NICE CROWD FOR SATURDAY NIGHT'S NASCAR RACE ... BUT SELLOUT?

 While Saturday’s attendance apparently was best in a long time, no way did Richmond Raceway have a 

sellout for NASCAR’s Cook Out 400. That is, unless 

tickets were sold but not used for about one-fourth to 

one-third of the available seats at Strawberry Hill.

Then again, despite all the hoopla, the question (as 

always) still remained: what exactly is a sellout these 

days? NASCAR stopped announcing official figures 

long ago … and there was no indication how many 

actually were on hand for this race either.

At one time, when PAUL SAWYER was turning the 

original half-mile dirt track into a three-quarter-mile 

paved showpiece, crowds in excess of 100,000 

reportedly were commonplace. Since then capacity 

has wavered … down to as low as 51,000, which 

hasn’t been reached in a while. 

SAY THIS for LORI WARAN, who was hired as 

track president to fail, given lack of any previous 

experience … that is, unless editor of Style Weekly 

counts. She really got after it, trying all sorts of 

promotions. Her enthusiasm has never been in doubt. 

Having KELLY TILL, president and publisher of 

The Times-Dispatch, as a friend didn’t hurt either. 

Think about that for a moment.

Even though it was considered likely for some time 

the local track would lose one of its two Cup races, 

despite being given to Sawyer in perpetuity by 

NASCAR founder BILL FRANCE, the RTD did its 

best to discourage the idea before (and after)

 DENNIS BICKMEIER left the raceway four years 

ago to become first director of Henrico County’s 

sports and entertainment center.

Then, when Waran replaced Bickmeier and 

eventually had her spring race shipped (if 

temporarily) to Mexico City, the local paper refused 

to dig deeper and ask why NASCAR literally 

sabotaged its own schedule here? 

Otherwise, how to explain moving both Cup events 

from spring and early fall to the heat of summer, 

thereby severely spectator interest? In 2022, despite 

a good walkup when the weatherman cooperated for 

the Aug. 14 Federated Auto Parts 400, attendance 

was estimated at 35,000 … when listed capacity was 

60,000.

MEANWHILE, the governing body had one of its 

house “reporters” point to lack of interest brought 

about (allegedly) by lack of excitement here. To 

think Martinsville, the quintessential follow-the-

leader track, kept both of its Cup races while 

Richmond was forced to give up one, made stories 

about CLAY CAMPBELL – and his involvement – 

even more credible.

Campbell, whose grandfather CLAY EARLES built 

Martinsville Speedway, was put in charge of several 

tracks, including Richmond and Martinsville, by 

NASCAR. And we’re told his dislike of Sawyer (like 

Earles one of stock car racing’s pioneers) as well as 

sons Billy and Wayne was well-known.

The Godfather of Racing in Richmond, Paul Sawyer 

sold his hold on NASCAR competition here for $217 

million cash in 1999 to the International Speedway 

Corporation owned by the France family that still 

runs the governing body, too.

In addition, Sawyer would remain as chairman of the 

board … with Billy the president and Wayne vice-

president continuing their active day-to-day 

involvement. Or so they thought. Thirty days after 

the sale was closed, BILL FRANCE JR., reportedly 

said to give Billy and Wayne their two-weeks’ 

notice. “I want them out of here.”

He didn’t run off the elder Sawyer only because “I 

promised by daddy, as long as he lived Paul would 

have an office there,” France Jr., was quoted as 

saying.

Paul Sawyer died from lung cancer compounded by 

diabetes at age 88 in 2005, WAYNE SAWYER in 

2021 of lung cancer. He was 78. 

BILLY SAWYER, 76, owned and operated Virginia 

Motor Speedway in Jamaica for 25 years before 

shutting down the half-mile dirt track in December 

of 2024, citing “a severe financial climate since the 

pandemic.”

ACTUALLY, Saturday’s race was very low on the 

excitement meter. Other than an 11-car dustup during 

the second of three stages. it was all rather routine.

MARTY SNIDER and JEFF BURTON, working 

the event for USA cable, tried to stir up stuff but 

once local standout DENNY HAMLIN was 

removed from contention, they could only hope for 

something like last year’s bruhaha that saw AUSTIN 

DILLON win after wrecking Hamlin and JOEY 

LOGANO … and days later was penalized.

Sorry, guys. This time Dillon won by almost three 

seconds, leading the final 49 laps. BORING!

Come to think of it … maybe it was a sellout after all 

… given the (cliché alert) lack of transparency. All 

they had to do was list track capacity as, say, 30,000 

(give or take) and voila! I guess we will never know, 

will we? Like ... I mean, who really cares?

By the way … last time Richmond International 

Raceway (it was called then) had an official sellout 

was in the spring of 2008 ,,, ending a streak of 33 in 

a row, Even then ownership (ISC) didn’t bother to 

announce exactly how many attended. 

Until next time ...