Hamlin tweets on how to fix the cars/attendance

DanicaFreak

DanicaFreak

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http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2017/5/4/15539482/nascar-attendance-ratings-struggles-solutions

Hamlin tweeted his list of the three most important things he would like to see changed within the sport, while Brad Keselowski stressed it was time for the industry to collaborate and come up with fresh concepts to spur a turnaround.

1. Schedule (32 events,weeknights, 2.5 hour race length)
2. Get cars (sideskirts,quarter panels) off the ground
3. Upgrade track facilities https://t.co/ieYi5Zcclq

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) May 2, 2017
“The sport is bigger than one person and their specific ideas,” Keselowski tweeted. “My answer: 1) Industry must work together, 2) Be bold, [and] 3) Take nothing for granted.”
 
Agree with the exception of the 2.5 hour races. I don't think that's what is keeping people from the track. If you go to an NFL game you are investing a minimum of 5 hours. Heck, NFL fans devout a whole Sunday to it.
 
AdoubleU24 said:
Terrific ideas Brad! I especially love how vague they are.
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Dropping from 36 to 32 events won't change anything plus or minus

Weeknight races will hurt attendance and ratings

The length of the races is not an issue for me but burning laps between stages and slow cautions is awful.

Good WiFi at all tracks is essential because young people say it is and they are the people Nascar should be putting the emphasis on

Brad does not appear to be the sharpest knife in the drawer and his comments do nothing to change my opinion.
 
I think we should just keep what we have for length of races. Though I think Texas, maybe a Talladega race should be shortened to 400 miles.

I think a 32 race schedule with less tracks getting two races per year and an addition of maybe a Gateway or Iowa on the schedule.
 
Broken record on my side...give fans a real connection to the sport and they will go to the races and watch on TV. By connection I mean either through sponsors, drivers, manufacturers or teams. There has been several years over the decades that I just watched NASCAR, but wasn't fully engaged. This year on Monday, I am already looking forward to the next race. The main reason is that I have known the Blaney family as racers since the 60's and now that Ryan is racing in the big show I have a real connection that I am passionate about. If Ryan was to lose his ride, I would go back to being more passive about NASCAR until I had another real connection. Over the years for various reasons I connected with Cale Yarborough, Tim Richmond, Alan Kulwicki, Ted Musgrave, Dave Blaney and now Ryan.

I say crap on the 2.5 hour race length. Now that I am retired, weeknight races are fine, but don't drop 4 races...because knowing NASCAR those would probably be some of my favorite races they would drop.
 
If only everything could be solved in 3 steps...

1. Stop
2. Drop
3. Roll

Hamlin might-could get his focus back on winning races...
:)
 
I like #2. Hamlin can **** off otherwise, however.
 
Are they even allowed to shorten the races with the current TV contracts in place? They will have less time to show commercials. Not to mention the vendors at the tracks will make less money.
 
Marcingak said:
Are they even allowed to shorten the races with the current TV contracts in place? They will have less time to show commercials. Not to mention the vendors at the tracks will make less money.
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I bet the networks would love to give back 8-10 races providing they could get money rebated back.
 
it was great and growing back in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. why not give those rules, cars, and racers a try?

Denny Hamlin: not that I needed another reason, but...jmo.... you wouldn't have made it back then.
 
Marcingak said:
Are they even allowed to shorten the races with the current TV contracts in place? They will have less time to show commercials. Not to mention the vendors at the tracks will make less money.
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Does this mean there will be fewer yellow flags per season? :D
 
Simple Fan: I got to thinking after my prior post....which nascar stars of today could have succeeded back at the time Jeff Gordon was breaking in?
.
may have to think about it and start a new thread.

quick thoughts...
Hamlin, kyle busch, menard, Patrick, bayne, stenhouse probably would have never made it.

upside for nascar:
Larson, blaney, Elliott, logano, suarez, jones, bubba, allgier, Byron have what it took back then.

JMO
 
klemmabyna said:
Simple Fan: I got to thinking after my prior post....which nascar stars of today could have succeeded back at the time Jeff Gordon was breaking in?
.
may have to think about it and start a new thread.

quick thoughts...
Hamlin, kyle busch, menard, Patrick, bayne, stenhouse probably would have never made it.

upside for nascar:
Larson, blaney, Elliott, logano, suarez, jones, bubba, allgier, Byron have what it took back then.

JMO
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Think it would be a fine thread and would like to know your reasoning behind each set of drivers you listed as to why you think they would do better back then.
 
Drivers even pondering and offering ideas is refreshing.

My only initial reaction is I would pay for a double header
but not just 1 - 2 1/2 hour cup race .
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
Weeknight races will hurt attendance and ratings
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Not necessarily. One of the reasons why NASCAR draws low TV ratings is because they are going up against practically every other sport on the weekends. Host a few weeknight races per year and people will tune in when their favorite team from another sport isn't playing that night. Weekends are also when most people are off work and they want to spend their free time outside, catching up on housework, mingling with friends/family, etc. 90+% of people I know just watch TV during the weeknights and watch no TV during the weekends...

I should also add that NASCAR will NEVER compete with the NFL in terms of ratings. So, why even risk going head-to-head against those games? Once NFL season starts, move all Cup races to either Tuesday or Friday night.

As far as attendance is concerned, weeknight races might be detrimental but they also might be a blessing in disguise. A large portion of this sport's fan base works part-time or has 2 jobs where at least 1 weekend day is required per week. These people are currently unable to attend races due to their work schedule. Weeknight races might allow these people to attend more races and who knows...they might just draw bigger crowds than the traditional weekend race.
 
I like 2 and 3 but 1 doesn't fit. Brad's comment accomplished nothing. Brad is so worldly. Like a miss universe contestant...
 
If NASCAR cared about attendance they would get rid of some of these tracks that have 2 dates. I don't know what tracks would actually be in danger of losing a race, but Eldora, Gateway, Iowa, Road America or Mosport deserve races on the Cup schedule.

Weeknight races have a place on the schedule in the month of July when there's nothing else going on those days. Figure out how to move the spring Martinsville race to July and I feel like that would be a good sell to TV.

Atlanta and Auto Club had decent attendance this year compared to some of the others and they were 1 race markets.
 
I have found out it's much easier getting everyone to agree on a race when there is only 1 date to pick from.We tried to get together a group for Charlotte spring race but a bunch wanted to wait for the fall race.What happens usually is something comes up and we miss it also.
 
NASCAR needs to do everything it can to get people to the track. They do a very poor job marketing why NASCAR is a different race experience than other sports.

I'm currently in the Kansas City area, about 12 miles from Kansas Speedway. There are two races a year here but no marketing about the race day experience. Most of my coworkers had never been to a race and didn't know that parking was free and you could bring your own coolers in. This weekend I pulled my trailer out there but at the fall race I just set up a tailgate and invited a bunch of people from work who'd never been to a race. They had a blast and almost all of them were back for spring race.

It doesn't seem like a big deal to those of us used to races because we take it for granted but most people look at a sporting event and the ticket is going to just get you there. KC fans think of Chiefs or Royals games as references - parking is $20 - $60, beers are $8 - $12 per, and food is going to cost you at least $20. When they see NASCAR tickets for $40 - $120 they think to go to the race and take a kid or wife is gonna cost $400 or so when in reality all you pay for is the ticket and you can do the whole thing for $100.
 
RacerrecaR said:
Not necessarily. One of the reasons why NASCAR draws low TV ratings is because they are going up against practically every other sport on the weekends. Host a few weeknight races per year and people will tune in when their favorite team from another sport isn't playing that night. Weekends are also when most people are off work and they want to spend their free time outside, catching up on housework, mingling with friends/family, etc. 90+% of people I know just watch TV during the weeknights and watch no TV during the weekends...

I should also add that NASCAR will NEVER compete with the NFL in terms of ratings. So, why even risk going head-to-head against those games? Once NFL season starts, move all Cup races to either Tuesday or Friday night.

As far as attendance is concerned, weeknight races might be detrimental but they also might be a blessing in disguise. A large portion of this sport's fan base works part-time or has 2 jobs where at least 1 weekend day is required per week. These people are currently unable to attend races due to their work schedule. Weeknight races might allow these people to attend more races and who knows...they might just draw bigger crowds than the traditional weekend race.
Click to expand...

Can you imagine how Nascar would get get slaughtered by NCIS and The Big Bang Theory? I don't watch those shows but a lot of people do in addition to other programs that draw more viewers than many sports programs. The start time would have to be no earlier than 8:00 AM Eastern so our friends on the left coast could see the action but that means most of the audience in the east would be asleep before the race was over.
 
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