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From what we've seen, NASCAR fans are always passionate - wearing their favorite driver's colors, belittling drivers they dislike, cheering for crashes - but Gothamist has never heard of a fan putting a public official in a headlock. Until now, that is. At last night's public hearing about a proposed racetrack in Staten Island, things got a little heated once City Councilman Andrew Lanza took the stage. According to the Staten Island Advance, a supporter of the track plan NASCAR Day in New York State, which benefits the NASCAR Foundation.
Image of Jeff Gordon earmuffs from the NASCAR store - something everyone could use at the next City Planning meeting
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Rising gas prices + shortage of land for affordable housing = Let's build a NASCAR track!
Staten Island: the "south" of New York City.
like New Hampshire is the 'south' of New England.
That was a union member putting the guy in a headlock, not a random fan. The unions are all over this thing and packed the place last night. They were shouting down everyone.
It was quite a sight. I'm with the residents on this one.
3 races a year, 80,000 or so fans for 3 or more days, traffic for all corners of the South wanting to sit on hot aluminum grandstand seats, no more bring in your own cooler of beer.
And, I'm a NASCAR fan and still bitter they've taken Rockingham out of the race circuit.
Of course, it was a UNION member, they've used to using bully tactics.
When's the next hearing?
I just feel depressed about this whole idea. A NASCAR track within the 5 boroughs? That's depressing on so many levels. Not to mention the effect it will have on the wetlands of that area.
Not to mention that NASCAR is like, NOT a real sport and all..
No normal people want the bloody thing.
NASCAR is bad for the enviornment in oodles of ways including the fact they want to build this Bubbaplex on wetlands. Hopefully good sense will prevail and this will never happen.
If they hurry, maybe they can get a British league soccer stadium built, too. We just got the upper deck of Yankee Stadium safe (sometimes)so we gotta take on this?
First Applebee's and Olive Garden, then double-knits... do we have to be like the rest of the country? Why not make the rest of the country like us?
I don't understand. Where do unions come into this? Is NASCAR a union thing?
The "link" doesn't link to the news article but back to the Gothamist post itself. So are the union people for or against the stadium? I assume for since they will have jobs in contructing the damn thing.
Paul Newman's plan to put a track at Floyd Bennet Field in Brooklyn, right on Jamaica Bay, is even worse, environmentally-speaking. And that land is US Park Service land!
I can't help but chuckle when New Yorkers block a project citing environmental concerns. The city is so densely crowded with people and cars that hardly anything here passes for nature. We get excited when one hawk nests on a Fifth Avenue co-op. Considering New York's status as the capital of the blue states you would think that more than one person would suggest housing. Denser urban housing means less sprawl and hence larger preserved areas outside of the city.
But lets also address what everyone here is really saying. You equate NASCAR with the South and the Republican Party. More than just hating the party you guys actually hate the people. Then you wonder why they don't vote for your candidates - even though large portions of these staes did. Apparently you would rather insult the entire population of a state. For people that are the self proclaimed better educated portion of the population you have an awful lot to learn about politics.
Dear mouthing off: NASCAR fans, their sponsors and the whole shebang are all republicans and anti-ny. For all I care, they can build their silly little race track out in Kentucky, but not in my city.
@mouthing off
I don't think anyone is really saying they hate southen people.. it has more to do with an overall hatred of cars driving around a cirle really fast until a crash happens and/or someone is sprayed with beer.
Wow, realist. Generalizing all fans of a particular sport or event or however you want to define NASCAR as Republicans and anti-NY shows such clear decisive ingnorance on your part. I have friends here in NYC who are huge NASCAR fans and don't remotely resemble the backwoods rednecks that you have in mind. We're talking about creative, well-educated types who appreciate various sports. I know it doesn't fit into your narrow view of the rest of the country, but it's time to get over yourself. Also, I've encountered some of the most racist, sexist people within the confines of these five boroughs - and I've spent ample time in the south and midwest. Also, Kentucky already has a track - when it's not hosting races, it's an event space for inter-cousin marriages.
While I don't agree with building a stadium within YOUR city, it's time to stop generalizing all of the fans of these events.
sorry about that vin. all fixed.
Hey realist - here's a little news flash for you. It isn't YOUR city. It's OUR city.
That said, I'm not in favor of the track either if only because it seems a waste of land.
Why more sports complexes?
We have enough sports year round in this city.
Now we have 2 minor league parks. If we build this track that's only going to be used 3 weeks out of the year, is it worth it? That's if they're only developing a track and a retail mall for the crap you buy during the races.
Your energies are better spent stopping a ridiculous racing track coming to NYC than scolding me on my worldliness.
Does NASCAR have fans in the 5 boroughs? Of course they do. Not many most likely and I am sure MD, PA and NJ would fill most of the seats in a SI stadium.
Beyond that you should know how anti-NY NASCAR's ownership and its main sponsors are (as well as the majority of its fanbase). They support politicians that marginalize this great city, its people and things we stand for collectively. Think there's no connection? You are sorely mistaken.
mouthing off --
NYC is actually a great environmental friendly city. Just because you don't see alot of green doesn't mean it's a bad thing. No one lives on acres of land that require lots of fertilizers. Living in apartments saves energy. Living within walking distance of shops saves gas. And of course, using public transportation goes a long way in protecting the environment compared to each New Yorker having a car.
There has to be some kind of correlation between a sport and the demographic it attracts. That's natural. Is The New York Times going to be be showing some outdoor ads at a NASCAR track? No and not because they are "snobbish", "liberal", etc. It's because the demographic doesn't fit the target.
And frankly the people who watch NASCAR do not fit into the NYC target overall per se. Do some New Yorkers watch, I'm sure they do. But it's just not in line with the NYC way of life. And if you don't like that - well too bad. Get over it. We're a notch above the rest of the masses, it's NYC.
And if that sounds elitist. So be it. There is a reason this place, this city is the way that it is. And it should be kept that way. Good for PA, KY, all those other states that make money off of the tracks, but NASCAR does not fit into New York City.
call 311 and tell Bloomy what you think about Nascar coming here.
"Dear mouthing off: NASCAR fans, their sponsors and the whole shebang are all republicans and anti-ny. For all I care, they can build their silly little race track out in Kentucky, but not in my city."
We already have a racetrack in Kentucky, but thank you for your concern.
NASCAR is less intresting than sittng and watching DOT traffic cameras for three hours.
At least with the DOT traffic cameras it is not the same cars going around for hours and hours.
For the "NASCAR is not a sport" crowd, I think baseball is about as boring as you can get: fat guys standing around scratching their balls. How about we scream and yell about the two sweetheart stadium deals?
And I don't know which sponsors you are convinced have it in for you (sounds like you have paranoid delusions).
And Jenny, my point was simply that the NIMBY crowds always fall back on environmentalism when they want to block something. If someone wanted to build environmentally friendly affordable housing on that land the neighbors would desperately try to find an endangered slug living the grass.
and getalife: you're such an elitist snob that it stopped being funny. I think you honestly believe in the whole "red state - blue state" crap and that you truly believe everyone in the red states is a poor, uneducated sap that just married his cousin. Your gross generalizations about others really contradicts this notion that New Yorkers are worldly and intelligent.
I guess that I'm the first one to notice that the post ends with an incomplete sentence:
"According to the Staten Island Advance, a supporter of the track plan NASCAR Day in New York State, which benefits the NASCAR Foundation."
???
As some posters have already stated, NASCAR doesn't fit NYC. In addition, important wetlands would be destroyed to make room for the stadium/track and shopping complex.
Also, I heard that it would only host 3 races/year.