poor attendance yesterday due to the chase?

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jasn88cubs

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Since Loudon has a chase race do you think allot of fans are just opting to go to the chase race now since that's the one that really matters?
 
Could be a possibility. Could be the economy. Could be a whole bunch of things. Having it this close to the chase certainly doesn't help.
 
It could also be that fans are growing tired of a track that generally puts on the worst shows other than Indianapolis. I like having Loudon on the schedule because it is unique, but once a year would be enough.
 
29-4 said:
It could also be that fans are growing tired of a track that generally puts on the worst shows other than Indianapolis. I like having Loudon on the schedule because it is unique, but once a year would be enough.
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Should be one race a year along with Texas Michigan dover kansas Phoenix pocono
 
jasn88cubs said:
Should be one race a year along with Texas Michigan dover kansas Phoenix pocono
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Dover had the best race of the year so far. You don't want to go back again now that the cars are fixed?
I'm biased to keep Phoenix because it is the track closest to me although I might be more tempted to go the Cali race or Vegas.
I kind of like Pocono, they just need to spread the two races out. It seems like they race there twice in a month. I'm sure the weather is a huge factor in this.
 
Probably because loudon sucks. Race there once a year and be done with it. Too many race tracks sitting abandoned in today's time to have a garbage race like yesterday x2 a year.


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Biggreen695 said:
Probably because loudon sucks. Race there once a year and be done with it. Too many race tracks sitting abandoned in today's time to have a garbage race like yesterday x2 a year.


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Loudon is not a bad track imo. It's a unique place that requires a great combo of driver and car. However, there has been a stigma surrounding it that dates back to the Bahre/Smith/North Wilkesboro fiasco which granted the track a second date. I seriously considered going yesterday but opted for Kentucky last week. The reason I choose Kentucky? Cheap lodging within a close proximity (Cinci), night race which means built in "rain date", the ability to play golf before the race and reasonable ticket prices. Had NHIS been at night I likely would have opted for it.

With that said, Smith and Co. cannot be happy with what they saw yesterday. Was the loss of Earnhardt that big of a deal? I definitely think it had an effect since people can easily get tickets days/hours and even minutes before a race. .
 
According to Jayski NH has 88,000 permanent seats and based on low attendance it sure seems that about 40,000 of those seats could be done away with. It would all be done in the name of "enhancing the fan experience" of course.
 
I remember during last years July NH race I saw people on Twitter saying the seats were burning hot and there were a lot of people under the grandstands because of it, maybe it was the same yesterday.
 
When you have a race or any event way out in a rural area far from a major city you're not gonna have the infrastructure and cheap accommodations to support them. In that case you're relying heavily on hardcore travelling fans spending money to bring their own accommodations with them. Unfortunately this is the same group that NASCAR pissed off the most with their changes
 
NasNYG567 said:
I remember during last years July NH race I saw people on Twitter saying the seats were burning hot and there were a lot of people under the grandstands because of it, maybe it was the same yesterday.
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Most races I've been to, people stand up the whole time.
 
Acs said:
When you have a race or any event way out in a rural area far from a major city you're not gonna have the infrastructure and cheap accommodations to support them. In that case you're relying heavily on hardcore travelling fans spending money to bring their own accommodations with them. Unfortunately this is the same group that NASCAR pissed off the most with their changes
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Sounds like the problem with Bristol.
 
The Toronto GP got more people than the New Hampshire race. Can't say I'm surprised.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
According to Jayski NH has 88,000 permanent seats and based on low attendance it sure seems that about 40,000 of those seats could be done away with. It would all be done in the name of "enhancing the fan experience" of course.
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If I was a fan in the stands yesterday I would have said that attendance was perfect. I hate being crammed in like a sardine.....I thought it looked great!
 
Clutch said:
If I was a fan in the stands yesterday I would have said that attendance was perfect. I hate being crammed in like a sardine.....I thought it looked great!
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That makes two of us. That was one of the best thing about our seats at Bristol after the reconfiguration..... Legroom became a non issue. I had a seat for my cooler. Restroom lines were shorter. Concession lines ran faster. etc.....
 
I was there.

I did appreciate the elbow room.

It was hot but not unbearable.

It's a 3.5 hour drive for me, and lots of people travel from out of state to Loudon from the surrounding states and even Quebec. The area around the track has nothing, it's like a rural and small town sort of feel. My friend wants to camp there all weekend for the chase race but I don't have any interest, mostly because outside of the racetrack itself there isn't good nightlife or anything to do.
 
KodiakRusty89 said:
Loudon is not a bad track imo. It's a unique place that requires a great combo of driver and car. However, there has been a stigma surrounding it that dates back to the Bahre/Smith/North Wilkesboro fiasco which granted the track a second date. I seriously considered going yesterday but opted for Kentucky last week. The reason I choose Kentucky? Cheap lodging within a close proximity (Cinci), night race which means built in "rain date", the ability to play golf before the race and reasonable ticket prices. Had NHIS been at night I likely would have opted for it.

With that said, Smith and Co. cannot be happy with what they saw yesterday. Was the loss of Earnhardt that big of a deal? I definitely think it had an effect since people can easily get tickets days/hours and even minutes before a race. .
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I agree it's unique and it's a finesse race track. However I can't think of a single race at NH that was relatively exciting. Only thing exciting yesterday was how they kept wadding them up late in the race. One they got a clean restart it was just a game of follow the leader again. I don't think for a second it should be taken off the schedule but one race a year is enough.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
That makes two of us. That was one of the best thing about our seats at Bristol after the reconfiguration..... Legroom became a non issue. I had a seat for my cooler. Restroom lines were shorter. Concession lines ran faster. etc.....
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Yeah, it's a no brainer. Some want seating taken away to squish us back together. I don't get it.
 
Acs said:
And Martinsville, and Talladega, and Pocono, and Michigan, and.... see the problem here?
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Pocono and Michigan aren't far removed from a boatload of people.

Pocono is within 45 minutes of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Lehigh Valley metro areas. Combined, that's about 1.5 million people. The NYC and Philly suburbs are about 90 minutes. There was a figure that Pocono has the highest population density within 100 miles of any track on the circuit. When the NYC track idea died Pocono's fate was forever safe.

Michigan is stones throw away from a ton of people. The end of the Detroit Metro area is not far from the track. When I went in 2003 and 2004 we stayed in Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area. Logistically that was perfect. When I head out next month I'll likely stay somewhere in North Toledo.

Martinsville is pretty isolated. That's the only track I camped at due to lack of great hotel options. Roanoke would have been our only real option and prices were sky high. I think tent camping was $10? lol

When I looked into going to Talladega last May Chattanooga would have been my best bet. 130 miles is doable. Our race day commute to Dover was/is about 4 hours one way.
 
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Everybody wants a track that's not a cookie cutter but when they get one, they hate it. There are only a couple really odd tracks that are tough as heck to master and Louden is one. The reason there are a lot of accidents at the end, is that the drivers drive as fast as they dare for most of the race, then faster at the end.
 
ted@economy said:
Everybody wants a track that's not a cookie cutter but when they get one, they hate it. There are only a couple really odd tracks that are tough as heck to master and Louden is one. The reason there are a lot of accidents at the end, is that the drivers drive as fast as they dare for most of the race, then faster at the end.
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Well said Ted. When you figure this out let me know. :)
 
ted@economy said:
Everybody wants a track that's not a cookie cutter but when they get one, they hate it. There are only a couple really odd tracks that are tough as heck to master and Louden is one. The reason there are a lot of accidents at the end, is that the drivers drive as fast as they dare for most of the race, then faster at the end.
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I'm a little perplexed by all the Loudon hate myself.
 
Some facts...

Plenty of hotels around NHMS. Concord and Manchester are major cites with plenty of cheap chain hotels. Lot's of tourism in the area...lots of varying accommodations from cottages, camping, cabins, fancy B&B's, and cheap "motor lodges" that smell like piss from the time you enter the parking lot...etc.

Attendance sucked because prices at the track soared. Tickets for Sunday's race were up $10-$20 in every pricing "slot". "Cheap seats" last year were $25...this year they were $35...adds up if you're bringing a group of people. Even Saturday's mod race and Xfinity race were more expensive. Idk about camping prices.

Last year it was hotter than this year and...while it was rough...my ass was thoroughly in my seat...never heard one complaint about burning aluminum.

The track has been getting bad PR...their old GM (who was great, btw) got into serious trouble for some personal affairs and got ousted by Speedway. That and the track has been pestering local towns (the track sits on two towns) about putting up lights and a casino for more than a decade.

You talk around the track and ticket holders are done. Why not? The short track scene around here has been reviving its self the past few years. Cup racing isn't as big as it was for "New England's loyal race fans" as it once was.

It is a cool track. Wouldn't trade it for any 1.5 miler. Racing will only get better as the pavement ages and Goodyear gets softer tires. At no other track would a good, wearable, non-bulletproof tire make a bigger difference, imo.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
That makes two of us. That was one of the best thing about our seats at Bristol after the reconfiguration..... Legroom became a non issue. I had a seat for my cooler. Restroom lines were shorter. Concession lines ran faster. etc.....
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Makes 3 of us. Everything you said and parking is easier and getting out after the race is much faster!
 
Clutch said:
If I was a fan in the stands yesterday I would have said that attendance was perfect. I hate being crammed in like a sardine.....I thought it looked great!
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It would have been nice from a fan's perspective as getting in and out of the place would have been a breeze plus you could have a seat for your cooler and be able to check out different places to view the race from. I have a sneaking suspicion the track promoter may see things a little differently.
 
Clutch said:
Yeah, it's a no brainer. Some want seating taken away to squish us back together. I don't get it.
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Just to make sure I was being facetious with my "enhancing the fan experience/seat removal" comment. Since I stopped attending races whether a track has 10,000 seats or 100,000 seats is all the same to me.
 
ted@economy said:
Everybody wants a track that's not a cookie cutter but when they get one, they hate it. There are only a couple really odd tracks that are tough as heck to master and Louden is one. The reason there are a lot of accidents at the end, is that the drivers drive as fast as they dare for most of the race, then faster at the end.
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I respectfully disagree as people want to see good racing whether it is on a cookie cutter or on another type of track. If you give people good racing they don't care if it is on sand, mud or asphalt.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
I respectfully disagree as people want to see good racing whether it is on a cookie cutter or on another type of track. If you give people good racing they don't care if it is on sand, mud or asphalt.
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At a super speedway , it's very difficult to force any amount of seperation amongst the cars. This produces lots of side by side racing and lots of passing but it doesn't seem to be what a lot of fans want. Similarly , a lot of the D shaped mile and a half 's produce the same crap from fans. I think , if the fans are going to gripe anyway , I'm good with seeing what the drivers can do with a high degree of difficulty track like NHMS. Sure , the kids won't like it , but race fans get it .
 
ted@economy said:
At a super speedway , it's very difficult to force any amount of seperation amongst the cars. This produces lots of side by side racing and lots of passing but it doesn't seem to be what a lot of fans want. Similarly , a lot of the D shaped mile and a half 's produce the same crap from fans. I think , if the fans are going to gripe anyway , I'm good with seeing what the drivers can do with a high degree of difficulty track like NHMS. Sure , the kids won't like it , but race fans get it .
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It is funny as many here, including myself, don't have a lot of use for plate racing yet they are very popular when it comes to TV ratings and race attendance. JMO but I think many longtime race fans see plate racing as artificial as a car can go from back to front and back again very quickly. Also the passing and side by side stuff, while still racing, doesn't matter a whole lot as the good cars are waiting for the last 10 laps to show their stuff.

I have never had a problem with NH as I like flatter tracks but for whatever reasons it has become a whipping boy like Pocono. In reality tracks like NH, Pocono and MIS should probably have one race apiece.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
It is funny as many here, including myself, don't have a lot of use for plate racing yet they are very popular when it comes to TV ratings and race attendance. JMO but I think many longtime race fans see plate racing as artificial as a car can go from back to front and back again very quickly. Also the passing and side by side stuff, while still racing, doesn't matter a whole lot as the good cars are waiting for the last 10 laps to show their stuff.

I have never had a problem with NH as I like flatter tracks but for whatever reasons it has become a whipping boy like Pocono. In reality tracks like NH, Pocono and MIS should probably have one race apiece.
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In reality , I would bet that if you asked the drivers to list the skill tracks , those would be very high on the list. It is sad that today's fans want something other than racing . They want side by side racing in the top ten . Frequent lead changes and a photo finish. The other thirty cars in the field are useless background noise.
 
ted@economy said:
In reality , I would bet that if you asked the drivers to list the skill tracks , those would be very high on the list. It is sad that today's fans want something other than racing . They want side by side racing in the top ten . Frequent lead changes and a photo finish. The other thirty cars in the field are useless background noise.
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We need more teams like the 78 who have the field covered and then somehow manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on a regular basis as that keeps things interesting!
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
We need more teams like the 78 who have the field covered and then somehow manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on a regular basis as that keeps things interesting!
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One of the things that the big teams seem to do is build unbreakable parts. ( shifters excepted) I am amazed each week watching the bottom cars break parts. I think the 78 breaks their share of stuff.
 
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