[Mark C.]

Getting Bristol tickets used to be like getting Greenbay tickets. You couldn't. But its not like that anymore. The lady that interviewed me for my job back in 1990, had Bristol tickets. She was proud of the fact, years later she asked me if I knew anybody that wanted them.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Mark C.

When I watch at the races on TV, I see empty seats in the stands, that you didn't see years before. Makes me think NASCAR is starting to loose it appeal.

Yes, there were many seats that didn't have people in them... But as Mike pointed out, this is a Nationwide race where it's not unusual to see empty seats. Not as many as there were - but Nationwide races do not attract the same crowds.

As far as attendance being down in NASCAR - it is. I don't mind admitting that the attendance is down. But comparing NASCAR to the NFL isn't a fair comparison (and BTW - gettng Packer tickets isn't that difficult). Going to a NASCAR race is a vacation for most people.

With the economy being what it is for the last several years, vacation travel is down also. I've been to as many as 4 Cup races in a year and have averaged 2 per year since 1993. That said, I haven't been to more than 1 Cup race per season in 5 years.

I'm an NFL season ticket holder also. I drive less than 2 hours to get to the games - and I think most of the attendees drive less than I do to attend.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by cuz68

No crash and was a lap or 2 down for her 2 time at bristol, 19th i think, Go try bristol my friends. The race was over at 4pm est, I can see who keeps up with nascar now. sad that no one watched it.

cuz

Just because no one posted right away doesn't mean no one watched.

Danica managed to stay on the lead lap until around lap 50. By lap 100 she was 2 laps down. She went 3 laps down with about 25 laps to go and was about to go 4 laps down when a caution came out. Danica took the wave around to only finish 2 laps down.

So Danica sits 12th in the points at this time with 87, 91 points behind the leader Elliott Sadler.

12th sounds good until you realize that she has some of the best equipment available in the Nationwide series, one of the best pit crews, this is her 3rd year driving in NASCAR, she's been driving professionally for over a decade and there are only 22 drivers that have competed in all 4 races.

Let's look at younger drivers ahead of her in the points this year with less auto racing experience:

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - age 24 - 153 points - 3 NASCAR wins

Trevor Bayne - age 21 - 149 points - 2 NASCAR wins

Austin Dillon - age 21 - 148 points - 4 NASCAR wins

Cole Whitt - age 20 - 137 points - 0 NASCAR wins

Taylor Malsam - age 23 - 116 points - O NASCAR wins

Michael Annett - age 25 - 115 points - O NASCAR wins

Justin Allgaier - age 25 - 113 points - 2 NASCAR wins

Jeremy Clements - age 28 - 89 points - 0 NASCAR wins

[bonneville Joe]

I'm not 100% sure but I saw a Hendrick Nascar engine on display about a year ago and although a purebred race engine, it looked awfully similar to an LSX.

[bonneville Joe]

I'm not a Nascar hater but I do believe it's going in the wrong direction. Since I saw the new Fusion a few weeks ago and saw the new Charger last week I have hope that the sport will start to come back around. At least bringing the car aspect back into it. The COT shoeboxes with neon decals they are in now just plain suck. I'm anxious to see what GM comes up with body-wise to compete with the Charger and Fusion. If they had any sense they'd build a CTS-V coupe body to run against them and drop Chevy for Caddy. It'll never happen I know but I can dream right?

[sleepy]

Originally Posted by Mark C.

Getting Bristol tickets used to be like getting Greenbay tickets. You couldn't. But its not like that anymore. The lady that interviewed me for my job back in 1990, had Bristol tickets. She was proud of the fact, years later she asked me if I knew anybody that wanted them.

Looking at the aerial shots there's a BUNCH of empty seats today. That NEVER happens at bristol. People had to die for tickets to be available there.
This is a sure sign NASCAR has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by sleepy

Looking at the aerial shots there's a BUNCH of empty seats today. That NEVER happens at bristol. People had to die for tickets to be available there.
This is a sure sign NASCAR has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel.

You do realize that it was raining all morning in Bristol. The fair weather fans (like you) stayed home.

Regardless, I see you haven't been paying attention to racing lately. Bristol tickets have been readily available for years.

Unlike stick and ball sports, most people who attend NASCAR races are combining it with a vacation. Because of the economy, vacation travel is down.

NASCAR is still the most popular form of auto racing in the United States and is no where near the grave of the banana peal.

[sleepy]

Thank you Mr expert hot dog vendor at the local dirt track for you vast knowledge of why the stands at Bristol are half empty.
Maybe next week you can tell us how NASCAR is going electric next season by mandating Volt type cars ONLY and how That will put butts in the seats.

[Bob Hall]

It would be foolish to say that the only reason there are open seats is due to popularity declining. Gas prices/food prices and the general state of the economy is surely a major factor as well. I suspect it will only look worse this time next year.

[sleepy]

Originally Posted by Bob Hall

It would be foolish to say that the only reason there are open seats is due to popularity declining. Gas prices/food prices and the general state of the economy is surely a major factor as well. I suspect it will only look worse this time next year.

Just like champ saying "it was raining and the fair weather fans didn't show up" is why all those seats were empty? NASCAR has been going too PC way too fast and loosing fans because of it. Banning the general lee because of the flag on the roof? REALLY?
What ever happened to that rapper who was going to start an ALL BLACK team a few years ago? No controversy, No "we were picked on because of our color" lawsuit, and never heard anouther word about him or his ALL BLACK team. Wasn't that supposed to attract minorities into racing? Now it's Danica this Danica that to get women into the sport.
There are a LOT of things contributing to this slide and most of it points right back to the people running the show.

[Bob Hall]

No, that isn't the ONLY reason why all those seats were empty. Nor can you blame the reasons you did for ALL OF THOSE seats being empty. It's the money/economy. Other sports have seen declines as well. I've gone to at least one Phillies or Orioles baseball game every year of my life. Last year was the first time I didn't. Why? I couldn't afford it last year. Watching the Phillies on tv last year and I saw Citizens Bank Park wasn't as full as it normally was. Even when they were doing good they didn't have the same crowds as the year before. Why? People couldn't afford it.

[sleepy]

With the price of a ticket up around $100+ they aren't going to be filling the stands anytime soon.

[Bob Hall]

I don't know how much Bristol tickets are, but we paid $45/ticket for the October Saturday Night race in Charlotte. That was my first and only Nascar race I attended. The only reason we went is because the 03 Monte in my signature was selected to get autographed by Jeff Gordon the Friday before. We really couldn't afford the trip at the time but it was a 'once in a lifetime' thing to meet Jeff Gordon and have him autograph the car. We found out 3 weeks before the race and I bought the tickets 1 week later.

This is what $45/ticket got us

[sleepy]

We looked at Daytona tickets this year. everything available(on line) was $100+, which was less than what we paid in 08. Last time i checked chicagoland you had to buy truck and nationwide tickets to get the cup tickets at that track. (they may have changed that now) Going to a race isn't cheap.

[A.W.Dille]

Brad, I have a cousin that works for the Wood Brothers. I'll check with him about what parts are coming with factory part numbers and get back to you. While I've been away from painting the cars for a few years I still keep up with everything I can. As far as the 7 car Danica drives in the Nationwide series, that car is basically owned by Rick Hendrick, as Jr owns the 88 that Cole Whitt drives. That was one of things that Rick got when he signed Jr, 1/2 of Jr's Nationwide team. Same deal with the 48, Jeff Gordon had to let Rick have majority ownership when he got his divorce from Brook, but Jeff is still listed as the owner of the 48. Not much comes from the factories anymore as far as body parts, mostly in-house fabrication of all body panels.

[Sirrotica]

Really great to have someone connected with a team that has access to some of the behind the scene going-ons, the information you posted about how many times Knaus had hand slaps instead of a full blown investigation and penalties was great to see. Really diminishes the 5 time championship wins, at least in my eyes. I had suspicions that there was an unfair advantage on the Hendrick teams, your post pretty much confirms that suspicion. Thanks for the info and keep it coming.........................

[cuz68]

Originally Posted by The Champ

cuz

Just because no one posted right away doesn't mean no one watched.

Danica managed to stay on the lead lap until around lap 50. By lap 100 she was 2 laps down. She went 3 laps down with about 25 laps to go and was about to go 4 laps down when a caution came out. Danica took the wave around to only finish 2 laps down.

So Danica sits 12th in the points at this time with 87, 91 points behind the leader Elliott Sadler.

12th sounds good until you realize that she has some of the best equipment available in the Nationwide series, one of the best pit crews, this is her 3rd year driving in NASCAR, she's been driving professionally for over a decade and there are only 22 drivers that have competed in all 4 races.

Let's look at younger drivers ahead of her in the points this year with less auto racing experience:

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - age 24 - 153 points - 3 NASCAR wins

Trevor Bayne - age 21 - 149 points - 2 NASCAR wins

Austin Dillon - age 21 - 148 points - 4 NASCAR wins

Cole Whitt - age 20 - 137 points - 0 NASCAR wins

Taylor Malsam - age 23 - 116 points - O NASCAR wins

Michael Annett - age 25 - 115 points - O NASCAR wins

Justin Allgaier - age 25 - 113 points - 2 NASCAR wins

Jeremy Clements - age 28 - 89 points - 0 NASCAR wins

Champ i know that you keep up with nascar, You and I are on the same page, With what is going on, Nice to talk to some one that knows nascar.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by sleepy

Thank you Mr expert hot dog vendor...

Well, at least my job at the track isn't cleaning the porta-potties...

You can't ever seem to read and comprehend an entire post. You didn't fail me this time either...

We looked at Daytona tickets this year. everything available(on line) was $100+, which was less than what we paid in 08.

I paid $120.00 per ticket for my first Daytona back in 1993. And you're complaining about $100.00+ Daytona tickets 20 years later???

Stay in New Richmond, the rest of the world doesn't need you.

[Alvin]

Funny - Why no mention here of another obvious (to me) fan difference:

NASCAR High Speed (Tri) Ovals or Short Tracks Races: Which are your favorites?

Personally; when I was a kid, I used to enjoy going to and watching the dirt racers. Last dirt races I attended were over a decade ago, and they were fun to watch for a few heats, but got tired of the grit in my teeth. I equate those tracks more to the Paved short track races and find them now boring.

However: Also, when I was a kid learning how to drive, (my 1968 New Yorker 440cid, and 1956 Cadillac Deville, 1972 Sport Fury, and later my 1973 Malibu) my best friends and I would drive the back dirt and gravel roads pushing the limits making our cars do controlled slides, drifts and fishtails. We would do the same on the back roads in the snow and ice covered 1 ½ lane roads…pushing the limits of traction and adhesion more often than not going off into the snow drifts; digging the cars out and doing it all over again. Crazy kids? You bet your a$$, but we learned how to really drive past the limits in cars that were never engineered to be pushed and tortured like “we fine young men” were pushing them. I can tell you that my New Yorker was nicknamed by me “The Land Yacht” and the speedo saw more 120mph time than “normal speeds”. It was at these times that I really learned how to drive, and gained the knowledge and respect for control at the limits. After digging out a vehicle from the mud, snow and ice a few times, you get the picture that your equipment holds up longer in a cleaner environment like asphalt or concrete. Although it’s much less forgiving than dirt when you F up!

So IMO I understand the thrill of dirt racing and short tracks, but prefer…the hi-speed paved track races; like Daytona, Talladega, Darlington, Texas, etc.

That was another appeal to me for Drag Racing: The pure speed, adrenalin, and relative cleanliness of the cars, crews and tracks racing on the pavement.

I for one will admit that I enjoy the thrill of close competition, and CRASHES that “…and they walked away” from, and “way out there” personalities like A.J. Foyt for example. But then I’m just old school…and could care less what striping package is on the latest “bar of soap” car body.

Really exciting to see people like F1 drivers racing in the rain – wow what a novelty! And, controlled NASCAR sideways slides at 190+mph were the driver gets the out of control back in shape, and weird series like the Truck races…because they almost look like something that I can relate to…a vehicle that I can drive on the street…like an F-150, Silverado, etc. That is what all motor sports are drifting away from IMO: How the average fan can relate with what is in there driveway or garage vs. what they see on the track. Kinda like a modern version of this:

Originally Posted by Alvin

Can you see a Pontiac there!!!? Oh Yeah!!!!!!!!

So, not so sure what makes a Chevy a Chevy in modern Nascar…but I can relate to that Pontiac shown above as we have one in our garage.

NASCAR High Speed (Tri) Ovals or Short Tracks Races: Which are your favorites?

[Mark C.]

They had a piece on our local news today about Bristol's empty seats. Plus they said B of A is pulling out of sponsering most of the tracks they were affiliated with.