By appearance alone, NASCAR is in bigger trouble than other sports

[Mispeedway15]

Tickets probably need to come down a little more honestly. Bottom line is I can get tickets for next to nothing for an NBA or NHL game, yet NASCAR price wise is still in that NFL and college football range

 

[Skoalbandit33]

To switch gears a little the article mentioned that CEO's, marketing people and sponsors don't like empty seats due to the perception. The Arizona Coyotes of the NHL are one of the weakest for attendance I a believe they are going to cordon off about 5000 of the upper seats that go unused. Would the tracks be better off just covering up empty seating areas with tarps (like Dover and Michigan) in order to send out a better image?

 

[Acs]

No, that's just the same as taking out seats except everyone can see they're covered up.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

Tickets probably need to come down a little more honestly. Bottom line is I can get tickets for next to nothing for an NBA or NHL game, yet NASCAR price wise is still in that NFL and college football range

NHL tickets are all over the map as teams like Toronto, Chicago, and Philly command top buck but when you talk about teams like Nashville, Columbus and Carolina they practically pay you to attend. I really like football and hockey live as there are so many benefits to seeing the entire playing surface. On the other hand there are some Nascar tracks like Indianapolis where you see very little.

 

[Johali]

This is interesting.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/261588/average-ticket-price-major-us-sports-leagues/

 

[Skoalbandit33]

No, that's just the same as taking out seats except everyone can see they're covered up.

IDK why some of the tracks have not removed more seats as it is not like they are ever going to be used again. Unless it is a structural issue or something of that nature when it comes to seats I say "if in doubt rip 'em out."

 

[Hotrod]

The last Eagles game I went to I almost came to blows with my seatmates as they wouldn't shut up and were bugging me with really stupid stuff. We laugh about it now but at the time I could have killed them as I really like to concentrate on the game including things like formations, substitutions etc.

.

That's funny. I thought I was the only ass. I keep score at baseball games, so don't talk to me
during the inning. At the races I have headphones on and I chart the top 10 every 25 laps, so
don't talk to me except for cautions. 35 years ago I pounded beers with the best of them and
did not care.

 

[NJJammer]

Get the cars off the ground a couple inches, soften the suspension, go back to pre chase points system, eliminate the stages, and watch the fans come back.

I like all your suggestions except stage racing. I was totally against it but it has won me over.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

That's funny. I thought I was the only ass. I keep score at baseball games, so don't talk to me
during the inning. At the races I have headphones on and I chart the top 10 every 25 laps, so
don't talk to me except for cautions. 35 years ago I pounded beers with the best of them and
did not care.

I am glad to hear I am not the only one as I am happy to debrief after the game is over but while it is on I am really into it and don't want people bugging me with absolutely stupid stuff that breaks my concentration.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

I like all your suggestions except stage racing. I was totally against it but it has won me over.

The stages have worked out OK and Nascar did a great job of leaking the idea of timed races so when the stages were announced they seemed like a great idea.

 

[ahudsonman]

Nobody with half a brain is gonna finance race tickets. Thats just asanine.

Are you kidding? Interest free monthly payments.....why not do it?
Maybe being on S.S. I can't afford what would be $130. For 2 tickets ...twice a year (being a NH resident, after this year once a year) but surely I don't even miss the $21/mo. For 2 tickets each for 2 races.
ZERO INTEREST. I know I'm not as sharp as I once was.....but I still have more than half brain.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Lodging, location, food, etc...

$40/night during this falls race weekend just south of Richmond @ Travel Inn Petersburg Fort Lee. Not close to being a 5 star hotel but a bed none the less. Location? Can't do much about that..... The schedule's the schedule. Food. That's a wash. Gotta eat at home too. etc.....? If etc includes 'strip clubs' then you need to check out the Club Rouge Gentlemen's Club on S 15th street. They're open till 3am.

Seriously though, tickets can be had at a decent price. All of those other things are all part of it. Cheap places to stay are available if one looks hard enough. Food's food. Location is what it is. Heck, there's even package bus deals available to go to these races. I camp, so I've even got it better. Heck, if someone wants to go bad enough, buy a $12.74 tent at WalMart. Yep, they sell them.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Happy-Camper-2-Person-Tent-with-Carry-Bag/17243551
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Happy-Camper-2-Person-Tent-with-Carry-Bag/17243551

 

[ChexOrWrex]

$40/night during this falls race weekend just south of Richmond @ Travel Inn Petersburg Fort Lee. Not close to being a 5 star hotel but a bed none the less. Location? Can't do much about that..... The schedule's the schedule. Food. That's a wash. Gotta eat at home too. etc.....? If etc includes 'strip clubs' then you need to check out the Club Rouge Gentlemen's Club on S 15th street. They're open till 3am.

Seriously though, tickets can be had at a decent price. All of those other things are all part of it. Cheap places to stay are available if one looks hard enough. Food's food. Location is what it is. Heck, there's even package bus deals available to go to these races. I camp, so I've even got it better. Heck, if someone wants to go bad enough, buy a $12.74 tent at WalMart. Yep, they sell them.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Happy-Camper-2-Person-Tent-with-Carry-Bag/17243551

If its so decent, more people would be buying them. Reality is the bulk of NASCAR fans are on the lower end of middle class and live paycheck to paycheck. Cant afford multiple tickets a season anymore, much less just 1 now with the way hotels nearby jack up prices. The biggest obstacles are pricing.

Are you kidding? Interest free monthly payments.....why not do it?
Maybe being on S.S. I can't afford what would be $130. For 2 tickets ...twice a year (being a NH resident, after this year once a year) but surely I don't even miss the $21/mo. For 2 tickets each for 2 races.
ZERO INTEREST. I know I'm not as sharp as I once was.....but I still have more than half brain.

Oh geez. You must be a "0% interest is free money" thinker.

No thank you. You know what else is 0% interest? Buying outright. Race tickets can be costly but its not an investment worth going into debt for

 

[Skoalbandit33]

$40/night during this falls race weekend just south of Richmond @ Travel Inn Petersburg Fort Lee. Not close to being a 5 star hotel but a bed none the less. Location? Can't do much about that..... The schedule's the schedule. Food. That's a wash. Gotta eat at home too. etc.....? If etc includes 'strip clubs' then you need to check out the Club Rouge Gentlemen's Club on S 15th street. They're open till 3am.

Seriously though, tickets can be had at a decent price. All of those other things are all part of it. Cheap places to stay are available if one looks hard enough. Food's food. Location is what it is. Heck, there's even package bus deals available to go to these races. I camp, so I've even got it better. Heck, if someone wants to go bad enough, buy a $12.74 tent at WalMart. Yep, they sell them.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Happy-Camper-2-Person-Tent-with-Carry-Bag/17243551

I always stayed in Cheraw SC when I has Season's Tix to the original Southern 500 and the race was run on Sunday. The rates were just the normal rates and it was a 75 minute drive or so to the track in the morning. It worked out really well.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

If its so decent, more people would be buying them. Reality is the bulk of NASCAR fans are on the lower end of middle class and live paycheck to paycheck. Cant afford multiple tickets a season anymore, much less just 1 now with the way hotels nearby jack up prices. The biggest obstacles are pricing.


Oh geez. You must be a "0% interest is free money" thinker.

No thank you. You know what else is 0% interest? Buying outright. Race tickets can be costly but its not an investment worth going into debt for

During the recession my area was hit very hard and although unemployment is now non existent people are making less money today then they were 10 years ago.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

I always stayed in Cheraw SC when I has Season's Tix to the original Southern 500 and the race was run on Sunday. The rates were just the normal rates and it was a 75 minute drive or so to the track in the morning. It worked out really well.

I'm glad someone gets it.

I know I don't have unlimited funds. I do things 'on the cheap' for NASCAR trips. They aren't much more expensive than any old camping trip for me. I just wish I had the time to go more.

 

[ToyYoda]

JMO but if you have to finance racing or sports tickets you shouldn't go.

And you don't need to set up a payment plan to do it either. If you buy race tickets on a credit card, you're financing race tickets.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

And you don't need to set up a payment plan to do it either. If you buy race tickets on a credit card, you're financing race tickets.

I am nowhere near cheap but I have always been careful of assuming any kind of debt as that sort of thing can get away from you easily. A buddy of mine just went through a divorce and it took longer than usual as his lawyer said his ex-wife had to be hiding assets. She makes a healthy 6 figures but was not showing anything tangible in savings or retirement accounts. It turns out she wasn't hiding anything as the money was all gone yet she doesn't own a home, has a 11 year old car and isn't a clothes hound but she is a boozer.

 

[HoneyBadger]

Speaking of streaming from the stats that have been posted here the number of Nascar streamers is minuscule compared to TV watchers.

These don't take pirated streams into account.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

These don't take pirated streams into account.

It would be interesting to know how many streams are pirated and if it is something they will be able to stop like they did with the old C-Band Satellites.

 

[sdj]

when I was a kid we would buy general admission and sit all over the place during the race, even made it into a skybox for awhile at Texas.

Yep, been there done that!

 

[HoneyBadger]

It would be interesting to know how many streams are pirated and if it is something they will be able to stop like they did with the old C-Band Satellites.

There's been a big crackdown on pirated streams in the past year or so. A whole bunch of people who hacked their Amazon Fire devices to obtain illegal streams got locked out of their stuff the other day.

It's hard to stop it all though. I see the race broadcasts being streamed on Facebook all the time.

It's ridiculous, fans bitch about not being able to see the races because cable's expensive, but they sure as hell are able to watch WWE, which comes on the USA cable network, every week. Now, they can't even watch the races on Fox because they apparently can't afford a $10 antenna.

There are good options out there for TV through the internet, like Playstation Vue and DIRECTV Now. Very affordable stuff. But NASCAR fans want **** for free.

 

[sdj]

If you buy race tickets on a credit card, you're financing race tickets.

Only if you do not pay the credit card balance off before the due date each month.

I travel a lot and use credit cards all the time, I play the CC game I get between 1 to 5% back on purchases, but, I have not carried a balance past the due date for over 40 years, I pay no interest and treat the card like cash, if I can not afford it I don't buy it. It is called financial discipline.

 

[Efisher131]

I like all your suggestions except stage racing. I was totally against it but it has won me over.

Without the chase they wouldn't have quite as much of an impact. But if you keep the 10-9-8-7 and so on point bonus for the stages, I don't see why they can't stay.

 

[ahudsonman]

If its so decent, more people would be buying them. Reality is the bulk of NASCAR fans are on the lower end of middle class and live paycheck to paycheck. Cant afford multiple tickets a season anymore, much less just 1 now with the way hotels nearby jack up prices. The biggest obstacles are pricing.


Oh geez. You must be a "0% interest is free money" thinker.

No thank you. You know what else is 0% interest? Buying outright. Race tickets can be costly but its not an investment worth going into debt for

one way, my wife and I
Can go to the 2 races and the other way we cannot. And it doesn't cost me anymore
Than it would cost you. Your philosophy is fine till you realize you will not live
Forever and no one gets outta here alive. Ya gotta enjoy today. Tomorrow is promised
To no one.

 

[Reck]

Interesting article.

But I'm still trying to figure out what Ryan McGee meant when commenting on the chances of Junior winning a race this year.

"Maybe he'll go on and win at Talladega and get the drama over with! If Bill France Jr. was still in charge, I would've already bet my truck on that one."

LOL what an idiot.

If you're going to fix a race, it sure as hell not gonna be at Talladega.

 

[pjmolo]

Oh geez. You must be a "0% interest is free money" thinker.

No thank you. You know what else is 0% interest? Buying outright. Race tickets can be costly but its not an investment worth going into debt for

Like you, I buy my tickets up front also.

But for those that can't afford to, I imagine that their response to your over the top opinion is something on the order of, "It must be nice."

 

[HoneyBadger]

$40/night during this falls race weekend just south of Richmond @ Travel Inn Petersburg Fort Lee. Not close to being a 5 star hotel but a bed none the less. Location? Can't do much about that..... The schedule's the schedule. Food. That's a wash. Gotta eat at home too. etc.....? If etc includes 'strip clubs' then you need to check out the Club Rouge Gentlemen's Club on S 15th street. They're open till 3am.

I thought about going to Richmond on Sunday but the ticket prices made me decide to stay home. $80 for tickets? That's insane, I paid $90 (face value) for tickets 10 years ago when their races sold out. I mean, you can get tickets to the entire four-day Coca-Cola 600 race weekend for $80.

I'm sure there were scalpers selling tickets for $40 or so, but I wasn't gonna drive all the way up there and find out there weren't. Not to mention, I've had a lot of miserable experiences at Richmond. Too many miserable, drunken rednecks for me. I've had **** stolen and had my tires slashed out there one time. People getting in fights in the parking lot of wrecking in the parking lot, meaning it was 1am before I got out of the track (and that was for a Sunday afternoon race)

 

[Team Penske]

And you don't need to set up a payment plan to do it either. If you buy race tickets on a credit card, you're financing race tickets.

That's not true. I buy everything on my visa card and every two weeks we pay it off so no interest charges. However the company pays me 2% on some things and 1% on others. So every year I get between $300 and $400 pay back. It's called using your credit wisely. It's not borrowing if the money is already in the bank.

 

[ChexOrWrex]

Like you, I buy my tickets up front also.

But for those that can't afford to, I imagine that their response to your over the top opinion is something on the order of, "It must be nice."

I know people that budget an entire year just to get enough saved to take their kids to Disney. The "it must be nice" attitude is usually followed by laziness and poor choices with 0 forethought. Its not over the top, its just not falling into the social status-quo of living above your means.

one way, my wife and I
Can go to the 2 races and the other way we cannot. And it doesn't cost me anymore
Than it would cost you. Your philosophy is fine till you realize you will not live
Forever and no one gets outta here alive. Ya gotta enjoy today. Tomorrow is promised
To no one.

Traveled to dozens of CFB games and several NASCAR races. I enjoy my todays

 

[ChexOrWrex]

That's not true. I buy everything on my visa card and every two weeks we pay it off so no interest charges. However the company pays me 2% on some things and 1% on others. So every year I get between $300 and $400 pay back. It's called using your credit wisely. It's not borrowing if the money is already in the bank.

Nobody is getting rich by spending $Xhundred to get a 2% kickback. Like saying you saved money by purchasing items on sale that you wouldnt normally purchase. Imo.

 

[Team Penske]

Nobody is getting rich by spending $Xhundred to get a 2% kickback. Like saying you saved money by purchasing items on sale that you wouldnt normally purchase. Imo.

You missed the point Chex. He said we are financing our purchases. Financing means you are borrowing to buy. Using a credit card is borrowing only if you don't have the money to pay.

Your other analogy is a bit idiotic and has nothing to do with my post.

 

[ToyYoda]

That's not true. I buy everything on my visa card and every two weeks we pay it off so no interest charges. However the company pays me 2% on some things and 1% on others. So every year I get between $300 and $400 pay back. It's called using your credit wisely. It's not borrowing if the money is already in the bank.

The term "financing" means to receive something now that will be paid for at a later date. 0% financing is still financing.

As for the payback, you're getting $400 in 2% paybacks. So that means your putting $20,000 in purchases every year on a credit card?

 

[clarkfn2284]

There is just too much in this thread for me not to comment. If you are financing race tickets, interest free or not it is a bad financial decision. I work in banking and it makes absolutely zero sense. As was stated the risk of going into debt over race tickets is not a good one and if you "aren't going to miss the $21/month" to pay for them, then why not just set aside the $21/month for X amount of months prior to pay for the tickets in one shot? Don't take the risk of financing them. That is simple economics. The only time it is worth it to finance through your credit card is if it is paying for the totality of the trip and it is high costs that need to be paid in a timely manner to hold rooms, tickets etc. Or, and I know people are going to disagree, if you pay off the balance before you're slapped with the interest like SDJ stated earlier. While you do not get rich with cash rewards or travel rewards cards it does have benefit. Especially when you use the money earned for statement credit or airline tickets. Imagine if you were able to pay for your airline ticket to said race from the rewards off of the prior year's expenses?

As for cost, it is simple, it is a regional thing. I can't go to a San Francisco Giants game on a weekend on the cheap. I can score decent weekday seats on the cheap for a team that nobody cares about, but if I want to take my son (5) and my wife (a Dodgers fan) to a Giants and Dodgers game in SF I am going to pay at least $65 for a bad seat. If I want to sit low and close I am spending anywhere from $125-$1,000. In the meantime, in Houston, I can score decent seats for the Astros and whoever on the cheap. It is a regional thing which a lot of people forget. I can go to the race at Sonoma for $45 and get a free kids ticket, but that is the first 10 rows in the esses in hot temps with a ton of walking and a long, long wait to get out of the up and down hills that you have to trek in the parking lot. However, I can make my experience so much better by purchasing a parking pass for a lot that is closer at $35. Then I can pay for better seats at $85 and spend more money on a package that gets me into a hospitality tent with food and drink and a meet and greet for $150 including my seat. It just isn't always cost efficient for everyone. I am within driving distance to Sonoma and we still don't always go. It just isn't always worth it.

I am wiling to bet at Sonoma 65-70% of attendance is actual race fans. The remainder are corporate tickets or people who are experiencing their first NASCAR event. The product itself isn't always enough to grab people. We went to Fontana last year and walked in at 7am because I'm stupid like that. We spent the day there and we were beat by the end of the day. Then I drove home 6 hours and went to work the next day. Again, because I am stupid like that. My wife who enjoys the sport live told me she wouldn't go back. It was too expensive to spend the whole day and only see the cars blow by from the start finish and onto the backstretch 200 times. It is tough to hook people in today's world. You have to be a die hard fan to be there for 10 hours.

 

[clarkfn2284]

The term "financing" means to receive something now that will be paid for at a later date. 0% financing is still financing.

As for the payback, you're getting $400 in 2% paybacks. So that means your putting $20,000 in purchases every year on a credit card?

In theory yes, because cards are safer to carry then cash. He already stated that he travels a lot. The cards are used to book and cover incidentals for hotel rooms. Also, a lot of cards will cover the insurancefor rental cars if you use the card to purchase the card. It is not uncommon for people to effectively use CC's to pay for purchases and reap the benefit.

 

[Pat]

That's not true. I buy everything on my visa card and every two weeks we pay it off so no interest charges. However the company pays me 2% on some things and 1% on others. So every year I get between $300 and $400 pay back. It's called using your credit wisely. It's not borrowing if the money is already in the bank.

While we are on the subject I do the same thing. Everything goes to the card. I pay it off every billing. Actually I log on to pay and pay the bill plus everything recorded after the bill was sent. I get a bonus check once a year. Mine is only around the $100 mark, but I'm still proud to spend it.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

I thought about going to Richmond on Sunday but the ticket prices made me decide to stay home. $80 for tickets? That's insane, I paid $90 (face value) for tickets 10 years ago when their races sold out. I mean, you can get tickets to the entire four-day Coca-Cola 600 race weekend for $80.

I'm sure there were scalpers selling tickets for $40 or so, but I wasn't gonna drive all the way up there and find out there weren't. Not to mention, I've had a lot of miserable experiences at Richmond. Too many miserable, drunken rednecks for me. I've had sh!t stolen and had my tires slashed out there one time. People getting in fights in the parking lot of wrecking in the parking lot, meaning it was 1am before I got out of the track (and that was for a Sunday afternoon race)

Like I posted earlier in this thread, you can purchase tickets for the fall race there for $35. You don't have to pay $80 or $90 to go to that race. Now, if you want the best seats in the venue, you'll pay the price. It's only as expensive as your tastes.

 

[Thegeneral23]

Like I posted earlier in this thread, you can purchase tickets for the fall race there for $35. You don't have to pay $80 or $90 to go to that race. Now, if you want the best seats in the venue, you'll pay the price. It's only as expensive as your tastes.

Why don't people understand this? Lol

 

[Johali]

I buy my tickets from the tracks only and use a credit card. We use the same credit cards for practically everything we spend. The instant the statements are posted I pay them off online. It's easy and very convenient to do. Our cards pay 2 to 5% cashback which isn't very much but what the heck. It's a decent surprise every year or so when I look to see how much is built up.

 

[clarkfn2284]

Why don't people understand this? Lol

It isn't about understanding it, it is about is the race and that particular seating area worth $35? It's not just the $35, it's the parking, the food, the traffic, etc. It will add up. Me personally, I am a creature of convenience. I will place a premium on my comfort and enjoyment, so the cost doesn.t bother me, but other are not that way. They do not want to pay $100 for great seats and more comfort.