since the board was down, bristol attendance?!?!?

hidesert cowboy

hidesert cowboy

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did anyone else see how terrible the crowd was at bristol a couple weeks ago? I would be surprised if 45k showed up! They have got to be freaking out about this at the track. It was like I was watching a rain delayed race. let me put it this way. In all the years I have been watching nascar I have NEVER seen a race so poorly attended. maybe that is why seats are being taken out. because when they aren't the attendance looks horrible. This is 1/4 the crowd they used to see there. I bet martinsville despite being the lowest number of seats at a track gets better attendance than bristol these days.
 
Yep, I imagine they are freaking out so bad they look chickens running around with their heads cut off.
 
I went to this race, could not believe how empty it was. I would not be surprised if they make a change after the night race.
 
hidesert cowboy said:
did anyone else see how terrible the crowd was at bristol a couple weeks ago? I would be surprised if 45k showed up! They have got to be freaking out about this at the track. It was like I was watching a rain delayed race. let me put it this way. In all the years I have been watching nascar I have NEVER seen a race so poorly attended. maybe that is why seats are being taken out. because when they aren't the attendance looks horrible. This is 1/4 the crowd they used to see there. I bet martinsville despite being the lowest number of seats at a track gets better attendance than bristol these days.
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Low race attendance is a total non starter as Nascar, the tracks and fans don't seem concerned about it which I find very surprising. Like you said Bristol was maybe 30% full and all the races this year, except for Daytona, have had lousy crowds. Maybe the tracks need to work harder at promoting the events and maybe pricing needs to be adjusted. It beats me.
 
It was better than the last two spring races though, granted the weather was bad for both of those but still.
 
I have heard that all the business in the area of the track rape people with their prices for race weekends, I wonder if that could be one of the reason's why track attendance is down, as in, could that be just one of the many reason's.
 
NasNYG567 said:
It was better than the last two spring races though, granted the weather was bad for both of those but still.
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were you there? I didn't see it that way. I have never seen a race with less people in the stands unless it was a rain delay. Keep in mind a few years ago you had to be on a waiting list to get tickets to the race there. It was the most coveted race in nascar. It must be the fact they messed up the track. It had been the race that if given a choice of any I could go to the one I would pick. now days I think I pick martinsville or darlington.
 
hidesert cowboy said:
were you there? I didn't see it that way. I have never seen a race with less people in the stands unless it was a rain delay. Keep in mind a few years ago you had to be on a waiting list to get tickets to the race there. It was the most coveted race in nascar. It must be the fact they messed up the track. It had been the race that if given a choice of any I could go to the one I would pick. now days I think I pick martinsville or darlington.
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Wasn't there but from what I saw on tv, it looked better than the last 2 years. Of course I could be wrong and may have just misremembered the past 2 years.
 
I've seen 50% estimates in the media. Sad what BF has wrought. This is squarely on his shoulders and everything he's done since 04.
 
I don't care what is said on the media the attendance at that race was pathetic. Its getting so bad I almost wonder if bristol could lose a race.
 
29-4 said:
I've seen 50% estimates in the media. Sad what BF has wrought. This is squarely on his shoulders and everything he's done since 04.
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The highest estimate I read was 70K which would still be less than half full but it looked like a third full to me based on overhead shots.
 
jws926 said:
I have heard that all the business in the area of the track rape people with their prices for race weekends,
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Been going on for many years. Look at the price of lodging in Daytona today, or any day other than those during speed weeks, then check the price during speed weeks.
Not all but some restaurants have different menu's with higher prices during the race week too.

I don't believe we can hold the economy as 1005 responsible anymore but it does have some effect. I think the non-stop rule changes, lousy racing for the most part and nascar ssuing fines for stupid stuff.
You don't see young people coming on board as fans today like many did years ago.
 
I think the locals rebelled when they changed the track to progressive banking so they changed again to win them back but the locals didn't come back, the locals probably think they ruined the track. (I thought the progressive banking made a better race, I think they ruined it with the second change).
 
Bobw said:
Been going on for many years. Look at the price of lodging in Daytona today, or any day other than those during speed weeks, then check the price during speed weeks.
Not all but some restaurants have different menu's with higher prices during the race week too.
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Unfortunately that happens everywhere at any type of event. People need to eat, sleep, drink and those businesses really make the most of that.
 
jws926 said:
I have heard that all the business in the area of the track rape people with their prices for race weekends, I wonder if that could be one of the reason's why track attendance is down, as in, could that be just one of the many reason's.
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I heard the hotel where the Fox crew was staying charged $330 per night and had a 3-night minimum. That's one reason people don't go.

Another reason is ticket prices. They don't offer any kind of discounted ticket when it's obvious they aren't selling many. Their excuse is they don't want to undercut the people that already bought tickets. Fair enough. Then lower the prices across the board from the start.

A lot of people just don't like the style of racing the track produces now. They'd rather have it the old way where everybody rode around on the bottom and you had to knock somebody out of the way to pass.
 
When I went to Bristol, I had to stay over an hour away and the prices were still twice what the normal going rate for a similar room would be. Bristol's hotels are the worst offenders of any track I've been to (Darlington, Atlanta, Charlotte, Daytona, Talladega included in that). But I still think this is more of a NASCAR problem than a Bristol problem. The hotel prices were jacked up during the "Good Times" too. NASCAR's loss of popularity simply shows up more in a 160,000 seat venue than a 60,000 seat venue.
 
Fortunately I have never been bent over by high priced accommodations or food prices as all the races I have attended I either stayed with friends, in a motor home or about an hour or so from the track. I totally accept and understand companies taking advantage of what the market will bear but I ain't playin'
 
If hotels are gouging then I would expect the track owners would be smart enough to tap some of that by building their own hotels. One thing ISC and SMI still have in abundance is land. Kansas Speedway already did it and I think they have been one of the better attended tracks recently.
 
Acs said:
If hotels are gouging then I would expect the track owners would be smart enough to tap some of that by building their own hotels. One thing ISC and SMI still have in abundance is land. Kansas Speedway already did it and I think they have been one of the better attended tracks recently.
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A hotel that is going to be full two weekends a year is probably not a money-maker. Unless it's a track close to other stuff (which Bristol really isn't).
 
29-4 said:
But I still think this is more of a NASCAR problem than a Bristol problem. The hotel prices were jacked up during the "Good Times" too. NASCAR's loss of popularity simply shows up more in a 160,000 seat venue than a 60,000 seat venue.
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Good points.
 
MRM said:
I heard the hotel where the Fox crew was staying charged $330 per night and had a 3-night minimum. That's one reason people don't go.

Another reason is ticket prices. They don't offer any kind of discounted ticket when it's obvious they aren't selling many. Their excuse is they don't want to undercut the people that already bought tickets. Fair enough. Then lower the prices across the board from the start.

A lot of people just don't like the style of racing the track produces now. They'd rather have it the old way where everybody rode around on the bottom and you had to knock somebody out of the way to pass.
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No way am I paying 330 dollars a night with a 3 night minimum....... That's totally ludicrous!!!!!!!
 
29-4 said:
I've seen 50% estimates in the media. Sad what BF has wrought. This is squarely on his shoulders and everything he's done since 04.
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This you can't blame on Brian. Changing the track is all on the owner Bruton Smith.
 
One of the guys sister's worked for a travel outfit and we'd get an efficiency at the Maverick in Ormond Beach right on Atlantic blvd and facing the water $210.00 for the week. When she left her job we lost that deal but there's a guy who runs a day charter boat out of Stewart in the winter months and returns here for the summer fishing season so we ''camp out'' at his place, brings great joy to his wife...:rolleyes:
But the fact remains that the price of everything gets jacked everywhere because they can when nascar comes to town.
 
Bobw said:
One of the guys sister's worked for a travel outfit and we'd get an efficiency at the Maverick in Ormond Beach right on Atlantic blvd and facing the water $210.00 for the week. When she left her job we lost that deal but there's a guy who runs a day charter boat out of Stewart in the winter months and returns here for the summer fishing season so we ''camp out'' at his place, brings great joy to his wife...:rolleyes:
But the fact remains that the price of everything gets jacked everywhere because they can when nascar comes to town.
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Some of my derelict buddies who used to be big Nascar fans recently returned from a 7 day cruise to Jamaica and Mexico and IDK where else they went but they had a great time and ate like pigs drank like fish and generally held court and made a bunch of new friends. They spent 1200 bucks each which included all they could drink, excursions, tips, transfers, flights to and from plus all the food you could eat and booze you could drink.

I realize that sort of thing is not everyone's cup of tea but for a lot of 55+ people that sort of thing or some other all inclusive or vacation/entertainment option is far better value than attending a Nascar race.
 
hidesert cowboy said:
did anyone else see how terrible the crowd was at bristol a couple weeks ago? I would be surprised if 45k showed up! They have got to be freaking out about this at the track. It was like I was watching a rain delayed race. let me put it this way. In all the years I have been watching nascar I have NEVER seen a race so poorly attended. maybe that is why seats are being taken out. because when they aren't the attendance looks horrible. This is 1/4 the crowd they used to see there. I bet martinsville despite being the lowest number of seats at a track gets better attendance than bristol these days.
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Since Nascar big wigs are so in bed with Chevrolet and they screwed with Dodge until they dropped out, you will see less crowd at ALL tracks..do you remember when I said that Nascar would eventually not be able to draw flies....well it's here and I'm proud.........:)
 
Shobud1 said:
Since Nascar big wigs are so in bed with Chevrolet and they screwed with Dodge until they dropped out, you will see less crowd at ALL tracks..do you remember when I said that Nascar would eventually not be able to draw flies....well it's here and I'm proud.........:)
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I wonder if The Circus will make it to Homestead?
 
Shobud1 said:
It's definitely a circus........the France clan is still worth Billions but they will not use their money to finance a sinking ship.....
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I wouldn't think so given the recent endorsement of one of the candidates (loose usage) from the opposing side. But you never know.

With Doomsday rapidly approaching, I plan to record the few remaining events for posterity.
 
Shobud1 said:
Since Nascar big wigs are so in bed with Chevrolet and they screwed with Dodge until they dropped out, you will see less crowd at ALL tracks..do you remember when I said that Nascar would eventually not be able to draw flies....well it's here and I'm proud.........:)
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I wouldn't trust any of those lying, cheating, thieving, porn loving wigs at GM or Nascar.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
I wouldn't trust any of those lying, cheating, thieving, porn loving wigs at GM or Nascar.
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Spot on Skoal....I look at the painted seats and think...why don't Brian spend a couple million and put dummys of different colors in half the seats.this would fool a lot of people.....Most Chevy and Toy fans have wool pulled over their eyes and couldn't see the difference......if Nascar would play fair with Dodge, they would come back and fill the seats once more....but france has his lips on the bottle and his nuts in his hands instead...........BTW, I still have some wool removers and will sell it cheap because I like all you race fans..........
 
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