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.
-
-
Maritsa Georgiou weighs in on Mike Waltz, broadcasting funding and more
Maritsa Georgiou, who hosts the podcast "Grounded" with former Sen. Jon Tester, beaks down the week's top political headlines with Scripps News.
Jury selection to start Monday in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal trial
Sean "Diddy" Combs will enter a Manhattan federal courtroom Monday as jury selection begins in his criminal trial.
Man riding bicycle killed in Northside shooting, Crime Insider sources say
A man was killed in a shooting on Richmond's Northside on Friday afternoon, according to Richmond police.
DCJS looks for solutions as licensing delays frustrate private security industry
Security leaders from across the commonwealth met in Richmond this week and discussed a big problem impacting private security workers.
Gov. Youngkin cuts $900M from budget as cushion against federal changes
Friday, Gov. Youngkin announced he was vetoing dozens of items in the budget to provide a financial cushion against the impacts from President Trump's overhaul of the federal government.
Trump asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Security systems
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to clear the way for Elon Musk ’s Department of Government Efficiency to access Social Security systems.
-
