To some traditionalists, loyalty goes only so far
David Caraviello

Funny thing, this NASCAR. Go to Las Vegas, a desert outpost
that's hosted the series for only a decade, and the place fills
up quicker than a $5 blackjack table. But come back to Atlanta,
the capital city of the sport's heartland, and there's
hand-wringing over how many seats will still be empty come race
day.

It's a strange paradox pitting old market versus new market,
played out at racetracks from coast to coast. Phoenix sells out,
but Charlotte doesn't. Texas sells out, but Talladega doesn't.
New Hampshire and Dover and even Kansas thrive at the
turnstiles, while more traditional facilities lose spectators,
lose races and die.

There are always exceptions. Short-track theatre, a rarity in an
era where everyone wants a massive multi-purpose facility, keeps
Bristol and Richmond viable. California, the track in NASCAR's
largest television market, hasn't sold out since 2003. Venerable
old North Wilkesboro, so antiquated it couldn't have lasted much
longer on the Nextel Cup circuit anyway, was sold, shut down and
chopped up.

But that doesn't explain why North Carolina Motor Speedway, with
modern facilities and often spectacular racing, sits idle. That
doesn't explain why Darlington, the NASCAR equivalent of Fenway
Park, went from two races to one. That doesn't explain why
promoters in Charlotte and Atlanta fight to sell tickets, why
standalone Busch races in Martinsville and Myrtle Beach went
belly-up, why the sport has gradually shifted its focus from
south to west.

Apathy does.

NASCAR fans are among the most fervent in all of sports, willing
to drive thousands of miles to see their favorite drivers
compete, buying products simply because they're advertised on
the hoods of certain cars. Many share a wonderful undercurrent
of traditionalism, a desire for their children to see the same
kind of events at the same tracks they did, and a disappointment
in the direction the sport is headed today.

They rail against big money and cookie-cutter tracks and the
fact that California hosts more events than Darlington. They
think NASCAR has become too corporate, too vanilla, too
neglectful of where it came from. But too many of them aren't
doing the one thing that will ensure their voice is heard the
loudest. Too many of them aren't buying tickets.

....the article continues on page two with this link...
http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/opin...tickets/1.html

___

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"Alan Jones" <ajones (AT) sportswriterusa (DOT) com> wrote

Las Vegas is a different kettle of fish than anywhere else. The big hotels
buy tickets 1500 or 2000 at a whack to be sure they have tickets available
for their most valued guests. The hotels have years ago guaranteed NASCAR
that if they were to grant the Las Vegas track a second Nextel Cup race they
would both be sold out. Big deal, buying tickets for people who could not
tell Kasey Kahne from Jamie McMurray.

Come to think of it, Chicago is probably largely the same except in
Chicagoland you would find companies or corporations buying 100 tickets at a
whack rather than 2000. But there are a whole lot of businesses in Chicago
so it adds up to a sellout.

The residents of Las Vegas do not support any sports in any significant way.
Every team that has tried the Las Vegas market has bailed out in one season,
or at the most two. Even the UNLV men's basketball team was only drawing
about 2000 or so paying customers per game for years on end until they
actually started winning this year. Fair weather fans who will be gone as
suddenly as they arrived when this senior class moves on and they go back to
13-25. There is some sort of IHL or something hockey club that has been
around for a couple or seasons but that is mainly because the hotel that has
the ice hockey arena gives people about 20 dollars worth of comps if they
buy a seven dollar ticket. If locals are bargain hunters they can do okay
by buying a ticket and not actually attending the game. They could just
should up at the gate and pick up the freebies and go on about their
business.

Atlanta cannot sell out because they have so many races that if you just
wait a month you can go to the next one. Same with Lowes. So NASCAR holds
about a dozen races at Atlanta-Lowes where they cannot sell out but only one
in Las Vegas where they are guaranteed sellouts. Curious. A wise person
would reach the conclusion that NASCAR is not wringing their hands too
tightly over sellout crowds. If they were they would put the races where
the sellouts would occur.

The "Track Too Tough To Tame" at Darlington is another unique situation. If
you can believe anything that NASCAR says it was the lack of hotel rooms and
amenities that cost Darlington their main race. I guess it follows that
Atlanta-Lowes gets to keep their dozen races because they have a lot of
Motel 6 or Super 8 Motel in the vicinity. Trying to follow the thinking of
the Bodines, I means Frances, will give you a big old headache.

This is where the 36 races should actually be held.....

Daytona 2
Talladega 2
Indianapolis 2
Darlington 2
Bristol 2
Martinsville 2
Las Vegas 2
road tracks 2
Atlanta 2
Charlotte 2
Chicago 2
Texas 2
Dover 2
New Hampshire 2
Michigan 1 and even that is too many
Pocono 1 and even that is too many
Fontana 1 and even that is too many
Phoenix 2 and that is only because of the weather
Homestead 1 finale
Kansas 1 although I cannot explain why
Texas 1 see above

"RickyBobby" <nascar42 (AT) cox (DOT) net> wrote

Whaddya' mean ??? ESPN (a "sports" 'network') televises about 1472 Texas
hold'em matches a year

Nascar fans just plain can't afford to fill those seats. 57% (in
2004) of Nascar fans earned $34.9K per year or less. I don't see how
any family with that income, even if it's only husband/wife or a
couple of significant others, can afford to attend more than a single
race per year.

N.

"Rod Gramlich" <rod.gramlich (AT) ualberta (DOT) ca> wrote

lot of the trappings of a sport in that it is a combination of skill and
luck. I do not follow that game but it does a lot of good for Las Vegas and
a whole lot of people worldwide enjoy it so it is all good.

"Nancy2" <nancy-dooley (AT) uiowa (DOT) edu> wrote

And Atlanta-Lowes has a passel of them. No wonder nobody shows up.

"RickyBobby" <nascar42 (AT) cox (DOT) net> wrote

<snip some actual worthwhile comments>

If you think Indy and Chicago should get a 2nd date (I'm almost ok with
Vegas getting a 2nd) at the expense of Richmond having none, you're a
moron...

2nd dates (to those that only have 1) will only go to I$C tracks unless it's
1)Otherwise litigated or 2)A Bruton-owned track getting the date at the
expense of another Bruton-owned track. I'm getting this spidey-sense tingly
thing telling me that Vegas will get a 2nd date, at the expense of
Atlanta....all Bruton held cards...

Mark C.

Nextel Cup schedule. Or course Richmond should have two dates. Sorry about
that.

Alan Jones wrote:
Texas does not sell out anymore. Plenty of empty seats in the back
straight for the Spring race and the entire back straight empty for the
Fall race. You can also buy a front straight seat on either race day
from the box office. The local radio stations give away as many tickets
as they can (one station gave away tickets if you simply called in to
any of their contests!).

On Mar 20, 4:08 pm, "Rod Gramlich" <rod.graml... (AT) ualberta (DOT) ca> wrote:
ESPN stands for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, so Texas
hold'em matches fit the name of the network, don't you think? ;-)
Sandy, THT