the Northeast, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing from Las Vegas scored a 3.58 final rating and 5.973 million viewers on FOX Sunday (3/12/2017)

Atlanta TV Ratings Posted Fox drew 3.6 for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race from Atlanta, down slightly from a 3.7 for the same race last year. However, the second race of the Cup Series season was down from a 5.1 in '15 from Atlanta and down from a 4.8 in '14 from Phoenix.

Daytona 500 TV Ratings With a thrilling, last-lap pass in the first MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES race to feature the new stage format, 2004 NASCAR premier series champion Kurt Busch won Sunday's season-opening DAYTONA 500 on FOX, with 23.3 million viewers tuning in for all or part of the event. An average audience of 12 million watched the race across the FOX broadcast network, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports GO, including 11.92 million on FOX alone.

So the real questions is why? So many opinions on how to fix NASCAR, we hear the following "if they shorten races the ratings will go back up" or "they need more short tracks and road course races". While some of these opinions may be true the problem is deeper then a small change here and small change there.

NASCAR has lost control, the product is now controlled by sponsors, what you say?  You mean the sponsors that have been so instrumental in putting NASCAR on the map? No not those sponsors, those were different. The sponsors like GM Goodwrench, Winston and others understood that NASCAR is a sport which is driven by it's drivers and their personalities.

The raw emotion of the drivers has been taken from the sport, the drivers are being promoted in such a way that you only identify them by their sponsors and what's best for business. Not so much as what's best for the fans and the sport.  

Fans are passionate, some so much as to name their kids after their favorite drives. Not to many fans have named their kids after the drivers sponsor. Hello...my sons name is Dewalt Beck.....you get the picture!!  

NASCAR has lost the villain, the drives genuinely competed and it bothered them to lose, so much so as they would fight, almost hate each other. Now they hang out, laugh and have fun and NASCAR can't decide from one week or another if they should let the "Boys Have at It" or fine them for saying or doing something detrimental to the sport, as they say in the NASCAR rule book. 

At Las Vegas Kyle Busch marched down pit road and punched Joey Logano in the face because he felt he was done wrong on the racing surface.  NASCAR....that is real raw emotion and that's what fans want.