"David Brooks" wrote in message
...
I haven't heard a peep from anyone in aviation about this, but now it
appears the Northwest can't survive without a NASCAR track, and yesterday
the finalist was announced. Marysville, just a hair south of Arlington
(AWO). From the maps
(http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABP...2002045069.jpg), it
sits
right under the straight-in for 34. It has the nearest IAPs to Everett,
making it a popular location for checkrides (it seems like you're still in
the PAE pattern when you get vectored to the intercept).

Yes, the EAA Arlington. What fun it will be when the EAA and NASCAR choose
the same weekend.

OK, so if you're thinking about the stadium TFR, they talk about there
being
only three meets per year. But once this big facility is built, the owners
will probably find other ways to use it. The LOC 34 MDA is 469 feet above
TDZE - would anyone like to hazard a guess about what it would be when the
TERPSters are done with it?

Does anyone else have experience with a NASCAR track snuggled close to
their
favorite non-towered airport?

-- David Brooks


David,

I don't fly at an airport affected by a track, but from my travels, two
un-controlled fields come to mind: Tara Field next to the Atlanta Motor
Speedway and Talledega Muni next door to the Talledega Motor Speedway.

Other places where there is an airport near a track are Daytona, Charlotte
and Texas but these are Class C and Ds.

It is unfortunate for pilots that a race weekend TFR would put a crimp in
local ops, but there is still money to be made off the planes and helos the
drivers / owners / teams / VIPs fly. Ramp Fees + Lots of Jet A = Revenue.
If I ran the airport, I'd find ways to encourage these aircraft to use my
facility. If I ran a helo charter company, I'd be on my knees thanking
whatever is held holy. People of means do not drive to the track, they go
by helo. The skies over Fontana, California on race day look like a warzone
LZ...same with the race at Sonoma, CA.

Heck, if the airport is big enough, Roush Racing alone travels on two 727s
and The Cat In the Hat just might fly his P51 in, too.

NASCAR and Aviation are not unfamiliar with each other.

Yes, NASCAR is a 400lb Gorilla, but even Gorillas need somewhere to eat and
sleep. Race weekends generate huge, HUGE amounts of money for local
economies. Our TV crews alone numbers over 150 people. Now add another 100
or more for each of the 43 teams (including guests of each team), the NASCAR
staff themselves (maybe another 200 (probably more), other media, and then
there are the 100,000 to 250,000 people (depending on what size and type of
track gets built) who come to the race.

Probably a third of the above will be in town from Monday to Monday. That's
a lot of hotel rooms, dinners out, charcoal for grills and beer. Did I
mention HUGE amounts of money being spent?

Now, you may not be a NASCAR fan, but the $$$s in question are a giant
carrot on a stick to politicians. Traditional tracks are being dropped in
favor of markets where this carrot can be of maximum effect. Texas has been
granted a second race as has Phoenix and Fontana, CA. They are even looking
at trying to put a track on Staten Island in NYC. (A thought, by the way,
that gets a giant OH NO!!! from me...see my sig.)

As far as "other" events go, don't you have to have 30,000+ people to draw a
TFR?I'd be very suprised if anything but a full-blown Nextel Cup race
weekend would draw the necessary 30,000+ people.

Just my $0.02

Jay Beckman
Student Pilot
Video Technican - NASCAR on FOX/NBC
Chandler AZ
(Dreading the 3 day TFR for the 3rd Prez Debate at ASU)