Change Coming to Bristol Again?

The spouse and I were at Bristol Sunday, $290 for 2 Earnhardt Terrace tickets, $513.78 for 2 nights at the La Quinta Inn, overall cost of the trip for just the cup race was about $1400. Make the racing good again Bruton.
 
The spouse and I left home in Perdido Key Fl. for Bristol Fri. at 5 after she got home from teaching school, stopped overnight at the Hampton Inn trussville Al. $101.57. Left at 9 Sat. and arrived at the La Quinta Inn in Kingsport Tn. Sat. at 4. 2 nights here $513.78. Left Mon. at 9 for home. Diesel for the trip $412. 36. Merchandise for friends, we have tons for ourselves from all of the tracks, $147.61. Eat out food for 2 for the trip $195.18. 2 tickets in the Earnhardt Terrace $274. Total $1644.50, thats a heluva lot of money for a weekend trip to see 1 Nascar race. We attend 8 or 9 races a year and have for over 40 years. 2 nights at the same La Quinta inn next weekend is $133.20. I also submitted this to the fan council. If enough of us on the council speak up maybe something will be done.
 
The second post is correct after I added it all up from receipts.
 
what exactly do you want from na$car or this fan council? The only thing na$car and the track controls is the ticket prices, $274 and possibly the cost of some of the merchandise $148. Food, fuel, and lodging is roughly $1200 of your expenditures that have nothing to do with na$car.
 
160,000 vs 100,000 is something like this is dollars. Im just stabbing at this so bear with me....

60,000 empty seats could be worth 6 to 8 million a race. That's 12 to 16 million a year in lost revenue.

Then you have the people that pay for vending and the such. That's got to count for something

Then you have empty camping sites. At MIS I paid $180 for one site for a week. The sites with power hookup went for $300. DP may have better figures for Bristol, but I bet it's about the same.

There's got to be a few million lost there.


So in the end Bruton is out some 15 to 20 million a year by not filling the seats at Bristol. Not Pretty.
 
The point that most sane people would understand is price gouging at the hotel and restaurants is illegal in most states and the cost of the tickets and merchandise is too high. The rest was a point being made about our economy. The fan council wants to hear any and all positive and negative comments about anything to do with Nascar. Whether or not anything is done about the gouging or prices is up to them.According to my avatar I am a new member but dont believe everything you read.
 
MOEJOE said:
Then you have empty camping sites. At MIS I paid $180 for one site for a week. The sites with power hookup went for $300. DP may have better figures for Bristol, but I bet it's about the same.

So in the end Bruton is out some 15 to 20 million a year by not filling the seats at Bristol. Not Pretty.
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Many, many camping options are available @ Bristol. I can only speak about the ones that I've stayed at or are aware of the price. My sites are $99 per site per race and I have two because of the extra space that it provides. $198 for the week. A friend that attends Bristol with full hookups paid over $600 for the same weekend for one site a stones throw from where I camp. My sites suit my needs just fine.

My earlier post about what it cost me & my family to attend the race was meant as nothing more than an example of what kind of investment is involved for the average family of four to attend a race. Someone just before that post was trying to compare NASCAR to other sports and the cost of attending. IMO there is no comparison. There were people from 50 states at Bristol's weekend events. That's the kind of thing that you see at the Super Bowl but not @ any old week during the season of an NFL event.

I have a tough time complaining about what I pay to attend the race because it's my choice to go or not go. I do feel bad for those of you that have to pay those high hotel/motel prices though. I don't think that there's anything that NASCAR or Bruton can do about that. Seriously, what options do they have? Neither of them run or operate the hotels/motels. The best thing to do if you want your voice to be heard is don't go. Bruton seems to be hearing that voice just fine these days.
 
Ticket sales talk the loudest. I can't wait to see what he's going to do. Maybe put a loop de loo in the track!!!! Like my old hot wheels setup. That would sell the tickets. HELL DRIVERS at BRISTOL!
 
MOEJOE said:
Ticket sales talk the loudest. I can't wait to see what he's going to do. Maybe put a loop de loo in the track!!!! Like my old hot wheels setup. That would sell the tickets. HELL DRIVERS at BRISTOL!
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This pending track change scares the heck outta me. I'm one of the few that prefers today's Bristol over the old. I'm just afraid that what ever is done to appease today's disgruntled fan by trying to change the track back will backfire in some manner. Fans will never be happy. That's not our nature. ;)
 
Matthew2470 said:
I wonder how many people that asked for the track to be changed back ever had any intention of actually attending a race at Bristol.
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Good point. Probably not many. I'd bet the overwhelming majority of the people that called are the ones that don't like the newer configuration. Not because they are the majority opinion. We're NASCAR fans..... We like to complain. I don't know how the real opinion can be measured but it sure isn't going to be reflected by a simple email address or phone number to call.

Granted, after the event I only talked to a select few that attended the race this past Sunday. Not one of them complained about the racing or wanting to change it back to the way it once was.
 
Matthew2470 said:
I wonder how many people that asked for the track to be changed back ever had any intention of actually attending a race at Bristol.
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People who watch on TV care too, and maybe Bruton knows he needs to consider them to maintain or improve his TV ratings.
 
I like this idea.

We only have two, 1/2 mile tracks on the schedule. When I personally see a 1/2 mile race on TV, I want to see good old small track racing. Martinville is a prime example of this.

When Bristol got converted into a small speedway track, it's small track feel left with the guys who did the repave.

People don't really like change. And when an event sells out every year two times a year, why the freak would you even change anything!?

I enjoy side by side racing as much as the next guy, but I get that at damn near every track out there. I need me some short track tragedy.
 
mini-speedway. That's great. I've changed my opinion on this issue, and you've put why into words perfectly.

I don't know if the answer is tires or chopping out the progressive banking, but short track contact should always be at the heart of nascar.
 
Jeff Gluck's comments about uniqueness turned me around a bit. My main problem with the old configuration is that I hated sitting through 100 laps under caution.

I still think the current configuration would have been fine if guys would have used the bumpers more.
 
MOEJOE, I think you hit the nail on the head. Let's face it, race fans want the excitement and thought of tight racing and what MIGHT happen. Yeah, most big race fans say they don't watch for the wrecks (and I'm one of them), but when there is that possibility that something can go wrong, there is a jump in the excitement. Just as three and four abreast at Daytona or Talladega with large packs, racing on half mile ovals can keep one on the edge of one's seat. There isn't anything that gets the crowd going faster than when someone takes out another driver, depending on who the takee is. Believe me, if Harvick bumped Kyle for the lead and caused the later to spin, the crowd would roar much louder than if Happy just out ran Rowdy to the finish line. Yeah, I don't want to see wrecks that drivers get hurt, but I've been watching racing for well over 40 years and I've seen some pretty nasty wrecks, some that have taken the lives of the drivers. But that is the danger of the sport and if you take out the danger, you might as well be racing lawn mowers, non-self-propelled.
 
This question was raised on the radio today......If there is a problem with the Bristol track configuration...why does the fall race sell out at the same track?
 
Great post, buckaroo!
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ted@economy said:
This question was raised on the radio today......If there is a problem with the Bristol track configuration...why does the fall race sell out at the same track?
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You get one of these too, Ted!
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Earlier in this thread the idea of scheduling both Bristol Races to happen on Saturday Night was raised. That's what I would do before I spent a Million Dollars changing the racing surface!
 
For me a Friday night, Saturday Night race weekend works much better than Saturday, Sunday. Having the Sunday in case of rain or having Sunday to travel is perfect. Another big reason I chose Richmond over Martinsville this year.

Speaking of Martinsville, I'd love to see Saturday night racing there as well.
 
I find it kinda odd how the reconfiguration of Bristol has caused declining attendance @ most all venues that NASCAR runs on. ;)

Sure every track has its own story but I think that these numbers go a long way to show that the lack of interest in the sport or the economy have way more of an impact on attendance.

Here's a look @ the attendance during the same time frame as Bristol's reconfiguration to the most recent year of the comparable race. I think that you may see a trend here.

2007 vs. 2011 & 2012 attendance figures for the same weekends.

Daytona 500 (2007) 185,000 - (2012) 140,000 - down 24.32%
Phoenix (2007) & (2012) - No attendance figures released
Las Vegas (2007) 156,000 - (2012) 150,000 - down 3.84%
Bristol (2007) 160,000 - (2012) 102,000 - down 36.25%
Fontana (2007) 87,000 - (2011) 88,000 - up 1.11%
Martinsville (2007) 66,500 - (2011) 60,000 - down 9.77%
Fort Worth (2007) 191,000 - (2011) 168,400 - down 11.83%
Talladega (2007) 160,000 - (2011) 115,000 - down 28.12%
Richmond (2007) 100,000 - (2011) 90,000 - down 10.00%
Darlington (2007) 70,000 - (2011) 61,000 - down 12.85%
Dover (2007) 90,000 - (2011) 82,000 - down 8.88%
Charlotte (2007) 175,000 - (2011) 145,000 - down 17.14%
Kansas (2007) 110,000 - (2011) 80,000 - down 27.27%
Pocono (2007) 105,000 - (2011) 90,000 - down 14.28%
Michigan (2007) 145,000 - (2011) 88,000 - down 39.31%
Sonoma (2007) 102,000 - (2011) 93,000 - down 8.82%
 
The writer of that article makes some good points but ignores other factors that have led to decreasing attendance everywhere else on the circuit.

And I wish people would quit bringing up the sell out streak. Bristol used to have way fewer seats and it was a heluva lot cheaper to go to races in the 80's and 90's.
 
ted@economy said:
This question was raised on the radio today......If there is a problem with the Bristol track configuration...why does the fall race sell out at the same track?
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The night race has not sold out for the last two years. It used to take $150-$200 to get a ticket off the street for that race. I've bought them for $75 the last two years.
 
I personally watch bristol, because growing up, that was the race where drivers got even, and pay-backs were paid in full. We all have a full interest in racing, and we enjoy it, or we wouldn't be talking about it, that being said, Bristol is a full contact sport of it's own, and thats how it needs to be. You can't just change 40-50 years of tradition.
We don't go to hockey games, to see choreographed ice capades, do we?
MoMike
 
The one good thing about declining attendance is that I can buy cheap seats and go sit in the empty expensive seats. :)
 
On the Bristol reconfiguration idea.....

"The whole reconfiguration story doesn't go very far with me," Keselowski said. "Personally, I think it's irresponsible, misinformed and at best, self-serving, for any driver or media member who goes out there and criticizes the track. I don't think that's right. I think there are drivers that struggle there as the track has been reconfigured and have ulterior motives to point the finger at the surface reconfiguration instead of their own teams' performance.
"And I think there are media members that enjoy getting the extra attention and extra reads for talking about the track's surface. But I don't think that it's an informed opinion when you look at it objectively."

From here.

I wonder why he would feel this way? :rolleyes:
 
Good thing he has nothing to do with the running of the bulls over in Spain, he'd have the horns cut off....
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I wonder why he would feel this way? :rolleyes:
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Yeah, he laid it on pretty thick, but IMO he's right. Why hasn't the media taken Jr's suggestion to look at the racing before the tire change? It's not as dramatic as talking about a $1 million rip up.

The more people talk about a softer compound, the more I agree. Correct me if I'm wrong, but people aren't talking about seeing a lapper get bumped out of the way, because that was going on last week. When tires meant something, you had some guys taking tires who were a lot faster than the guys who stayed out. Isn't that when the bumping usually came into the picture? Right now, new tires don't mean a thing, so bumping doesn't come into the picture, no matter the track configuration.

Since the media isn't going to get off the drama and do a comparison, I'll just hope Bruton does and makes the right call.
 
I miss the days when tire management was part of the sport. But Goodyear is afraid that they'll look bad if there are too many blow outs. Rather than blaming the driver for using up his stuff they blame the tire.
 
FenderBumper said:
We've all seen what happens these days when a guy gets bumped. Drivers go nuts.
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That's one thing the bums me out about The Chase sometimes. The drivers are afraid to bump someone for fear that they'll wait to seek retaliation at a time when it can ruin someone's entire season.
 
Matthew2470 said:
That's one thing the bums me out about The Chase sometimes. The drivers are afraid to bump someone for fear that they'll wait to seek retaliation at a time when it can ruin someone's entire season.
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Very true. All of the gentlemans racing and gentlemans agreement has ripped the heart out of NASCAR. Then NASCAR say have at it, and sit on their hands when a veteran wrecks a guy for not giving him what he wanted. Friggin' amazing.
 
Matthew2470 said:
We are fans of a crazy sport. So many elements involved. When people tell me that NASCAR is just a bunch of guys running in circles I tell them that a computer is just a TV screen with a typewriter attached.
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And football is just a bunch of guys hanging around the sideline grabbing ass. They interrupt this ritual to hit the field in a group ass grab, then run around for 15 seconds. They then slowly walk back to the ass grab session. Eventually, the guys on the sideline get their turn again.

Baseball is just a guy staring at another guys crotch for long periods of time while the rest of the team jiggles their package while ejaculating out of their mouths.
 
FenderBumper said:
And football is just a bunch of guys hanging around the sideline grabbing ass. They interrupt this ritual to hit the field in a group ass grab, then run around for 15 seconds. They then slowly walk back to the ass grab session. Eventually, the guys on the sideline get their turn again.

Baseball is just a guy staring at another guys crotch for long periods of time while the rest of the team jiggles their package while ejaculating out of their mouths.
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I've used very similar analogies.

For me, it's about having a favorite driver or team. Through the process of following that driver you learn about the sport and get hooked.

Over the past 15 years I've grown to love Motorsports:
NASCAR-Went to a friend's house in 1997 to watch a Red Wing's hockey game. They kept changing the channel to see what was happening in the race. Jeff Gordon was leading and they were all furious, calling him terrible names, yelling "he's Cheating!" and wishing for him to hit the wall. I was like "WTF is wrong with you effing idiots?" I was stunned at how passionate they were about it. As a result I started tuning in every Sunday for a few minutes to see where the Rainbow car was running. Then I started watching the last half of each race. Then I started watching the entire race. Then practice and qualifying. Within 6 months I was a total NASCAR junkie. (this is what I hope happens with the extra people who tune in to watch Danica)

INDY Car- Started watching because of Danica. Now I never miss a race and used to go see them run at MIS.

Formula 1-Heard about people hating Michael Schumacher so I started watching some races. Now I a a Ferrari fan and never miss a race. In fact, I am hoping to go to Austin later this year.

Supercross-Saw some show about James Stewart. Now I watch every race in which James Steward competes.

The best part is that I have shared all of this with my son and the kid loves NASCAR and other types of racing.
 
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