Fixing Attendance

Charlie Spencer said:
The recent college basketball issues demonstrate that some coaches are motivated at least in part by bribes from equipment manufacturers and sports agents.
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Yea there bribing the best kid with talent to come play for them though lol.. they not bribing bums lol.. schools can only get stuff if the kids with best talent come to there school .. Nike isn't going to sponsor a school with no talent that never wins .. coaches are doing whateva it takes to get kids with TALENT TALENT TALENT AND SKILLS.. no kids that have a phat check book lol.. the kid is the talent not the money , because they have no money
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Uh, you do see the problem with those three names, right? How many people who don't follow NASCAR know the names of the kids coming up behind them? Elliott, Blaney, Larson, Suarez? Excluding Johnson (maybe), how many non-fans could name any of the last handful of champions - Kez, Harvick, Kyle?
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I'm missing your point?? Can u please explain what any of this has to do with anything ? I'm saying those kids got a chance based of there name and money
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Uh, you do see the problem with those three names, right? How many people who don't follow NASCAR know the names of the kids coming up behind them? Elliott, Blaney, Larson, Suarez? Excluding Johnson (maybe), how many non-fans could name any of the last handful of champions - Kez, Harvick, Kyle?
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The last time I even had a conversation similar to this was years ago, trying to introduce my girlfriend at the time to the sport and she had at least heard of who those three guys were. Which is why I used their names. Today, I couldn't tell you who people unfamiliar with the sport know. I'd imagine Kyle Busch would be one due to his injury and immense comeback as well as his shenanigans off track. It takes time to replace the three biggest faces of the sport, eventually I'm sure Larson, Elliott, Blaney and Suarez will be in this conversation. I was just trying to convey that there are in fact famous NASCAR drivers. There are young guys working hard to get their name out there, I perhaps should have added that to the initial post but I felt it was long enough already. :D
 
Thegeneral23 said:
I'm missing your point?? Can u please explain what any of this has to do with anything ? I'm saying those kids got a chance based of there name and money
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You may be missing my point because I was responding to Snowman's comment, not yours. We're debating LS16's point that NASCAR needs more drivers with popular fame as a career goal.
 
Thegeneral23 said:
Yea there bribing the best kid with talent to come play for them though lol.. they not bribing bums lol.. schools can only get stuff if the kids with best talent come to there school .. Nike isn't going to sponsor a school with no talent that never wins .. coaches are doing whateva it takes to get kids with TALENT TALENT TALENT AND SKILLS.. no kids that have a phat check book lol.. the kid is the talent not the money , because they have no money
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I think I've agreed with you on your main point at least twice already.
 
Actually @Charlie Spencer I thought of another, Danica Patrick is certainly famous and well known. Time will determine if she falls into the same category as Smoke, JG and Jr though. :confused:
 
1. More short tracks such as Pikes Peak and Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville
2. 1 more road course early in the season
3. Go back to Rockingham
4. More night races
5. A cup race at Eldora
 
Snowman said:
Actually @Charlie Spencer I thought of another, Danica Patrick is certainly famous and well known. Time will determine if she falls into the same category as Smoke, JG and Jr though. :confused:
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I think Time had already made its determination. Slot her with the other three for now, but she'll be forgotten much more quickly.
 
hendrickfreak said:
1. More short tracks such as Pikes Peak and Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville
2. 1 more road course early in the season
3. Go back to Rockingham
4. More night races
5. A cup race at Eldora
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1. Are PP and Nashville interested? Tracks have to apply for races.
3. Dude, the dream is dead. Breathe in, breathe out, move on.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
1. Are PP and Nashville interested? Tracks have to apply for races.
3. Dude, the dream is dead. Breathe in, breathe out, move on.
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1. I was just using PP and Nashville as examples
3. So I guess that means they'll never go back to North Wilkesboro :sad:

But what do you think about my other ideas?
 
One thing that seems to be overlooked in this discussion is the age at which stick/ball players start playing their game --- almost as soon as they
can handle a bat or a ball. Some of the drivers started their racing careers by driving go-carts at 5 or 6, too. Some didn't start until their teens.
It's hard for city youth to get the experience behind the wheel --- much easier and cheaper to pick up a ball or a bat. And there are more places
to play those sports than to drive go-carts or small dirt cars.
 
BobbyFord said:
Bring back the Hudson!! :beerbang:
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I think you are missing my point. Back in its day the Hudson was a high performance car,300ci twin carbs etc.The Chrysler 300 was a performance car in its day .All through Nascar's history the field was filled with hot cars of the day, Chevy Impala SS, Olds cutless 442 Ford fastbacks and Thunderbirds,Dodge Chargers and so on ,Even AMC had a special Matador , Those days are not returning,However high performance are back.The only legit car in the cup series is the Chevy ss ,ie V8 front engine rear drive currently sold at a dealer,The Xfinity series has two legit cars in the Mustang and Camaro . Take away all this aero crap ,bring back the bump and run,slow em down so they can race.The best example of the fault is the redesign of Bristol. That and aero cars took away the excitement of rubbin is racing . Now you can buy a ticket 30mins before a race.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
One thing that seems to be overlooked in this discussion is the age at which stick/ball players start playing their game --- almost as soon as they
can handle a bat or a ball. Some of the drivers started their racing careers by driving go-carts at 5 or 6, too. Some didn't start until their teens.
It's hard for city youth to get the experience behind the wheel --- much easier and cheaper to pick up a ball or a bat. And there are more places
to play those sports than to drive go-carts or small dirt cars.
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City youth also get opportunities to play through organized school leagues. I've never seen a race track on school property, be it public, private, parochial, alternative, or charter.

This strikes me as a major failing of our educational system. :D
 
There is no really good answer for getting attendance numbers up for racing.
Personally, I think it boils down to just plain old lack of interest in most of the younger generation. They have
different interests and different pursuits. Resorting to gimmicks and gimcrackery to increase attendance and viewership
just won't work. If having "glamour" is a requirement for someone to watch a race, then I guess NASCAR is out of luck.
It's a "dirt under the fingernails" kind of sport.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
There is no really good answer for getting attendance numbers up for racing.
Personally, I think it boils down to just plain old lack of interest in most of the younger generation. They have
different interests and different pursuits. Resorting to gimmicks and gimcrackery to increase attendance and viewership
just won't work. If having "glamour" is a requirement for someone to watch a race, then I guess NASCAR is out of luck.
It's a "dirt under the fingernails" kind of sport.
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I don't think there's a way to return to the popularity levels of the '90s and '00s. As I've noted earlier, tennis when through a similar boom in the '70s, and in the '80s and '90s pro wrestling was everywhere. Both of those examples have declined but aren't dead or even dying.

And yes, I know pro wrestling is scripted. It's just an example.
 
Instead of stick and ball sports perhaps it would be better to compare to other motorsports. NHRA seems to pack em in ,Indy car roadcourses look like they have full infields, K&N packs em in for short track Saturday night
 
TexasRaceLady said:
Perhaps NASCAR attendance/viewing levels are just returning to where they should be. Perhaps the "boom" was
just a passing fad.
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Personally, I'm a fan of the reduced # of fans at the track. I like legroom, short concession & restroom lines..... quick egress if desired from the facility, etc..... I don't concern myself so much with the ratings, empty seats and the like. This is still one of the most watched sports. It'll continue in some form to be on television or streamed long after I've turned to dirt. If it ends up on the Oprah Network, I'll be there watching it. Hell, I'm probably already paying for that channel anyhow. I'll continue to support the series in the only way I know how, watching it and attending races that I can until I've had my fill.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Personally, I'm a fan of the reduced # of fans at the track. I like legroom, short concession & restroom lines..... quick egress if desired from the facility, etc..... I don't concern myself so much with the ratings, empty seats and the like. This is still one of the most watched sports. It'll continue in some form to be on television or streamed long after I've turned to dirt. If it ends up on the Oprah Network, I'll be there watching it. Hell, I'm probably already paying for that channel anyhow. I'll continue to support the series in the only way I know how, watching it and attending races that I can until I've had my fill.
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Okay, TRL, you can lock this discussion down now. I've never used the expressions 'For the win' or 'Mike drop', but there's a first time for everything.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Personally, I'm a fan of the reduced # of fans at the track. I like legroom, short concession & restroom lines..... quick egress if desired from the facility, etc..... I don't concern myself so much with the ratings, empty seats and the like. This is still one of the most watched sports. It'll continue in some form to be on television or streamed long after I've turned to dirt. If it ends up on the Oprah Network, I'll be there watching it. Hell, I'm probably already paying for that channel anyhow. I'll continue to support the series in the only way I know how, watching it and attending races that I can until I've had my fill.
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Well said! :cheers:
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Personally, I'm a fan of the reduced # of fans at the track. I like legroom, short concession & restroom lines..... quick egress if desired from the facility, etc..... I don't concern myself so much with the ratings, empty seats and the like. This is still one of the most watched sports. It'll continue in some form to be on television or streamed long after I've turned to dirt. If it ends up on the Oprah Network, I'll be there watching it. Hell, I'm probably already paying for that channel anyhow. I'll continue to support the series in the only way I know how, watching it and attending races that I can until I've had my fill.
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I think my days of going to the track are done but I still like to keep an eye on the series and see at least parts of most races. NASCAR provides me with entertainment whether the racing is really good or really bad.
 
Thegeneral23 said:
Yea and that tells me what kind of person u are if u disagree and that's the problem right there.. in stick and ball sports .. people of any color don't need a sponsor.. all stick and ball sports is left up to talent and that's it! Not who brings the most money to the table.. if that's case a lot of these guys wouldn't be in the NBA NFL or MLB .. NASCAR is who can bring money and sponsors..when your career is left up to a sponsor and you have everything you need to become a driver.. and you can't even get a chance like everybody else .. ITS A PROBLEM
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there we go, so you know what kind of person he is because he doesn't agree with you and I know what kind of person you are. YOUR RIGHT AND EVERYONE ELSE IS WRONG.
 
Road America, Iowa, Gateway, Mosport, maybe Eldora would be candidates for a race?

ISC and SMI would have to lose a race. Not sure how their finances are, if any tracks would realistically actually want to give up a race.

Michigan, Kansas, Texas, Charlotte fall are the ISC & SMI tracks that shouldn't really have two races in my opinion, but I don't know what their budgets are?
 
AuzGrams said:
Road America, Iowa, Gateway, Mosport, maybe Eldora would be candidates for a race?

ISC and SMI would have to lose a race. Not sure how their finances are, if any tracks would realistically actually want to give up a race.

Michigan, Kansas, Texas, Charlotte fall are the ISC & SMI tracks that shouldn't really have two races in my opinion, but I don't know what their budgets are?
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I would love to see Nascar run at Mosport but I think it would need some expensive infrastructure in order to be cup ready.
 
AuzGrams said:
Road America, Iowa, Gateway, Mosport, maybe Eldora would be candidates for a race?

ISC and SMI would have to lose a race. Not sure how their finances are, if any tracks would realistically actually want to give up a race.

Michigan, Kansas, Texas, Charlotte fall are the ISC & SMI tracks that shouldn't really have two races in my opinion, but I don't know what their budgets are?
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Their budgets?

No sane business person shutters a $350 million plant for one of its two largest revenue producing events.
 
Snowman said:
Three names, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr., Tony Stewart. Many people that didn't follow NASCAR knew those names. That qualifies as famous in my opinion. They rub elbows with celebrities, Gordon and Kyle Busch were at the Mayweather McGregor fight and had their pictures taken on the red carpet. Tons of these drivers do interviews on news channels and talk shows. Dale Jr went to the Redskins training camp and has been in several music videos. The chase drivers went to the White House after every championship season (don't know if they do currently). How can you possibly say these people aren't famous? They're not A list celebrities by any means, but there are plenty of famous drivers in this sport.
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Tony Stewart is not the guy I'd want at the forefront of my sport if what I was told he did for luck before getting in his car for a race is true.
 
Towmater said:
Tony Stewart is not the guy I'd want at the forefront of my sport if what I was told he did for luck before getting in his car for a race is true.
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I just looked it up and hadn't heard that one before. If you're referring to the ritual with the Harvicks.
 
aunty dive said:
Their budgets?

No sane business person shutters a $350 million plant for one of its two largest revenue producing events.
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I meant profit numbers and expenses for these races.

BobbyFord said:
Changing/adding venues isn’t going to increase new fan interest.
JMO.
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Probably not enough. I think having a race at Gateway/St. Louis in the spring would bring more people to the track there than at Kansas Speedway. (just an example, not gonna actually happen).

Certainly I think NASCAR would benefit if they went to new markets like they were wanting to years ago when they wanted to build tracks in Seattle, Denver, and Staten Island. Too late now for ISC with their renovations of some tracks.
 
AuzGrams said:
I meant profit numbers and expenses for these races.
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I know what you meant. According to the latest available figures for the two publicly traded (and largest) track operators, all of their facilities are in the black.
 
Snowman said:
Three names, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr., Tony Stewart. Many people that didn't follow NASCAR knew those names. That qualifies as famous in my opinion. They rub elbows with celebrities, Gordon and Kyle Busch were at the Mayweather McGregor fight and had their pictures taken on the red carpet. Tons of these drivers do interviews on news channels and talk shows. Dale Jr went to the Redskins training camp and has been in several music videos. The chase drivers went to the White House after every championship season (don't know if they do currently). How can you possibly say these people aren't famous? They're not A list celebrities by any means, but there are plenty of famous drivers in this sport.
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If you aren't A list you don't matter.
 
ladyspartan16 said:
If you aren't A list you don't matter.
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Who defines 'A list'? Is yours the same as mine?

There's a scene in 'Smokey and the Bandit' where Burt Reynolds rattles off the names of several race car drivers that Sally Field hasn't heard of. She names several famous dancers but he hasn't heard of them either. He makes a somewhat philosophical comment about famous being relative to the field you're in.

Oh, and I doubt either one of us makes any 'A list'.
 
ladyspartan16 said:
If you aren't A list you don't matter.
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The more I think about it, the more I decide that is the most elitist piece of claptrap I've ever read on the Internet.

Tell Lebron those other four guys on the floor don't matter and see how he'd feel about playing by himself. Ask Lewis Hamilton how he'd feel about changing his own tires. I guarantee you Serena has someone who books her travel and tends to the details so she can work on her backhand. Why do NFL quarterbacks buy gifts for their offensive line? Because that's who keeps them from getting their ass shredded every week.

But there must be some value to that attitude. Who knows, it might even take you as far as the White House.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Who defines 'A list'? Is yours the same as mine?

There's a scene in 'Smokey and the Bandit' where Burt Reynolds rattles off the names of several race car drivers that Sally Field hasn't heard of. She names several famous dancers but he hasn't heard of them either. He makes a somewhat philosophical comment about famous being relative to the field you're in.
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A List celebrities are known regardless of the field you are in. You may not be able to name a song, know their win record, or have seen their show.... but you know who they are.


Kevin Durant
The Kardashian/Jenner clan
Drake
Taylor Swift
Rihanna
Justin Beiber
Serena Williams
Ellen Degeneres
Adele
Lebron James
Alex Rodriguez
Beyoncé
 
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