Richmond Track Will Shed Seats

Richmond International Raceway President Dennis Bickmeier told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that RIR will remove the Henrico Tower and there will be additional seating along the backstretch. He estimated that the tracks capacity will drop about 10,000 seats.

"We're taking down parts of Henrico grandstands (along the backstretch)," Bickmeier said. "The lower part of the backstretch as you come toward turn three as well as some sections of the Old Dominion grandstands in Turn 3."

Bickmeier said that the plan to remove some seating has been formulating for over a year, and that fan feedback was a primary driver.

"These sections have been on the low satisfactory end of post-race fan survey data," he said. "Henrico Tower, in particular, is an arduous journey for fans." Bickmeier said spectators need to climb 72 steps to the lower portion of the tower, where there are few, if any, amenities such as concessions and restrooms. "So, it's not where we get some of the best feedback from our fans," he said. "And, during the race, if you wanted to something to drink or go to the restroom, you have to come all the way down and climb all the way back up."

Bickmeier said that reducing seating isn' all that rare these days. "This is not a new phenomenon by any means," he said. "It's happened at other motorsports facilities and other facilities in general." Daytona will trim capacity to 101,000 in the near future, and it is owned by International Speedway Corporation, RIRs parent company.

In many ways, this is a result of over-building during NASCAR's boom years in the 1990s. With the loss of 10,000 seats, RIR will still be close to 100,000 seats for its two races each season.