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.
-
-
3 minors, 1 adult charged after shot fired during Mechanicsville fight
Three minors and one adult have been charged after a fight in Mechanicsville where a shot was fired last week.
As millions gear up for July 4 road trips, gas will cost less than last year
Good news for 4th of July road trippers: A gallon of regular gas will cost 34 cents less than it did last year.
Trump threatens to arrest Mamdani if he were to interfere with ICE as NYC mayor
President Trump on Tuesday threatened New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani with arrest, should he be elected and interfere with ICE operations in the city.
US halting shipment of certain air defense weapons and munitions to Ukraine
The U.S. will temporarily halt shipments of certain weapons systems to Ukraine, according to White House officials.
Richmond police address 'off the charts' gun activity in Shockoe Bottom
Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said the sheer number of people carrying guns in Shockoe Bottom has troubled his department recently, prompting efforts to ramp up police presence in the area
Send story tip to CBS 6 Investigative Reporter Tyler Layne
Click here to send a story idea to Tyler or any of our reporters. You can also email Tyler directly at Tyler.Layne@WTVR.com or call him at 804-254-3647.
-
