- Dale Earnhardt Jr may have stepped away from Cup races in 2017. But thankfully for his fans, he continued entertaining them through his commentary and podcasts. In the latest episode of Dale Jr. Download, the JR Motorsports racer recounted his experience racing at the Locked In 150 at Florence Motor Speedway.
Although the race itself was uneventful, something else caught the Hall of Famer’s eye. Dale Jr. was certain that promoting it would lead to an increase in footfalls on the track bleachers.
Dale Earnhardt Jr Champions for Audience Comfort to Fill Empty NASCAR Stands
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It is no secret that NASCAR is struggling to recreate the former glory of its racing stands. The crowds have steadily declined this past decade. One of the most prestigious races, the Daytona 500, witnessed its third smallest audience ever in attendance. From newer racing tracks to changing race formats, NASCAR is attempting to reinvent the sport for the modern generations.
The Florence Speedway’s maintenance and infrastructure inspired Dale Earnhardt Jr to propose practical solutions. He discussed them in his podcast along with his co-host, Mike Davis.
“These tracks don’t get enough credit when they actually do try to make the experience better. Oh man, the track bathrooms, they are legendary! Good or bad right? There are some that you don’t even, you’d rather go out in the woods. You’d rather wipe your a** with a leaf. So I was like hey, I have to celebrate this.”
Davis agreed with Junior about providing better restroom facilities for the spectators’ ease. “Yeah I mean if you’re going to upgrade that way, forget the racetrack, forget the surface, forget the stuff, get the bathrooms done, I’m not even kidding on that. That’s a way to keep people there.”
Dale Jr. believed upgrading and advertising track amenities would make more people interested in coming to watch the races. “My genuine thought is that the unknown over the amenities is really holding back some people from going. People may think, ‘Man I live nearby, I’d love to go out, watch the race but you know the bathrooms are nasty or the track food’s no good or you know the bleachers are old’. I don’t know, right? So I’m just thinking, man if just a few people see this, maybe they’ll go, right?”
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In fact, Junior was so impressed with the facilities at Florence Motor Speedway that he posted a picture on his social media page.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr has seen deplorable facilities in several racetracks across the country. Which is why he noticed a marked difference in the provisions at Florence. Moved to spread the word, he requested the owner, Steve Zacharias, to send him a picture of the track bathrooms to share online. He applauded the efforts taken by the staff and management to maintain the avenue.
Raced at @FlorenceMSpdwy this past Friday. The staff works hard to update the facility at every opportunity. New bathrooms were installed this year, with AC. It’s a owner/promoters effort like this that should be celebrated. The short track scene is challenging. But fans/racers… pic.twitter.com/dFlLmdF8Tn
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) September 4, 2023
The former racing star posting a picture of track bathrooms amused his fans to no extent. However, there were several who agreed with Junior’s assessment.
“That has to be the nicest bathroom at any track, period.”
“You can’t overstate the importance of a clean place to do the work. Bathrooms are the single most identifying item at a venue to expose who’s keeping up with things and who ain’t.”
“Looks better than most bathrooms I’ve seen at retailers, let alone racetracks”
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Others thanked the racer for bringing this issue to light. Even Stafford Speedway chimed in to agree with the cause.
“#thankyou for sharing this #kindestandbestregards”
Owner Steve Zacharias was also appreciated for investing in its upkeep instead of letting it squander away like other race tracks.
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It looks like NASCAR needs to take a page out of Florence’s book and focus on amping facilities for viewing enjoyment. Do you agree with Dale Earnhardt Jr’s recommendation?