Week 40 Sept. 30 - Oct. 6

Another Private Tour of a Sporting Venue....

 

 

Well, it's not like Dale Jr. called me up and said, "Hey, I'm in Richmond and thought you might like to come to the racetrack and take a look around."  It was work related.....top secret.  Anyway, I did get to spend time looking around the Richmond International Raceway.  It's pretty unbelievable that I got to get a tour of Safeco Field in Seatle earlier this year and now I got to tour RIR as well.  Both while they were empty.

 

View of Downtown Richmond from the back of the High Grandstands

 Taylor & Parrish built a major seating expansion there and we were back looking at another project.  It looked like a great place to watch a race.  Seating all the way around the track.  Tall steep sections that have a great view.  It was interesting to hear the local Ricmonders talk about when it was a dirt track and how it has evolved from the early days of NASCAR. 

It was also interesting to understand how they maintain and improve on this multi-million dollar facility that basically gets used twice a year.  NASCAR itself is sort of an amazing concept.  Its like a traveling circus, moving from week to week around the country.  Imagine if the NFL played games every week in college stadiums on Sunday around the country.  Would you be more likely to go to a Lions game if they played in East Lansing once a year vs. driving to Detroit?


 

We had hopes of catching the fall race here this year, but we were unable to find the time.  Since being at the track however, the Spring Race is climbing up on the priority list.  The track is in Henrico County, between Mechanicsville and Richmond.  Traffic in and out, I assume is horrible, as I am also told, but its hard to judge someone elses "horrible".  As the year is winding down, I hope to get one more major sport facility tour in.  I'm hoping for the Coliseum in Los Angeles....