HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Growing up right across the street from Richmond International Raceway, Reggie Johnson would always get a jolt of excitement when NASCAR's spring and fall races would come to town.
"I have very fond memories watching the people come, watching the trailers come in, going, 'Hey there's my favorite driver!'" Johnson said.
When CBS 6 broke the news to Johnson Wednesday afternoon, he was shocked.
"It's always been two races a year. I never thought the day would come when they take one away," he said.
He said over the years, residents would often complain about traffic concerns from thousands of fans coming in for race weekend.
IN-DEPTH: What Richmond loss of NASCAR race weekend means for community
Other residents, like Mary Wood, would open up their yards or parking lots to charge for parking.
"Before COVID-19, I used to park, fill my yard up, and there would be people who would camp out in the backyard, and that kind of stuff," Wood said. "One thing I've noticed is that the crowd has diminished quite a bit."
Wood and Johnson said over the past few years, they've seen fewer and fewer visitors coming to the raceway.
"I'm sure a lot of business owners are like, 'Oh, no,'" Wood said.
CBS 6 spoke with Harry Sharma, who manages Race Track Market.
"That day we do a lot of business," Sharma said about each race.
With the loss of one race, Sharma said it could have a major impact.
"We lose $5,000 to $10,000," he said. "They should do more. The reducing, it's bad."
Johnson said he understands the move, though he worries about the economic impact it could have on Henrico County and Richmond.
“I can understand it once a year, if they’re trying to expand, go international. There are international drivers in NASCAR now, so why not? You have to go with the punches."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
-
-
Francine leaves 160K without power in Louisiana, weakens to tropical depression
More than 160,000 were still without power in Louisiana after Francine slammed the state as a Category 2 hurricane. It has now weakened to a tropical depression.How a trip out of town inspired her new Richmond business: 'I was shocked'
Lioness, a small shop that sells crafts and gifts sourced from around the world, opened last month at 4009 MacArthur Blvd., in the same building as wine shop Once Upon A Vine.Link posted by Taylor Swift gets 406,000 clicks after Harris endorsement
As she offered her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in this November's presidential election, it appears Taylor Swift drove a wave of new voter registrations.Meet the artist using schools as her canvas while bringing smiles to students
Crystal Kuti is the owner of Bee Kreative. If you want to learn how to make something or have something made, she wants to help.First on Scripps News: VA awarding $52M in grants to prevent military suicides
First on Scripps News: The VA awarding $52 million in grants to help prevent military suicides. Read more here.Polaris Dawn crew conducts first-ever commercial spacewalk
Early Thursday morning, the first private spacewalk took place in orbit high above Earth. It comes several days after the Polaris Dawn crew blasted off from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX rocket.
-
EAT IT, VIRGINIA restaurant news and interviews