TMS Not Selling Back Stretch Tickets

SlicedBread22

SlicedBread22

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Another giant TV....

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Texas Motor Speedway won't sell tickets on the backstretch for its two NASCAR Sprint Cup races next year.
TMS officials say part of the reason for that decision is the scheduled debut in April of a new high-definition video board being built in the middle of the backstretch at the 1½-mile track. The board, which will be 218 feet wide and 95 feet high, will be 125 feet above ground level. TMS says it will be the world's largest HD board.

The nearly 10,000 backstretch seats were unused for other races. There were some $20 seats there for Cup races.

TMS will offer select $30 tickets, $10 cheaper than any frontstretch seat since the speedway opened in 1997.

The move reduces the overall grandstand seating capacity to 112,552.

http://racing.ap.org/dailyherald/article/tms-not-selling-backstretch-tickets-sprint-cup
 
The other reason is to save on the cost of cleaning the backstretch after the races, and to pack everyone in the frontstretch grandstands so the attendance looks better for the TV show.
 
gordonite said:
The other reason is to save on the cost of cleaning the backstretch after the races, and to pack everyone in the frontstretch grandstands so the attendance looks better for the TV show.
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Lord knows TMS needs that after the showing earlier this month.
 
a shame. I have watch a couple races from the backstretch and I always felt it was a good showing from back there. A lot of action happens off of turn 2. Don't get the great start/finish line view, but great racing action all day long back there.
 
Not sure I get the point of the bigass video board other than trying to tell the Texans and Cowboys to shove it. It's just going to be a huge distraction from trying to actually watch the track. DIS and HMS are fine with their smaller video boards.
 
gordonite said:
The other reason is to save on the cost of cleaning the backstretch after the races, and to pack everyone in the frontstretch grandstands so the attendance looks better for the TV show.
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They could simply display video of full stands from back in the day on that giant screen and fool us home viewers into going to a race at TMS.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
No wonder nobody is going to the races anymore. If you go to the race, you can watch it on TV. If you stay at home, you can watch it on TV.
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Those "racetracks" are enormous. I remember going to Homestead - you couldn't see the whole track from anywhere. Then you add in the enormous haulers and infield buildings.

Even the local tracks now, the teams have massive Sprint Cup size haulers that obstruct the view from the stands. Some tracks even encourage race teams to use enormous haulers because it looks good. UARA races are terrible for this... a bunch of rich kids who all think they're the next Kyle Larson. I've been to races where you couldn't see half the track - at a short track.

Langley Speedway actually makes teams move their haulers outside the track before the race so it doesn't obstruct the view for the fans.

As for the jumbotrons, they're the new "my dick's larger than yours" for sports stadiums. The Jacksonville Jaguars are putting in new jumbotrons that are larger than Houston's jumbotron so people can see all those fumbles, incomplete passes and interceptions on a much larger screen. Think they said they're going to put NFL Red Zone on part of the jumbotron. If racetracks were smart, they'd put football games on the jumbotrons at the Cup races during the Chase.

Being a track announcer, I've learned that it's important at the local tracks to announce the Virginia Tech football scores every Saturday and, if we race when the Cup Series races, to update the Cup race.
 
It's not that big of a deal ---- most of the backstretch bleachers were removed some years ago and made into premium RV parking. Each space got 10 tickets to the stand right in front of the space. Unless they are going to quit leasing the RV spaces, there can't be that many seats not sold.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Those "racetracks" are enormous. I remember going to Homestead - you couldn't see the whole track from anywhere. Then you add in the enormous haulers and infield buildings.
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Where did you usually sit? We were three rows from the top by pit entrance last week and could see everything.
 
Jeffrey00 said:
a shame. I have watch a couple races from the backstretch and I always felt it was a good showing from back there. A lot of action happens off of turn 2. Don't get the great start/finish line view, but great racing action all day long back there.
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I imagine the dive off into turn one would look nice as well from back there. Similar to watching from the turn 2/backstretch seats at Charlotte until they too, replaced them with banners and added a giant TV.

TexasRaceLady said:
It's not that big of a deal ---- most of the backstretch bleachers were removed some years ago and made into premium RV parking. Each space got 10 tickets to the stand right in front of the space. Unless they are going to quit leasing the RV spaces, there can't be that many seats not sold.
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That's worse than removing bleachers! One day I would love to rent an RV on the outside of the backstretch at Kansas or Vegas(I believe those tracks have backstretch RV spaces just outside of the track)
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
As for the jumbotrons, they're the new "my dick's larger than yours" for sports stadiums. The Jacksonville Jaguars are putting in new jumbotrons that are larger than Houston's jumbotron so people can see all those fumbles, incomplete passes and interceptions on a much larger screen. Think they said they're going to put NFL Red Zone on part of the jumbotron. If racetracks were smart, they'd put football games on the jumbotrons at the Cup races during the Chase.
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Getting a bit off topic, but if this is true then: WOW! That isn't a good wow either. That say alot of your team if you have to lure fans to your stadium with the guarantee that they can watch all the other teams play if the Jaguars are sucking.
 
Jeffrey00 said:
Getting a bit off topic, but if this is true then: WOW! That isn't a good wow either. That say alot of your team if you have to lure fans to your stadium with the guarantee that they can watch all the other teams play if the Jaguars are sucking.
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Not necessarily, the jumbotrons will be large enough to show the Jags game, stats and scores and another game. A lot of people go to games and care about other games. If Jacksonville's in the playoff hunt, the fans care about what's going on in Tennessee, Houston and Indianapolis. Visiting team fans might care about what's going on in Pittsburgh or another team.
 
Not quite sure why people have a problem with this. It's great to have big screens at the track. Replays and the like. They've been bringing them to the track for years now and it's a nice service for those attending. So Bruton's having one built at Texas much the same as he did at Charlotte. I think it's a good thing.
 
I'm fine with it as long as they keep selling these.

back-scratcher tickets.jpg
 
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