NASCAR Wants to Race at Franklin Field in Philadelphia

NASCAR wants to hold a race at Franklin Field in Philadelphia (photo of Franklin Field via public domain)

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NASCAR Wants to Race at Franklin Field In Philadelphia

There are few things that get me less excited than NASCAR, cars just going around in circles over and over again. But I’m a firm believer in the democratic process and that this column can’t just be about me. And obviously NASCAR is a beloved “sport” to many. So here goes…

As part of an expansion plan, NASCAR is considering Franklin Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania for future races.

“The days of just building a rural track are over,” NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell told the Pocono Record. (Pocono Raceway is a major destination for NASCAR races; you just missed races there last weekend.) “But if we can build a track with some real estate development around it and partner with some people, we’re gonna look at major cities and bring the product to the fan base within the city as well.”

O’Donnell confirmed that Franklin Field is the location NASCAR is looking at in Philadelphia, saying, “It was one of the only places we could’ve put a race track inside.”

Franklin Field, which dates back to the late 19th century, is the oldest operating college football stadium in the country. The Eagles played there from 1958 until 1970, thereafter moving to Veterans Stadium.

There’s no timeline for when all of this NASCAR action might come to Philadelphia. So it sounds like you have plenty of times to learn your Kyle Larsons from your Denny Hamlins. (Yes, I googled this.)

The Amy Wax Watch

It’s been a while since we talked about Amy Wax, who is either a racist or a martyr for Free Speech, depending on whom you ask. Wax, who is serving a one-year suspensions from her University of Pennsylvania professorship over race-related comments she made, has been suing the university for punishing her, alleging that the school was racially discriminating against her and violating her First Amendment rights. She tried to get a judge to issue a preliminary injunction against Penn, but the judge just ruled against her, as the Daily Pennsylvanian reports.

The Mutter Museum Watch

It’s also been a while since we talked about the Mutter Museum, which has been struggling for years with its identity amid ethical controversies over keeping and displaying human remains. The New Yorker finally caught on to this mess, and does a deep dive in the new issue.

The Heat Wave Watch

If you were hoping that Wednesday might bring some relief from the heat, that’s not gonna happen. Though we’re not supposed to have a redo of Tuesday’s triple digits, we’re still looking at 96 degrees or so. The good news? We’re not supposed to see another day in the 90s through the weekend.

Headlines We Weren’t Expecting to See

“Alligator Named Ferdinand Recovered During Philly Eviction”

But How Do You Really Feel, Kae Lani?

Do you remember when famed New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells gave an infamously bad review to some Guy Fieri restaurant in Times Square? Well, I don’t think I’m understating it when I say that my esteemed colleague Kae Lani Palmisano just wrote what will become known as an infamously bad review of “the worst new bar in Philadelphia.” Everybody’s talking about it.

Speaking of Bad Bar Scenes…

Never been a fan of Center City Sips. It’s like amateur hour for happy hour. And it sounds like these three Center City bars aren’t big fans of it either, having pulled out due to all the “mayhem.”

By the Numbers

2: Shows still happening at World Cafe Live this week between Wednesday and Sunday. If that sounds like an anemic schedule to you, that’s because it is. Artists are refusing to perform there thanks to actions by the new leadership team.

0: Nonstop flights you can catch from Philadelphia to Doha (it’s in Qatar, in case you’re not up on your geography) now that American Airlines has suspended its service between the two cities amid rising tensions in the Middle East. But, hey, it’s 110 in Doha and 100 here, so you can almost get the Doha experience. Well, minus all the human rights abuses. Oh, well, actually…

15: Years that Rob McElhenney’s Philly bar Mac’s Tavern lasted before announcing that it was closing. The bar made the announcement on social media yesterday. Meanwhile, the 17th season of his show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia premieres in July.

Local Talent

If you’re wondering what’s new and fresh in the Philly music scene these days, look no further than KulfiGirls, which longtime Philly music scribe and current Philly Mag contributor Patrick Rapa describes as having “blazing riffs, venomous vocals and angular accents from a well-plucked veena,” an apt description if ever there was one. You can see them for free on Thursday night at Spruce Street Harbor Park. And you can listen to their first single, “Divinity”, right here.