ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, September 15, 1996 TAG: 9609170009
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
CLAY CAMPBELL, the track's president, is sure short tracks won't get short straw from NASCAR.
It's been a challenging year for Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell.
The demise of North Wilkesboro Speedway as a NASCAR Winston Cup track has spawned talk of a domino effect that will envelop his family's track as well.
Some drivers, including Dale Earnhardt, have endorsed reducing the number of races in the Southeast in favor of expanding to new markets.
But Campbell has spurned all efforts to purchase Martinsville Speedway.
He'll be running the Hanes 500 next Sunday as usual and is looking to run two Winston Cup races a year for as far ahead as he can see.
``The future looks very good for Martinsville Speedway,'' he said. ``We've been here since 1947, we're celebrating our 50th anniversary next year, and I don't think we'd have spent $3 million on new seats and more parking and different improvements if we thought something was going to happen.''
Campbell said he believes most of the doubts raised about Martinsville's future have come from ``different sources'' inside the racing community he declined to identify.
``I don't particularly see that [talk] ending any time soon, but I don't see us ending any time soon, either,'' Campbell said. ``Ultimately, the decision rests with NASCAR. They were loyal to North Wilkesboro. North Wilkesboro pulled away from NASCAR, not the other way around.''
In fact, NASCAR President Bill France has yet to remove a Winston Cup date from any track against the owner's will. And Martinsville is on the 1997 schedule as usual, set to celebrate its 50th year with the Goody's 500 on April 20 and the Hanes 500 on Sept.28.
``Obviously, something's got to be right for short tracks if the ones we've got now we can't build enough seats for all the fans who want to be here,'' said Campbell, whose facility can seat about 66,000 spectators.
With the Hanes 500 purse set at $1.17 million, Martinsville is on the lower end of the Winston Cup purse scale. But its television package is one of the best in the sport. ESPN is paying $550,000 to televise the Hanes 500 next Sunday, a fourth of which ($137,500) goes into the purse. By comparison, television rights for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway went for $400,000, and races in Pocono and Michigan for about $300,000.
The short tracks also have been criticized because they usually start six fewer cars, and good teams with sponsors sometimes fail to make the races.
``I don't think the tracks need to accommodate everybody that's trying to make the show,'' Campbell said. ``There's got to be a cutoff somewhere. But as soon as NASCAR tells me to expand the field, it's easy enough for us to do. There's no problem starting 40 cars here. We used to do that when the cars were tanks. We have the room for the pits. So if they tell me they want to start 40 or 42 cars, no problem. We'll be ready to start them next time.''
Tickets for the Sept.22 Hanes 500 Winston Cup race can be purchased by calling Martinsville Speedway at 956-3151. Some reserved seats ($35) remain available. Martinsville will sell 8,000 unreserved seats beginning at 7:30 a.m. on race day. Tickets for Saturday's Craftsman Truck Series race are $25 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-12. Tickets for Friday's Busch Pole Day are $10 for adults and children under 10 are admitted free.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart: Hanes 500 schedule. KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB