Daytona Super Stretch to close for Camping World 300

Topics:  Camping World 300, Daytona International Speedway

Jeremy T. Sellers
Jerm's Joint
December 30, 2009

So I get this email last week with a brief message that was instructing me to contact Daytona International Speedway "ASAP" regarding having my seats reassigned to me for the Camping World 300 Nationwide Race the Saturday before Daytona. The email didn't seem legit, so I called Daytona's main number first to confirm that everything was on the level, sure enough it was.

The change was so rushed, that Daytona didn't even have time to put an 800 number together, rather I had to call a local number down there. Sure enough, for the first time in ages, the Daytona Super Stretch will be closed for the Nationwide race for Speedweeks due to what the agent called "lack of participation" . When I asked what that meant, she stated it was due to lack of ticket sales. The up side? For the $35.00 I originally paid for the Nationwide tickets on the Super Stretch are being upgraded to $105.00 seats on the front stretch outside of turn four at no cost to me!

It wasn't enough that they are tearing down a quarter of the Super Stretch Grandstands to construct an amusement park, which should be ready for the Daytona 500, that they now had to close down those same seats for the Nationwide race due to lack of sales. The agent cited the economy as the main cause of the reassignment and the reason for the construction of the amusement park. What? So, you are not selling tickets, but can afford to put in an interactive amusement park for the fans? Seems a tad oxymoronic to me.

In short? It is a shame that fans have become so disgruntled with NASCAR that, coupled with the economy, are not buying tickets to the Nationwide race. However, I am getting great seats with plenty of leg room, and will probably be able to exit the track even faster than usual. If this isn't a warning sign, I don't know what is.