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.
-
-
Warm week ahead and staying dry
The dry stretch continues through Halloween with only a slight chance of light rain arriving Monday. Daytime highs will remain unseasonably warm with temps in the 60s & 70s.
Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl halftime show at SoFi Stadium in California
The man who has helped produce the Super Bowl halftime show is stepping into the spotlight: Jay-Z will headline the show himself.
Trump campaigns in Mississippi, highlighting Republicans' challenges
President Donald Trump campaigned Monday in Mississippi, as he continued a closing midterm rally blitz.
Appeals court declines to rule on California ballots of alleged noncitizens
An appeals court on Monday declined to rule on whether California elections officials can count roughly 20,000 ballots that the Justice Department alleges belong to noncitizen voters.
An AI model accessed voter data in Georgia. Officials say there was no foul play
Anthropic's Claude AI model reportedly accessed Georgia voter data without being prompted by a human.
Justice Department files new charges against former FBI Director James Comey
The Justice Department has filed two criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey, accusing him of unlawfully disclosing national defense information.
-
