Diggety Dang: New Smyrna Management Readies For Big Mod Count, New COVID Rules At World Series

It’s an ever-growing roster that has New Smyrna Speedway track manager Rusty Marcus swelling with pride and excitement. 

As of Friday the Tour Type Modified division roster for the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway includes 41 drivers. The Tour Type Modified division will run five consecutive nights of the nine day World Series with features each night from Feb. 8 to Feb. 12. 

“I think we’ve got the perfect storm this year with the COVID and everything,” Marcus said. “You wouldn’t believe the phone calls we’ve gotten of people saying ‘We’ve been pretty much trapped, screw it, we’re coming to play.’ You know they’re not coming down for the money. I’m not going to mince any words about that. It’s not because these are the richest paying races in the world and everybody wants to get to them. This is a vacation for people to do what they like to do. It’s a very unique format and a very unique program. They’re going to be here for five days of racing and it’s a chance to get away and forget about all this crap that’s going on. … People are able to come down and feel like a human again.” 

The Tour Type Modified division roster includes three former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champions in Doug Coby, Ryan Preece and Ron Silk. Overall there are 10 former Whelen Modified Tour winners entered representing 90 Whelen Modified Tour victories. The roster also includes three former Tri-Track Open Modified Series champions in Matt Hirschman, Jon McKennedy and Ronnie Williams and a champion of the former NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour in Burt Myers. 

Preece, who competes full-time with the NASCAR Cup Series, sees a situation where a lot of people are making up for lost opportunity in 2020. 

“Last year there was a lot of people … that their hobbies are racing and they weren’t going to the race track every week,” Preece said. “They weren’t buying that set of tires or those pit passes or fuel every week. It probably gave them the opportunity to save more money or invest in their equipment and get new stuff. This is an opportunity for some of them I think who never have gone Speedweeks and wouldn’t have the opportunity or money to go to go down and do it.” 

Marcus credits not only COVID issues for the blossoming Tour Type Modified roster, but also improvements to tech inspection for the division over recent years. For many years the New Smyrna World Series was looked at by many in Modified racing as a place where teams could get away with plenty of questionable activity thanks to less than stringent tech inspection.  Former New Smryna lead tech inspector Ricky Brooks instituted a no-nonsense attitude when it came to the World Series. And that has carried over with current lead tech inspector Robert Pettitt, who assumed the role prior to the 2020 World Series. 

“Here’s what my main take is on [the high Tour Type Modified car count]” Marcus said. “Because Florida is an open state with the governor that we have and he’s trying to get business going, and a lot of the northern states, they’ve still got a lot of restrictions. During 2020 there was a lot of restrictions on everybody. And people are wanting to get out and enjoy themselves again. That right there I think is the main thing. 

“The other thing that probably has as much weight to it is the tech guys that we’ve hired for the Tour Mods. Years ago what we had here doing it, they weren’t necessarily in tune with the Tour Mods. They were learning. And they were good, but they didn’t know the nuances of a Tour Mod. And now with Robert we’ve got somebody that is in the mix of the thing. I think the guys are reacting to that and saying ‘Hey, we can go down there and their guy is someone we know and we know he’s fair and we stand a chance when we go down.’ They have somebody that knows about Tour Mods. 

“I think that combination right there is the 1-2 punch for us that is making it what it is this year. The main thing is I see it as people needing to get out and do something and enjoy life again and be able to play with their race cars and just forget about all of the stuff of the world for nine days or so.” 

Reigning Tour Type Modified division World Series champion Matt Hirschman backs up Marcus’ assessment on the changes in tech helping to grow the roster for the division. 

“Going back a few years when the car count was, you could say on life support down there, Ricky Brooks got control of the Modifieds down there and really cleaned some things up,” Hirschman said. “It was pretty well known that what was legal or what was used anywhere else you raced up in the Northeast here during the season is not what was being used in competition in Florida. We found out the hard way when we for the first time back around 2009 and 2010. And we stopped going. Once Ricky got control of it and cleaned things up we came back. He’s not there anymore, but that started it. I think in recent years – and I’ve been a part of some of the excellent racing that’s gone on down there and some close finishes – I really think that both racers and fans are really high on the product that the Modifieds put out down there. And I think everybody kind of wants in is the best way I can describe it.” 

Marcus said the track will operate for the World Series with numerous special conditions in place due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. 

“Here’s the thing, when the COVID first started we did shut down for a spell,” Marcus said. “And then we got with our county leaders and we said look ‘What are we supposed to do?’ What our county leaders told us was ‘Look, use common sense.’ People are people, they’re going to do what they’re going to do. Especially in an open air event like this, it’s impossible to sit there and go ‘You, you, you you you and you need to do this.’ It just won’t work. 

“But they told us to do our best and have our sanitation stations, have different things in place and do the best that you can do because people are going to be people. And that’s all we can do. We were like ‘Are you sure?’ And they said ‘Yes, that’s what our recommendations are. Follow the CDC guidelines as well as you can. Have things in place for people.’ And they sent that to us in writing and it was like ‘Diggety dang.’” 

Marcus said there will be mask requirements in place for the event, but competitors and fans will not be required to wear masks at all times. 

“What we do require is that anytime that you’re dealing with any of the staff or employees at New Smyrna Speedway that you do have a mask or face covering on,” Marcus said. “It’s the ticket booth, concessions, any time you’re dealing with somebody you need to have your face covered. We’re going to have them on and we expect you to have them on whenever we’re face to face. 

“When people get in the grandstands, that’s up to them to govern themselves. And in the pits, if you’re working on your car, there’s a lot of people that will not wear a mask working on their car. It’s an open air event. Everybody knows by now that there is no gotcha moment in this thing. It’s just out there. Take the best precautions that you can to protect yourself and your family and that’s all we can ask. We expect everybody to act as adults and come down and have a good time. Will it be the same as it always been? Well, there’s some different things that we’ll all have to do, but that’s the way of the world right now.” 

For more from Ryan Preece and Matt Hirschman on the New Smyrna World Series and much more check out the latest edition of Unmuffled.



Comments

  1. Wow!!
    41 cars
    Is there a site that shows the entry list?

  2. Amen. What a refreshing read. 2021 is going to be just fine.

  3. Phil, New Smyrna Speedway has the entry list on their website: http://www.newsmyrnaspeedway.com

  4. wmass01013 says
  5. Don’t click that link that appears. Type it in on Google, that link won’t bring you there. Go to Google type in new Smyrna Speedway, and it will give you the website. Quite an impressive entry list.
    As far as covid goes, sounds like an “enter at your own risk” situation. For those of you going MASK UP. don’t be stupid

  6. Bill Realist says

    Don’t worry Dareal is trying to put a stop to this

  7. Come for the racing, stay for the COVID-19!!!

    Bring some home for the loved ones!!!

  8. Florida

  9. I just read an article saying that NBCSN will be discontinued at the end of 2021. Nascar and NHL hockey coverage will be transitioned to USA network and Peacock streaming after. I was looking at NBCSN Grassroots streaming service for Whelen and Nascar weekly series a couple of weeks ago to see if the World series was going to be covered again this year. The schedule wasnt updated for 2021 at the time, but I noticed they were no longer offering yearly subs only monthly. So it would appear NBCSN grassroots online coverage will go away when NBCSN is gone. Not sure what this means for the NBC’s coverage of the modifieds. They werent giving the mods great time slots on NBCSN to begin with. I am guessing the Whelen tour coverage would transition to Peacock if NBC continues to cover the tour Anyone know how long they signed on with the Whelen tour for coverage? If NBC discontinues their coverage of Nascar weekly racing perhaps Stafford can go back to Nascar for 2022 now that the streaming issues have been resolved. Not sure if that is a positive or negative outcome of all this NBCSN also covers a bunch of other motorsports including IMSA, Indycar and the AMA supercross series. Anyway most of this is just speculation on my part but I thought some of you frequent mod tour streamers might also.

  10. CSG,
    I’m pretty sure the NASCAR contract with NBC runs through 2024. To my knowledge, the grassroots stuff is all part of that contract that also includes the national divisions.

  11. 🌈🦄2020 says

    “People are going to come down and feel like humans again” Umm no no. Dafella is doing just fine and dandy in his basement. Feeling like a human is not an option. Restaurant’s in his town are closed! And will be until Biden and Fauci say so.

  12. Got a call. My wife’s “sisters” nephew passed away from covid, he was 46. He had been diagnosed, and went to the ER. He coded, and they managed to revive him, but he didn’t meet the criteria for them to admit him. He passed the next morning.
    The question I pose is; if you code out, they revive you, and you don’t meet the criteria for admission? Seems screwed up to me.
    I truly hope everyone is doing well. Please take all the precautions you can. This thing kills, and you can’t count on the hospital to save you… You might not meet the criteria.

  13. 🌈🦄2020, a nearby giant supermarket shutdown a couple weeks ago for a deep cleaning sanitization, a wildly popular coffee shop is closed until further notice after an employee tested positive. The list goes on and on.

    Doing simple, everyday things has been extremely risky and dangerous.

  14. Csg;
    Noticed the same boatload of inconsistencies on the trackpass nbc site as well.
    It does not appear that you can sign up for an annual yearly pass anymore.
    I also noticed the site is conflicting. 2 prices for monthly signup only. It appears one option follows the whelan tour events, @ 4.99/mo. However, there is also a 2.99/mo option listed, with no explanation of what it covers, unless my browser was amiss. At either rate, I’m with you.
    Something seems afoot, but I’m not sure what it is. Yet.
    Diggety dang all.

  15. I’m so confused!!!
    NBCSN is a packaged product offered on cable TV, dish services and packaged streaming services isn’t it? Not to be confused with NBC Sports Gold a suite of a la carte streaming programing with a huge array of sports viewing options.
    The move is afoot and where it lands is unclear but there are clues including the month to month charge for all the options under Trackpass. This is about consolidation, cost cutting, monetizing your own content and providing flexibility to add or subtract going into the future.
    USA getting some of the more followed, big events but Peacock is the big tuna. Peacock with the free level of mostly entertainment programing, premium for $5 which is where you will find the bigger sports events like soccer and lose the commercials for another $5 like Hulu does.
    It’s all part of the networks goal to control and monetize their own content like CBS All Access. That’s the major trend and in my view is the Netflix model. Control the content you’ve produced or paid for the the rights to show, offer it on whatever device people want to use at a great price whenever they want to view it.
    The future of the smaller content like those under the Trackpass umbrella after this year……unknown but the tea leaves suggest there are no worries on that score for race fans.
    Stafford and Nascar both willing to cut the chord on their relationship primarily over the issue of who owns the rights to Staffords streaming content. Speed51’s streaming services are evolving with Speed51.TV, a more sophisticated platform with more races and easier access via Smartphone, Tablet, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. I’m guessing that once again they’ll be sucking up those Tri Track races as soon as they can get them like last year. Making them part of their membership service that will have no PPV charge or a reduced PPV with no black out. I think!!!
    Predictions are a suckers game and this sucker predicts that given the current trends there is virtually no chance NWMT races will not be available via streaming indefinitely into the future on some platform. NASCAR may be sucked into the Peacock orbit and include less popular menu offerings like like Roots and Flat Track. Or it will go to some “other linear TV outlets” like Speed51 or one that has yet to be created.
    In any event it’s the trend to offer more not less. Mostly because it’s relatively cheap to do given advancements in technology and what people want and will pay for. Covid19 accelerated the process but it was happening anyway..

    https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/SB-Blogs/Breaking-News/2021/01/NBCSN.aspx
    https://uproxx.com/sports/nbcsn-profitable-popular-nbc-ended-it-peacock/

  16. Thanks Shaun. It makes sense it would run in conjunction with the Cup contract. I am thinking they are probably going to move the Nascar touring and weekly programing to their peacock online offering after this year. I hope the Cup races and NHL remains on basic cable perhaps with a streaming simulcast option Not sure how this will impact future TV contracts. You would think with one less network competing for content prices may moderate. Probably not good considering TV ratings for all sports have been down in recent years

    Bobf when I looked into NBCSN they had a couple of different tiers. Grassroots was the cheaper option and covered Naacar weekly and touring events. They had a higher up tier which covered everything grassroots covered plus a good portion of their other motorsports coverage. I think it covered everything but moto x and indycar when I looked into it. Perhaps that is the two different prices you saw. Grassroots gets you the tour. At 2.99 per month and the tours schedule this year I think they will do very well.

    I looked at the NBC Sports gold website for their schedule. It is not updated. IMSA rolex 24 goes off next week so they should update something this week. I really hope the World series is covered online by someone. It looks like it is going to be great this year. Only 12 days until the World Series at New Smyrna.

  17. NBCSN will fold in December. They probably aren’t going to offer an annual pass at this point if they can’t offer you 12 months. Monthly options might be the best they offer in 2021. What do I know though. I have never streamed a race. Wouldn’t know how if I tried.

    I might be able to downgrade my Direct TV now that Nascar is moving to USA. Winning!

  18. Peacock is free to a lot of Xfinity and Cox cable subscribers. I’m able to stream Peacock, Amazon Video, HBO Now, Netflix, YouTube, and other services to non-smart TV’s using my xFinity cable boxes, as well as the usual smart TV’s and portable devices.

    It sounds silly to stream to cable boxes, but my wife likes the ease of use, and my cable TV is essentially free at the moment with our top speed internet bundle that I need for work. Many DirecTV and uVerse / Vantage / FIOS systems can also stream other services without extra hardware. I haven’t yet checked my DirecTV system to see if I can access Peacock there.

    I can see the industry moving towards set top boxes that provide low cost local channels, or some sort of skinny cable package, to high speed internet customers, with each end user adding the streaming service(s) that appeal to them, when they want them, and all of it operates as transparently as old school cable TV. Kind of a roundabout way to get the ala-carte programming packages that customers have been requesting for 20 years. Most people who currently stream already subscribe to multiple services at any given time, so it’s kind of the next step.

    It’s not unusual for people to add or drop streaming services to see certain programming or sports seasons, because there are no fees to jump in and out of a subscription as there were in the past for premium services like HBO and Showtime.

  19. Dareal You have got to get off that soap box. I live in Brooklyn, NY A hot spot if there ever was one. My wife works at a Private School, and they have been open since Sep and only one case, and they followed the guidelines, and to date that is the only one. Plus according to statistics, people are more likely to get COVID staying in their homes, rather then eating out. Soooo why do we have closed restaraunts

  20. Barry, you can get the local channels already from xfinity, essentially their basic channel offering, for about ~$50/mo w/o a box, just the internet service. What really frosts me about it is they promo it for ~$25 and the fine print adds another ~$25. I’ve had that for a while, then got rid of it because it was not much better or compelling than an antenna. Yep, I use an antenna, no cable service in this natural, organic, fair trade household.

  21. Ken L posts, “Plus according to statistics, people are more likely to get COVID staying in their homes, rather then eating out. Soooo why do we have closed restaraunts”

    You need to experience something other than Fox. BTW, Fox changed the name of the Fox News Hour by eliminating the reference to ‘news’ and calling the show an opinion piece. It is the same crap, just calling it what it is instead of masquerading as a news source.

    I know someone in Brooklyn, her 5 year old kids just tested positive. I have family in Queens, not far from Elmhurst, THE COVID-19 epicenter. Luckily, they have been okay. Don’t lecture me on this stuff.

    Regarding your line about staying home vs going to a restaurant, well, I won’t call you an idiot.

    All the experts, and that includes Dr. Fauci, who is from Bensonhurst, say restaurants are in the top 3 worst place to go. Bars, gyms, cafes are the others. And all recommendations are to stay home and avoid places and people outside your immediate household.

    I don’t have to call you an idiot. You do that yourself.

    Listen to your neighbor:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIBbjMH_ybU

  22. OK you’ve heard from Barry that has an absolutely loaded array of options at incredible speed that for most consumers checks in at some pretty significant monthly charges. That’s great if your finances can support it. If not I can provide the opposite end of the spectrum from the cheap seats with not much sacrifice in choices.
    10 MPS base line cable, suitable for non families running multiple devices concurrently, can do the job for most but you can speed it up to meet your needs. Paying for speed in my view has more value then channel packages. Over the air antenna for local channels that are crystal clear with a DVR. Roku or one of the many others doing the same thing and the ability to float in and out of thousands of entertainment choices including the big ones mentioned at no additional charge as mentioned.. Hundreds of other choices are free. Total cost in the $65 a month range for more entertainment then most adults can consume and when you get board flip premium services. Be patient and Starz, Showtime, Cinemax, Epix and other add ons will give you a half price or less special for a specific period so you can catch up on Ray Donovan, Your Honor, Billions….whatever. Sorry HBO Now as far as I know does not ever cut their price.
    Not having cable news in my view will make you smarter but if you are suffering withdrawal Roku has limited content from all the cable news channels as well as CNBC at no additional charge.
    Cable and satellite are losing customers as people flock to streaming service packages.
    I’d disagree with anything being termed as free. In every cable, satellite or streaming package every channel has a charge. Every month you’re paying for content you never watch. When you use over the air with a DVR you can surgically make your entertainment choices and avoid paying for dozens of channels that you never watch. Live sports offered in cable or streaming packages is one of the options you will not get with the surgical approach.
    Then use the savings to watch StaffordSpeedway.TV and help the race teams that will get 25% of the proceeds from your streaming charge per race event. Or simply go to a race and have that extra beer or hot dog knowing you’re not blowing a hole in your monthly budget.
    If money is plentiful by all means, the sky is the limit.

  23. Hey everybody.
    Thanks for all the great info. The times certainly are a changin!
    The only issue I see moving forward to this old timer, is this stuff keeps changing!
    Are we there yet?

  24. Seekonk fan says

    Looks to me like NBCSN is just morphing into Peacock. Yes-no ? Seems a lot cheaper than the NBC Gold platform. What the offerings will be remains to be seen. I have signed up for Peacock to watch Supercross racing seems ok.

  25. 🌈🦄2020 says

    Chicago mayor Lightfoot wants to reopen bars and restaurants as quickly as possible, to reduce the risk of underground parties. Massachusetts governor is lifting the stay at home advisory and restaurant curfews. Don’t call them idiots Dafella. Don’t you dare.

  26. Okaaaaaay, I will not call them idiots.

    However, I will give you something to think about. The seasonal flu 🤧 🤒 😷 is almost nonexistent this season. There is very little season flu activity this season. Wonder why? Well, the measures that people are taking, such as masks, social distancing, hygiene, etc. due to the #TrumpPandemic coronavirus 🦠 COVID-19, has tremendously attenuated the seasonal flu. 🤧 🤒 😷 Sadly and unfortunately, the #TrumpPandemic coronavirus 🦠 COVID-19 is magnitudes more contagious than the seasonal flu 🤧 🤒 😷, which means we need to be far more vigilant in protecting ourselves and each other from the #TrumpPandemic coronavirus 🦠 COVID-19.

    Restaurants around me are closed, even gave up on take-out. A friend from the southwest Boston region says not much is open near him.

    Mask up, use good hygiene, and stay the hell away from me.

  27. Hey darealdafauci, why don’t you call the mayor of Chicago and governor of MA and personally tell them they are an idiot. I don’t think you have the testicular fortitude to do it. Come on man, do it, do it.

  28. 🌈🦄2020 says

    Of course you won’t Dafella.. Of course you won’t. Boston and surrounding areas are in Massachusetts FYI.

  29. You are correct 2020, Boston and its surrounding areas are in Massachusetts. Good job! 👍 👏

    And everybody WANTS to reopen everything as soon as possible. Right? Is it safe?

  30. “Looks to me like NBCSN is just morphing into Peacock. Yes-no ? Seems a lot cheaper than the NBC Gold platform.”

    That’s what it looks like to me…

  31. Anybody notice that the GREAT FAUCI, fraud from Brooklyn (Hate to say it) has flip flopperd AGAIN. I think that makes 50!

  32. “The seasonal flu is almost nonexistent this season. There is very little season flu activity this season. Wonder why? Well, the measures that people are taking, such as masks, social distancing, hygiene, etc. due to the #TrumpPandemic coronavirus COVID-19, has tremendously attenuated the seasonal flu.”

    No kidding captain obvious. Thanks again as always for telling us something we already know.

    Precious, so precious.

  33. Looks like Peacock will be streaming central for NBC products, so the dissolution of NBCSN is just part of that distillation. Probably more to come in the next few months.

    Earl, you didn’t know that. It’s obvious.

  34. I’ll see your diggety dang and raise you a hot diggety dang.
    We’re clearly in epic territory ala the Modified Classic 81 at Stafford. More so since they have to travel so far.
    Two or three Bertuccio cars, three Catalano’s plus Tommy with the 17, two Rypkema’s, and now Mike Curtis joins Eric Goodale out of the Goodies Motorsport shop.
    Are you clever. Consider putting together an on line driver profile for all the modified teams that have entered the New Smyrna World Series. I know I’d pay just about anything for it. Home track, engine, chassis, career high points, team owner and sponsors. Will not happen so hopefully Ben Dodge and whomever else is doing the announcing will bring their A game with details as we bring our listening A game as fans.
    Out and about in cyber space:

    • 7ny committing to the entire NWMT schedule with McKennedy going for the championship.
    • For all those with a black list of drivers known for the bump and run as well as other rough house tactics you can add Ben Dodge. Who after a hand full of races into his 6 cylinder driving career wrecked both his and his fathers car before retiring to pursue race related endeavors that did not include driving.
    • Stafford and Tri Track did try to put together a race according to Paul Arute but just could not come up with a date that worked for everyone including the teams with so many other commitments.
    • Stafford doubling down on StaffordSpeedway.TV with more equipment and more content added to the show including speed shots, in car, action in the pits and more.
    • Stafford planning for the worst with 25% capacity and hoping for the best as the season progresses. It continues to be remarkable how they seem completely unfazed by the obstacles the pandemic presented last season. At least not publicly.
    • The SRX race will include a balboa car for a local driver and a ringer car for someone special that is widely known in racing. Or in some races two ringer drivers. Run of the show drivers may share cars if they have other racing commitment conflicts.
    • SK Modified race in conjunction with the SRX race will NOT be on the prime time broadcast according to Paul Arute but should be available on StaffordSpeedway.tv with highlights and mentions aired on the broadcast. Past champions can enter so hopefully that will produce some interesting entries.
    • Coby and Rocco in good natured Twitter battle positioning themselves for a seat in the SRX balboa car.
    • SRX cars at Stafford will be powerful and be using tires on the thinner side according to Ray Evernham. .
    • If you haven’t caught Ben Dodge on the Stafford Bottom Shot podcast consider tuning in. Just a treasure trove of interesting tidbits on the tracks history if you can make allowances for his perpetual promotion. He definitely can make magic with his words although “making magic” wasn’t in his repertoire this particular interview. Not to worry he did beat one new pet expression to death and so forth.

  35. For most of us under the age of 65 in Massachusetts, unless your a first responder, it looks as though the vaccine won’t be available until May or June, putting that second dose into June or July, and ultimately considered immunity till late July or August. So much for a return to normalcy by late spring. Yet some convicts currently serving time have already received the first dose of the vaccine. I can see nursing homes, and assisted living facilities, but jails? If you want to control the spread, lockdown the facility, test everyone and separate them accordingly. They are locked up in a controllable environment, while us in society cannot access the vaccine, just messed up if you ask me. The virus is more likely to spread in an active community than in a locked down jail. Especially with this new strain, which is in Massachusetts, and every New England state.

  36. Twas the week before New Smyrna, when all through the shop,

    Not a crew was stirring, not even a mouse;

    The spare rims were stacked in the haulers with care,

    In hopes that the crew would soon be there;

    The crew were nestled all snug in their beds,

    While visions of trophies danced in their heads,

    With Mom in her sweatpants and I in my tee shirt,

    Had just woke our brains from a long winter’s nap-

    When out in the driveway there arose such a clatter

    I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

    Away to the window I flew like a flash,

    Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

    The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,

    Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below;

    When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

    But a diesel pickup truck, driven by 8 clacking pistons,

    With the big bearded driver, so sleepy and slow,

    I knew right away it must be the hauler driver.

    And he whistled, and he shouted, and called them by name:

    Now! Piston 1! Piston 2! Piston 3! Piston 4!,

    On! Piston 5! Piston 6! Piston 7! Piston 8!

    To the top of the driveway! To the overhang door!

    Now haul away! Haul away! Haul away haul!

    New Smyrna Speedway, here we come!!!

  37. Rob p. a prison is a densely packed, close environment. Any highly contagious pathogen will spread quickly, and it has. Prisons are seeing extremely high death rates. Any high population density, closed environment is a high priority. It’s already happening, sadly.

  38. just to let everybody know there is an article on nascar.com about what is going to happen to nbc sports gold it said something about speed sport tv really great update on what is going to happen. scroll down near the bottom of the page the article is directly under a picture of AJ ALLMINDINGER

  39. God this so tedious. The reason prisons are a priority is because they are concentrated breeding grounds for the virus that is hard to control that can spread to the community via the thousands of people that work in the prisons. They get sick and all of a sudden you’re directing health care resources to fight an outbreak that could have been used in other placed not to mention the guards to supply added security with their overtime. It’s not even that big a community compared to the country as a whole.
    It is tedious. Cherry picking little outrages that on the surface seem perfectly logical but are not anything of the sort. Somehow a segment of purposely ignorant people think government officials are prioritizing prisons at the cost to the general public for what reason? They feel sympathy for convicted felons?
    It’s just so frustrating. There’s a wealth of information out there that can be easily accessed in seconds providing the host of reasons why it’s a good decision to prioritize prisons. Yet the outrage pops up in a racing forum.
    Why Mass is lagging in getting shots into arms I have no idea but so far it’s the case. Improving that should be the main priority.
    I write the numbers down every day for Connecticut. One of the better success records with an organized plan to administer the vaccine. So far we’re holding out own with signs that the infection rate is stabilizing or perhaps ticking down a bit. Hospitalizations are manageable. Still I’m writing down around 40 people dying every day.
    If you’re 75 plus you can get the shot in Ct now and even that isn’t an easy sell. A tenant that qualifies has informed me she has her doubts about the risk and is thinking about it. Hank Aaron died of the vaccine she says. Never mind he was 10 years older and died of natural causes not from the vaccine. Oh brother!!
    65 to 75 is up next in Connecticut plus those with co morbidities. You might want to check that co morbidity exception in your state if you have issues since they tend to be fairly liberal.
    Afraid of variants? We should be but not panicked. It’s the nature of every virus to change to survive and even now Moderna and others are working on changing the vaccines to address weaknesses. That’s good news with the additional good news that the modifications won’t require the same testing and approval process.
    Biden was elected primarily to declare war on Covid19 which he has and direct every resource possible toward fighting the war. Like any war there will be set backs, bottle necks and unintended consequences. Since he was inaugurated the daily vaccination rate had gone from 900 K to 1.3 million. None of that had anything to do with him but it’s his baby now and he’ll be judged for one thing. Not the impeachment, shutting down the XL pipeline, drilling on public lands or anything else that may pop up on cable news or talk media. He’ll be judged on fighting the war against Covid19………period!!!

  40. Joe;
    Great info.
    Sounds like speed sport going to be a nascar local tracks streaming service? Maybe? Hmmm. While the article did state, if a track decides to get on streaming platform they can choose to work directly with Speed Sport. (Option?)If so, Appears to me, that staffords decision to drop nascar coming more into focus for dropping sanction. The guys early on that speculated it was about tv streaming rights, and not pandemic related, I think we’re spot on. Everything is changing so fast. Jmo.
    Diggety dang- dang-dang!

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