2016 Indianapolis - Combat Wounded Coalition 400 - Pre Race Thread

dpkimmel2001

dpkimmel2001

Team Owner
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
36,049
Points
1,033
Location
Western PA
Well, it's actually the 'Crown Royal presents the Combat Wounded Coalition 400' but that's too long for a thread title.

FRIDAY, JULY 22:

ON TRACK: INDIANAPOLIS
-- noon-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice, NBCSN (Follow live)
-- 1:30 p.m.-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice, NBCSN (Follow live)
-- 3-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN (Follow live)
-- 4-5:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN (Follow live)

GARAGECAM (Watch live)
-- 11:30 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series
-- 1 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
SATURDAY, JULY 23:

ON TRACK: INDIANAPOLIS
-- 11:45 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN (Follow live)
-- 1:45 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN (Follow live)
-- 3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Heat #1 (20 laps, 50 miles), NBCSN (Follow live)
-- 4:25 p.m. (approx): NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Heat #2 (20 laps, 50 miles), NBCSN (Follow live)
-- 5:05 p.m. (approx): NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Main (60 laps, 150 miles), NBCSN (Follow live)


SUNDAY, JULY 24:

ON TRACK: INDIANAPOLIS
-- 3 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at the Brickyard (160 laps, 400 miles), NBCSN (Follow live)
 
Brickyard 400 Last 10 Winners:

2006 - Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet)
2007 - Tony Stewart (Chevrolet)
2008 - Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet)
2009 - Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet)
2010 - Jamie McMurray (Chevrolet)
2011 - Paul Menard (Chevrolet)
2012 - Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet)
2013 - Ryan Newman (Chevrolet)
2014 - Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet)
2015 - Kyle Busch (Toyota)
 
29-4 said:
Time for the annual This Race is Prestigious Because of Another Race Ignore the 200,000 Empty Seats 400
Click to expand...
I always cringe when I see the "crowd" during this race. It's not a good look when the stands for what is supposedly one of the most prestigious races of the year are only 25% full.
 
ToyYoda said:
I always cringe when I see the "crowd" during this race. It's not a good look when the stands for what is supposedly one of the most prestigious races of the year are only 25% full.
Click to expand...

Especially after the Indy 500 was such a great success this year! This race has become basically a joke. NASCAR doesn't really need it imo at this point and neither does IMS.
 
KodiakRusty89 said:
Especially after the Indy 500 was such a great success this year! This race has become basically a joke. NASCAR doesn't really need it imo at this point and neither does IMS.
Click to expand...

I agree. It's become an embarrassment to everyone involved. Deal with the 1-week of bad press announcing this will be the last one, and embrace the good will of the fans that would result from a race at Iowa or some other deserving short track.
 
Nascar doesn't fill the enormous grandstands at Indy, but the race draws double the number of fans that could fit in at Iowa. I'm hopeful the lower downforce rules might improve the race some. It certainly has done that at all the other 2016 races.
 
LewTheShoe said:
Nascar doesn't fill the enormous grandstands at Indy, but the race draws double the number of fans that could fit in at Iowa. I'm hopeful the lower downforce rules might improve the race some. It certainly has done that at all the other 2016 races.
Click to expand...

It's the optics rather than the raw attendance numbers. The average non-NASCAR fan sees this event called "prestigious" or "a crown jewel" and sees 70% of the seats empty. He concludes that NASCAR must be in deep trouble. I agree NASCAR is in trouble, but Indy makes it look dramatically worse than it is.
 
29-4 said:
It's the optics rather than the raw attendance numbers. The average non-NASCAR fan sees this event called "prestigious" or "a crown jewel" and sees 70% of the seats empty. He concludes that NASCAR must be in deep trouble. I agree NASCAR is in trouble, but Indy makes it look dramatically worse than it is.
Click to expand...

Well put! The imagery does not paint a pretty picture for the sport. Nothing is more indicative of NASCAR's decline over the last 5-7 years than the Brickyard 400. Never in the deep DEEP depths of the open wheel split did the 500 come close to this big of an attendance drop.
 
KodiakRusty89 said:
Especially after the Indy 500 was such a great success this year! This race has become basically a joke. NASCAR doesn't really need it imo at this point and neither does IMS.
Click to expand...
The 500 was a huge success because of the 100th race. Those 'I came for the event; is there a race too?' people won't be back next year.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
The 500 was a huge success because of the 100th race. Those 'I came for the event; is there a race too?' people won't be back next year.
Click to expand...

They won't be back in those numbers but it will still be a very good crowd. I bet it's at least 3x the size of the Brickyard crowd.
 
I saw this in Columbus today. Probably on it's way to Indy...

AycrQvql.jpg
 
KodiakRusty89 said:
They won't be back in those numbers but it will still be a very good crowd. I bet it's at least 3x the size of the Brickyard crowd.
Click to expand...

At least 3x? The Indy 500 had 350,000 estimated attendees. No way in hell NASCAR draws more than 70,000 people to Indy...let alone 117,000 (which would be 1/3 of the 500 crowd.
 
Speedbowl14 said:
At least 3x? The Indy 500 had 350,000 estimated attendees. No way in hell NASCAR draws more than 70,000 people to Indy...let alone 117,000 (which would be 1/3 of the 500 crowd.
Click to expand...

I was referring to the Indy 500 crowd next year (post 100th drop off) relative to the Brickyard 400 this weekend. The 500 will still get 225-250k next year. Perhaps a little more..
 
Charlie Spencer said:
The 500 was a huge success because of the 100th race. Those 'I came for the event; is there a race too?' people won't be back next year.
Click to expand...
A few days after the 100th renewal rates for next year's race were higher than after last year's, so I'm not so sure about that.
 
R Clarence said:
To force those without NBCSN to get it.
Click to expand...
^ That.

I forget where it stands now but immediately after last year's race it was the most-watched NBCSN telecast in history besides a portion here and there of Olympic coverage.
 
Stewart Fan said:
Hearing that only 35,000 tickets are sold so far. Out of 250,000.

My god that's embarrassing.
Click to expand...
And at one of the most iconic tracks in all of motorsports. I'd do anything to see a race there of any type if my schedule allowed.
 
Stewart Fan said:
Hearing that only 35,000 tickets are sold so far. Out of 250,000.

My god that's embarrassing.
Click to expand...

If that's true then a decision will have to be made about this race moving forward imo. I know there is still money in the tv deal but IMS pride and backlash from sponsors has to come into play at some point
 
KodiakRusty89 said:
If that's true then a decision will have to be made about this race moving forward imo. I know there is still money in the tv deal but IMS pride and backlash from sponsors has to come into play at some point
Click to expand...
Yeah, you reach the point where it isn't affordable to run the event. You can limit the number of grandstands used, but at some point the overhead of putting on an event becomes a factor.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Yeah, you reach the point where it isn't affordable to run the event. You can limit the number of grandstands used, but at some point the overhead of putting on an event becomes a factor.
Click to expand...
I wonder if the 12 + Million dollar TV payout has a soothing effect?
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Where do these numbers come from? Just curious.
Click to expand...

Someone on Reddit said Robin Miller. It may be true but I'm not 100% sure since Robin hates NASCAR and is probably chomping at the bit to brag about the attendance gap between the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400.
 
Stewart Fan said:
Hearing that only 35,000 tickets are sold so far. Out of 250,000.

My god that's embarrassing.
Click to expand...
The Fed should buy up the tickets, like they buy the stock market to keep it from failing.
 
When the name goes from "Brickyard 400" to "Combat Wounded Coalition 400", you know this race isn't what it used to be..
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pat
I blame the chase and the tire debacle in 08', first and foremost.
image.png


The chitty race cars from 08-last year doesn't help.
 
lol, If the Cup race has sold 35,000 tickets the Xfinity race must have sold 350 so far.

I hear there's a nice little track down the way that has a capacity more suitable to those figures.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom