NASCAR Too Costly For Fans?

kat2220

kat2220

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 11, 2002
Messages
16,886
Points
0
Location
Marietta, GA
Economaki Says NASCAR is too Costly for Fans
By Greg Engle/Editor, Cup Scene Daily


Chris Economacki is without question a legend in the world of motorsports journalism in America. The 87 year old is the founder and publisher of National Speed Sport News and remains active in the world of motorsports.

He was in attendance at the Canadian Motorsports Expo held at the Toronto Congress Center this week and told Norris McDonald of the Toronto Star that the reason for the decline in attendance and TV ratings in NASCAR is simple; it's starting to price out the very fans it serves.

"I think NASCAR has gone too far," Economacki said. "They're overwhelming the public. They have activities on Friday, activities on Saturday and activities on Sunday and all of it takes up a lot of time and it costs a lot of money to attend. The cost of flying to the location and having a hotel room and everything is a staggering price for the customer.

"Their philosophy is that the guy's in town anyway and what's he going to do? So we'll have something for him. But the cost to do a weekend of NASCAR racing today is staggering for the fan. So attendance is falling off and television audiences are coming down: it's too much.

"This announcement (last week in Washington state) that there's not going to be a track in the Pacific Northwest ... I think they recognize that the bloom is off the pumpkin."

I know that we are priced out of attending even AMS, and we nive nearby! It's tough living on Social Security!
 
I have cut down a lot during the last few years. For a while we were going to about 10 a year. LOL. Those days are gone. It was 5 last year and 3 this year.
 
kat2220 said:
I know that we are priced out of attending even AMS, and we nive nearby! It's tough living on Social Security!
Click to expand...

Well let me tell you its tough to attend any Nextel races when you live in New Zealand, but I've been to a few;)
 
as far as tms goes, truck busch and IRL are fairly sane, cup is the overcharge.
 
Well the 6 races @ Lowes set us back $1150. Add to that hotel room, food, gas, parking, etc. Our 600 Cup tickets were $135 each. While the Busch race was half that. The best deal has to be the parking. If you buy ahead of time they're $5 each event and we're just outside Gate 7. Which is the gate we would go in anyway.
LMS does have cheaper packages and family packages for the not so desirable seats.
 
I doubt that I will renew my tickets for next year --- $2300 for this year. Now, before you have an attack, let me say that I have 4 seats. The price includes all q'ing sessions for every race --- pro-rated it works out to $53 per seat per event. Plus, because I have 4 seats, VIP parking comes with it.

But the money for tics will pay my property taxes, so I doubt I will renew.
 
I've been fortunate enough to score tickets for free each year since 2001 for just about every race including the cup race at Kansas. In some cases up to four tickets. I may have to buy the cup race tickets this year however I am not going to complain. $50 a pop is really not too bad. Especially with the free parking and now they will allow food and drink into the track and the two hot and cold pit passes I will have.
 
i used to camp at Lowes....its now about 100 bucks per weekend to camp (it was 50 as much as 5 years ago) add on another 100 bucks or more per ticket. now i cant really afford to go.
 
This Buds For Me said:
i used to camp at Lowes....its now about 100 bucks per weekend to camp (it was 50 as much as 5 years ago) add on another 100 bucks or more per ticket. now i cant really afford to go.
Click to expand...

The All-American campground at Bristol is 250.00 + tax. Our friends have moved across the street from the track it is only 200.00. We used to camp up there for like 25.00.
 
I agree with Chris' comments about overloading the weekend with events and activities. But NASCAR does not set the prices for tickets, the tracks do. And the hotel people gouge fans on prices and minimum stays. Several years ago, most hotels in and around Bristol for the night race only required a 2-night stay at minimum. Since the truck race was added to Wednesday night, most places now require a 4-night minimum. That's outright gouging. Greed causes that.

I only go to both Bristol races. I have season tickets and sell my Busch tickets. I can usually recoupe most of my money from those. All I have in my trips are tickets, gas, and getting something to eat on the way or on the way back. I'm considering a trip to Atlanta this fall for the Cup race and will also not spend the night.
 
MRM said:
I agree with Chris' comments about overloading the weekend with events and activities. But NASCAR does not set the prices for tickets, the tracks do. And the hotel people gouge fans on prices and minimum stays. Several years ago, most hotels in and around Bristol for the night race only required a 2-night stay at minimum. Since the truck race was added to Wednesday night, most places now require a 4-night minimum. That's outright gouging. Greed causes that.

I only go to both Bristol races. I have season tickets and sell my Busch tickets. I can usually recoupe most of my money from those. All I have in my trips are tickets, gas, and getting something to eat on the way or on the way back. I'm considering a trip to Atlanta this fall for the Cup race and will also not spend the night.
Click to expand...

MRM I don't know about driving from Atlanta on the same night. You just think Bristol traffic is bad. It is terrific compared to Atlantic. I have been to lots of tracks and Atlanta is the absolute worst.
 
Ah, but there is a neat back way into Atlanta. A friend of mine who lives 25 minutes from the track showed it to me. You come in from the west off Highway 92, south of Fayetteville, GA.

You wind around a little and actually come in at the airport beside the track. You would have to have a very good detailed map, but it is a little used route.
 
If I went back to Atlanta I would need that map. The traffic down there kills me.
 
We haven't gone to a Cup race in two years now and I don't see us going to one in the near future. The cost is of course, the factor. The only way we would now attend a race would be through one of the packages that are available which would provide lodging and travel to and from the from the lodging, as well as travel to the track from home. There is a great tour company out of Charlotte that we've used a couple of times and it made the whole trip well worth it. Yes, it was costly, but we considered it a mini vacation so it was well worth the expense. If you've never had someone else with a bus take you nearly to your seats and then pick you up, all the while you not worrying about the traffic, you're missing something. :)
 
buckaroo said:
We haven't gone to a Cup race in two years now and I don't see us going to one in the near future. The cost is of course, the factor. The only way we would now attend a race would be through one of the packages that are available which would provide lodging and travel to and from the from the lodging, as well as travel to the track from home. There is a great tour company out of Charlotte that we've used a couple of times and it made the whole trip well worth it. Yes, it was costly, but we considered it a mini vacation so it was well worth the expense. If you've never had someone else with a bus take you nearly to your seats and then pick you up, all the while you not worrying about the traffic, you're missing something. :)
Click to expand...

We signed up with Christian Tours out of Newton to go to Pocono a few years back. It ended up they didn't get enough for the trip and canceled.
 
buckaroo said:
We haven't gone to a Cup race in two years now and I don't see us going to one in the near future. The cost is of course, the factor. The only way we would now attend a race would be through one of the packages that are available which would provide lodging and travel to and from the from the lodging, as well as travel to the track from home. There is a great tour company out of Charlotte that we've used a couple of times and it made the whole trip well worth it. Yes, it was costly, but we considered it a mini vacation so it was well worth the expense. If you've never had someone else with a bus take you nearly to your seats and then pick you up, all the while you not worrying about the traffic, you're missing something. :)
Click to expand...

That's the way we do it when we go to the Vegas race, only way to go as far as i'm concerned. I didn't go to Vegas this year, just couldn't afford it, we won't give up our prime seats though. Sold them this year no problem, the demand for Vegas seats it pretty good. Gets costly though and it seems it goes up every year. Not sure if i will go next year either, my wife and i are looking at building or buying a house so it's not looking good for Cup races.
 
tkj24 said:
We signed up with Christian Tours out of Newton to go to Pocono a few years back. It ended up they didn't get enough for the trip and canceled.
Click to expand...

we used to use those buses in HS...thats a good company.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom