Fontana Sprint Cup thread.

You wanna see where the viewers were..... http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com

People can argue all they want that the reason for the ratings drop was bad racing but there was a serious loss of viewers to some other events over the weekend.

Face it, Tiger's huge..... That's what she said. For some reason people still love this guy. Some golf numbers.....

TIGER WOODS’ WIN AT ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL NETS 4.8 OVERNIGHT RATING ON NBC
  • Final Round up 129% from Last Year; Best Since 2009
  • Third Round up 53% From Last Year; Best Since 2003
  • Golf Outrated NCAA Tournament in Final Half Hour of Play
  • Golf Channel’s Second Round Coverage Sets Records
The NCAA March Madness viewership is always huge. Like has already been said, these two thing together or alone are far bigger events than some race in Fontana. NASCAR could have run the best race ever at Fontana and nobody would have know because they would have been watching these other events. To think that these two events weren't a big factor in NASCAR viewership over the weekend is very short sighted IMO.

Personally, I watched the race and enjoyed every minute of it. My guy was doing well and slowly moving up through the field with good driving and great pit stops throughout the event. But the moment it was over, I went straight to basketball because I'm also a fan. I didn't bother tuning into golf because I could care less but apparently many other disagree, at least according to the numbers.
 
I have a completely different take on the Nascar fanbase thing.I became a fan in the pre Jeff Gordon era. When Jeff became sucessful , Nascar started a youth movement bringing in younger and younger drivers to attract a younger and younger fanbase. I think that ,while this worked in spades, the huge younger fanbase was loyal to individual drivers not based on a love of Nascar in general . So now you get real swingy numbers. Much like you do in golf when Tiger is winning. Nascar is still trying to attract new fans with Danica and I wonder how die hard those fans are gonna be. I guess that attracting new fans gives you a boom / bust effect that hopefully shows overall growth.
 
sloggie said:
Yep, that's what all those other viewers did.
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That pretty much says it all. Fontana makes it easy for fans to make the switch. Since fans are rabid over the old Bristol, it would be interesting how many race fans would turn off a race there to see Tigers putter.
 
ted@economy said:
I have a completely different take on the Nascar fanbase thing.I became a fan in the pre Jeff Gordon era. When Jeff became sucessful , Nascar started a youth movement bringing in younger and younger drivers to attract a younger and younger fanbase. I think that ,while this worked in spades, the huge younger fanbase was loyal to individual drivers not based on a love of Nascar in general . So now you get real swingy numbers. Much like you do in golf when Tiger is winning. Nascar is still trying to attract new fans with Danica and I wonder how die hard those fans are gonna be. I guess that attracting new fans gives you a boom / bust effect that hopefully shows overall growth.
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Good points.
 
FenderBumper said:
That pretty much says it all. Fontana makes it easy for fans to make the switch. Since fans are rabid over the old Bristol, it would be interesting how many race fans would turn off a race there to see Tigers putter.
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Again, it's not the race fans who make the switch, it's the casual fans who don't see NASCAR as their first option for entertainment. NASCAR could have been running anywhere on the circuit and people would have been watched Tiger. Blame the track if it makes you feel better about yourself but facts are facts. Outside of the NASCAR bubble, sports fans have other options. And regardless of what you think of Tiger the above article proves that NASCAR is nowhere near his level in terms of mainstream appeal.
 
Matthew2470 said:
Again, it's not the race fans who make the switch, it's the casual fans who don't see NASCAR as their first option for entertainment. NASCAR could have been running anywhere on the circuit and people would have been watched Tiger.
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I agree completely.
 
You guys act like Golf didn't exist back in the 90's or early 2000. NASCAR's audience has eroded so much, there aren't enough race fans left to support the sport without help from the casual fan. You keep saying that the people who turn off the Fontana race to watch Golf aren't real NASCAR fans, when the REAL question is, why aren't they NASCAR fans?
 
We think Nascar has problems , how would you like to be the PGA with 129% swing on one guys performance ?
 
FenderBumper said:
You guys act like Golf didn't exist back in the 90's or early 2000. NASCAR's audience has eroded so much, there aren't enough race fans left to support the sport without help from the casual fan. You keep saying that the people who turn off the Fontana race to watch Golf aren't real NASCAR fans, when the REAL question is, why aren't they NASCAR fans?
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I don't think the fans the people that were watching Tiger (and I say Tiger instead of golf because ratings are only huge when he is playing well) never even considered tuning into the race. As far as the erosion of the fan base, that's the million dollar question. In my opinion it has a lot to do with Dale Sr dying and Dale Jr failing to live up to the (unrealistic) hopes and expectations that Dale Jr would would start beating Jeff Gordon. The Jeff vs. Dale Sr thing was huge for NASCAR. It brought in fans who had more in common with a non-southerner like Jeff than Dale Sr and the southern boys. Since Jeff vs Dale there have been no real sustained rivalries. Also, there are just so many more options available regarding TV viewership. People have way more channels. They save stuff all week on their DVR's and watch stuff on Sunday. More people have to work on weekends. All of that adds up.

And as far as Fontana, I still think the racing is better there than Charlotte where the aero push is so bad that no one can pass. The race there last fall was atrocious.
 
FenderBumper said:
Even Jr running 3rd couldn't save Fontana from the almighty Golf juggernaut.
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It's not Golf, it's Tiger that draws the numbers. If he's in contention to win on Sunday, all other sports ratings suffer. Fontana being up against him AND North Carolina vs Kansas was tough. That 3pm start time made it even worse because people didn't even start watching the race.
 
We all have our opinions and DP posted the numbers that verified what I'd suspected. I'm gonna get some work done, study and look forward to Martinsville. Hell, I may even play golf this week.:D
 
I wish I were able to say that I was was going to Martinsville because I'm a TRUE fan but I have to wait until October for that. In that case I'll have to settle for driving home door to door, nose to tail, listening to NASCAR Radio for my 40+ mile commute because I'm a TRUE fan. :D
 
Matthew2470 said:
It's not Golf, it's Tiger that draws the numbers. If he's in contention to win on Sunday, all other sports ratings suffer.
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OK, now you're just being silly. You CLEARLY stated earlier that Tiger doing WELL playing Golf was the draw. How is that different than Jr doing well in a race car?

You really need to ask yourself THE KEY question. Why aren't there enough true race fans, as you have defined it, to support the sport even when some low life serial cheater is playing Golf well?
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I wish I were able to say that I was was going to Martinsville because I'm a TRUE fan but I have to wait until October for that. In that case I'll have to settle for driving home door to door, nose to tail, listening to NASCAR Radio for my 40+ mile commute because I'm a TRUE fan. :D
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Me too, as anyone who has broken my momentum on the expressway knows all too well. :D
 
FenderBumper said:
I'm going to drive my car, because I'm a TRUE fan. ;)
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My buddies and I will be racing our golf carts. We have been scolded a few times for rough driving. We tipped one over at an outing when the tires caught the edge of the cart path a few years ago. Almost spilled my beer on that one.
 
FenderBumper said:
OK, now you're just being silly. You CLEARLY stated earlier that Tiger doing WELL playing Golf was the draw. How is that different than Jr doing well in a race car?

You really need to ask yourself THE KEY question. Why aren't there enough true race fans, as you have defined it, to support the sport even when some low life serial cheater is playing Golf well?
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As a Tiger fan, a golf enthusiast and a hopelessly addicted NASCAR fan, I am choosing to just step away from this thread.

Also, I have work to do and a big assignment that I have to post for school.
 
Thegroundpounder99 said:
Yes sir!!! Going to Martinsville this weekend. I also go to the Daytona races because it's only 2 hours away. Used to go to the spring race at Bristol and the second Martinsville but now go to Martinsville twice.
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I'll be @ both the fall Bristol and Martinsville races. Martinsville, by far, is the best of those two venues. We sit in the South Terrace @ Martinsville. Where are your seats? Also, do you camp @ the track? I have questions about their on site camping.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I'll be @ both the fall Bristol and Martinsville races. Martinsville, by far, is the best of those two venues. We sit in the South Terrace @ Martinsville. Where are your seats? Also, do you camp @ the track? I have questions about their on site camping.
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I am also in the south terrace!!! Sit in turn 1. I do not camp though so I don't know anything about it. My Dad has gone to Martinsville since the mid 50's. He hasn't missed one in over 50 years which I think is pretty cool.
 
Matthew2470 said:
Stop trying to pull me back in! haha
And according to Dale Carnegie, if you win an argument you actually lose.:)
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I believe he said
"There can be no winners among a group of half-assed nascar analysts".

..or maybe it was "When NASCAR fans talk, we all lose".
 
I really hope that Nascar is not as dependant on Junior as golf is on Tiger .That is a truly bad situation.
 
Thegroundpounder99 said:
I am also in the south terrace!!! Sit in turn 1. I do not camp though so I don't know anything about it. My Dad has gone to Martinsville since the mid 50's. He hasn't missed one in over 50 years which I think is pretty cool.
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We sit in that same area then. We are in section 201 @ the end of the front straight. Great view of them coming right at us into turn one/two and also an excellent vantage point to view the pit exit. I think that there are only seven or so rows in our section. We are in the row one down from the top over against the fence on the end. Only two seats with a single seat next to us that nobody ever shows up to fill so my cooler resides there.

That is very cool about your Dad making all of those events. He's seen a lot there over that length of time. We will have to hook up before the fall race. Have a blast there this weekend and have a Martinsville Dog for me.
 
Matthew2470 said:
Stop trying to pull me back in! haha
And according to Dale Carnegie, if you win an argument you actually lose.:)
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It's always fun for us to argue the same argument hoping, but never actually, changing anyone's opinion. So goes the plight of a TRUE fan. ;)

FenderBumper said:
I believe he said
"There can be no winners among a group of half-assed nascar analysts".

..or maybe it was "When NASCAR fans talk, we all lose".
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This..... is probably more applicable.
 
ted@economy said:
I really hope that Nascar is not as dependant on Junior as golf is on Tiger .That is a truly bad situation.
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As Jr. goes, so goes NASCAR. That's just my opinion. I think that he's had a lot of fans that have left the sport and I think that they'll be the same ones that jump back on the band wagon should he ever start wining again. I'm in it for the long haul. :cool:
 
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