×

Bickmeier preparing for next event

Dennis Bickmeier never seems to have a free moment.

That’s just how he likes it.

As president of Richmond Raceway, Bickmeier is charged with keeping the layout buzzing.

And if anyone thinks the 1984 St. John Central graduate has a respite when there’s not a race there, think again.

The Virginia layout is an entertainment mecca, encompassing 110 acres of multi-purpose venues ranging from a 3.4-mil D-shaped oval to a state-of-the-art amphitheater.

In fact, the amphitheater was a hub of action this weekend, with a blues festival.

“It’s all about facility usage,” Bickmeier said this past weekend from his office. “You have 110 acres and you try to keep the facility busy.

“This used to be where the (Virginia) state fair was held. That’s why we have 400,000 square feet of what were a lot of infrastructure that we use for trade show space. We’re able to play host to a lot of events, not just racing events.”

That’s one of the biggest challenges for someone overseeing a racing complex these days — what to do with a facility on the days when drivers aren’t revving up their engines.

Bickmeier said open weekends at Richmond are few and far between, keeping him and his staff on their toes.

“We’re just trying to recover from our most-recent NASCAR event,” he said chuckling. “We’ll do a lot of recapping and start working toward the next race in April.”

The crown jewels of the facility are the two NASCAR Monster Energy Series events it hosts each. The most recent, the Federated Auto Parts 400, marked the first time Richmond played host to a race that was part of the series’ playoff.

“That was a tremendous spark for us,” Bickmeier, also an Ohio University grad, said. “The drivers wanted another shorttrack and we were able to move (the second race) two weeks later,” Bickmeier said. “I think that was a win for everybody.

“I think we learned a lot about being in the playoff for the first time. But, again, I think it’s a great story for Richmond to be in the playoff.”

Kyle Busch won that race, sweeping both events there. Richmond’s other Monster Energy Series event takes place in April. Richmond will again play host to a pair of events on NASCAR’s top circuit in 2019, reaffirming Bickmeier’s belief, that racing has a strong future in the Virginia’s fourth-most populated city.

“We also added a third motorsports events on Oct. 20,” Bickmeier noted.

The PASS Commonwealth Classic will incorporate PASS Super Late Models, Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, and Street Stocks.

“We really are focusing on the grassroots efforts of motorsports,” Bickmeier said. “A lot of competitors that compete on a number of local short tracks up and down the east coast will be there.”

Keeping an eye on the future is of the utmost importance for Bickmeier. The industry is in flux. Rumors are aplenty about the future of NASCAR and concerns are many what with the decrease of television ratings and the like and the recent change in leadership atop the organization.

Bickmeier holds a positive look for the sport’s future, and new NASCAR president Steve Phelps, bolstered by investments some of the sports most-prolific venues.

He pointed out multi-million dollar renovation projects at Daytona, Phoenix, Talladega.

“Those are four examples of our company investing in facilities and being prepared to meet the needs of our fans and being committed,” Bickmeier said. “That says a lot right there.”

Bickmeier is in his 18th year with International Speedway Corporation and seventh at Richmond. He’s led a major renovation project there, too, one that was showcased at the recent NASCAR event.

Richmond Raceway Reimagined, Bickmeier said, is a gamechanger. The $30M project revamped and modernized the infield, making in accessible for fans.

The DC Solar FanGrounds brings race fans closer than ever with new garages and a fan viewing walkway providing full immersion into the sport. Fans will also be able to watch race cars complete their runs through inspection stations in the new infield.

Gatorade Victory Lane will now be staged in closer view of the grandstands for fans to have a better experience celebrating with Richmond race winners. The location will provide new fan engagement opportunities for pre-race access, driver appearances, and entertainment programming.

A plethora of other new amenities are part of the project.

“It got fantastic reviews,” Bickmeier said. Our thinking with the whole project was to immerse the fans into the heart of the sport and the fans can’t believe the access they got. That’s very satisfying.”

He said the goal is to focus on the core fans, while, at the same time, bring in younger ones through innovation.

“I think to continue to build the sport we have to focus on the grassroots efforts and try to get that next generation of fans to watch events we have.

“We have a lot of initiatives for youth. We’ve spent a lot.

“I like the initiatives in place.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today