Fans stay away from Martinsville in droves
Quote selected text Published March 31st, 2008 in NASCAR News
Just a look at all those empty seats in these grandstands, and it’s clear that yesterday’s Goody’s 500 should be a wake-up call for NASCAR executives and the France family, which owns Martinsville Speedway.
It may have been the first race of spring, but it was the coldest Sunday of the Sprint Cup season. There were many holes in the 62,000-seat grandstands at the Martinsville track, and those backstretch grandstands were even empty and covered with advertising banners to boot.
This being the heart of stock-car-racing country - they’ve been racing right here over the North Carolina border since 1947 - that poor crowd has to be a significant blow to NASCAR, and to this track, at least in its current flat, low-speed configuration.
With some five million people within two hours of this track, NASCAR executives certainly can’t blame this market for such a low turnout.
And, yes, the weather was unseasonably cold. But just a few days earlier it was 70 degrees and sunny, and tracks in the NASCAR heartland shouldn’t have to be so dependent on a good walk-up crowd to prosper.
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This would not be an issue if they would use common sense when making out the schedule. In march it’s cold in the mountains everybody knows that so why not adjust the race schedule to minamize weather problems? You would think after 50 years they could figure this out i mean it doesnt take a rocket scientist to make these calculations.
I know Mike Mulhern is getting older, and staring at a typewriter/computer all day may be making him go off his rocker, but you can take the rainy/dreary weather they had and put it in Daytona for the 500, Indy for the 500, Indy for the NHRA U.S. Nationals, or any other racing event and you will see the crowd be way lower then average.
Heck even Football which is a sport that is often times played in the rain has lower attendance when its raining/dreary or there is the prospect of rain in the area.
I agree with George,but would like to see the actual paid attendance numbers.I saw a interveiw with I beleive was VP of Martinsville who claimed 32 straight sellouts here.
George Thompson wrote:
I agree they should adjust the schedule to the climate.
Yes why do they race at Bristol and Martinsville in March? Makes no sense!Atlanta in March is usually rough as it is yet alone Bristol and Martinsville. Move Phoenix and Texas up and Bristol and Martinsville back. It has stayed cooler here in this part of the country in March for the last couple of years. I also think the poor economy has much to do with it. No one has the money it costs for gasoline just to travel to the track. At $3.28 average us common NASCAR fans can’t afford to drive to the tracks. Most NASCAR fans are middle income, hourly workers. Like we can attend races at the cost of gas and the tickets and motels etc etc.
A friend of mine was at the race as a guest of Clay Campbell (he is a member of the media and covers the UARA-STARS, and is good friends with Mr. Campbell) and he said that people started leaving way before Noon, and a ton of people started leaving after lap 100.
its a poor area, the weather was bad on saturday and sunday but no one was spending money and you could buy 75 dollar tickets for 25 dollars on sunday. the economy is hurting NASCAR and that has been the case in Bristol and Atlanta as well. but the schedule needs to change soon.because I froze my butt off.
I think it’s a combo of weather and economy. I drive 4 hrs 1 way to Atlanta in an RV…it ain’t cheap. I don’t have the 4k-7k it takes to park my class A trackside, but I do have excellent seats in the winners chairback section…they ain’t cheap either. Add on cost of reserve camping, water purchase for RV, dumping service for RV, food, drinks and souveniers and you get the $$ picture. Staying in a motel…if you can find one close to the track is just as expensive by the time they triple the normal rates. Now throw in the weather factor. I watched all Fri night events on satellite in the RV. I did watch the Nationwide race from the grandstands…after minor snow Sat morning. Yeah it was cold. Sunday race was pretty confortable where I was sitting…plenty of sun and wind was blocked.
So now comes renewal for tickets and camping for next year….is gas up to $4 and weather has 94% chance of being miserable for at least part of the trip. I think people start asking themselves how much enjoyment am I getting for the cost?
ENTIRE SCHEDULE should change to better factor in the weather. There are enough tracks and enough events to make the ODDS BETTER for a pleasurable time…weather wise.
You can’t beat Mother Nature. Weather is a big deal at a lot of ventures and I don’t think NASCAR puts enough research into it. The teams seem to be better informed than the sanctioning body.
NASCAR has priced themselves right out the door. We use to go to all the races in Virginia, also, North and South Carolina. Since the gas increase plus all the other prices increases and time of the races being pushed to late in the day also the tracks closing, thanks again NASCAR, we have put that money in the bank or others options. BILLS ………….
Racing, in the last three years has become gray, no color, no racing and you know who is going run in the top five to ten. In the Nationwide. Why go to the Track and see the Cup drivers again !!!!!!!! Take the top five. Boring…………… That is like taking candy from a baby, Cup drivers.
Back to Martinville, now the trucks were good. WE have gone to some excellent late model races in Martinville that were non stop racing from morning to late day, in heat races to the main race. Now those drivers RACE…………..and the prices are great………..
So, with the weather The ROCK, when open was so cold, you could freese ice cubes outside during the day. If the races were moved to another date, it would help. May would be great
NASCAR needs to mold their schedule to the weather much like NHRA did a couple years back. Take a look at the NHRA schedule…it makes total common sense for the locations, climates, and time of year the events take place!
You do all realize that if NASCAR would mold their race to the schedule then everybody would still be complaining.
Face it Weather is part of racing. Football fans make most of the NASCAR fans look like wimps, and that is Sad. If a Guy can stand at Lambo Field in the middle of December with his shirt off and Chest painted watching a 3-4 hour football game, A NASCAR fan can surely sit for 4 hours wearing a long sleeve shirt and a coat.
Someone above mentioned that the sanctioning body should be more aware of the weather. NO The Fans should be more aware of the weather and dress appropriately.
NASCAR isn’t THAT bad… They do stay away from the really bad places, but there’s room for improvement. If you’re going to start your season in March, stay away from Virginia, Michigan, and other cold places… Run Daytona, then head west and hit California, Phoenix, Infineon, Vegas, Texas, and maybe Talladega. That would put you 7 races into the season, which would get you well into April, and then you can start heading Northeast from there. I know it’s a logistics nightmare to go back and forth to the left coast over and over again, but it sure would be a nicer experience for everyone involved!
MLB had games snowed out last year… There’s enough warm weather and dome teams that something like that should NEVER happen, yet they insist on having seasons kick off in sunny Detroit, Cleveland, and New York! Don’t know why they can’t seem to get it right, either.
Fisha695 wrote:
Good point. In the end, it all boils down to the fans wearing the proper clothes for the conditions. However, I’ve been to some pretty cold races here in Atlanta, and it’s not much fun regardless of whether or not you’re dressed for the conditions! Luckily my good friend Jack Daniels kept me warm on those cold days and helped me to forget about how miserable it was outside!
we are not talking about the cold here, we are talking about cold and rainy conditions where you dont get practice in and qualifying in, its not just the fans the schedule sucks the way it is, we are going into Texas and its going to to be raining tomorrow and thursday.its sucks for the teams and all of us who have to work the event. you cant compare a football game to a 3 day event like we have with everything going on at a NASCAR event.
Howie motorsports photography wrote:
Excellent point. I can and have done the 3-4 day weekend in bad weather. Again, with economic conditions taken into account, do you want to take a chance on a weekend of bad weather for the $$ you’ll be spending. Weather is always going to be out of anyones control, but the odds can be placed more in favor of having good weather conditions by re-scheduling.
Heading to Dega in a few weeks and hopefully weather will be good….racing is going to be great!
we should look at going to:
1 DAYTONA feb
2 CALIFORNIA feb
3 PHOENIX march
4 LAS VEGAS march
5 HOMESTEAD march
6 ATLANTA march
7 BRISTOL april
8 MARTINSVILLE april
9 TEXAS april
10 TALLADEGA april
and we would have pretty god weather and save on fuel costs
One problem there…I don’t think Brian really cares
Has anyone heard anything on possible date swap for fall Calif - Atlanta race dates? Would make Atlanta much better. I have not received my renewal package for Atlanta. Talked w/ticket office and everything should have been mailed by end of Mar. Wondering if swap is still in the works??
The folks at Chicagoland are finally running night races. Those hot days in July with little or no breeze are murder. You can fry an egg on those bleachers! There’s nowhere to hide. It’s nice to see not just the south finds Friday and Saturday night racing in July appealing.
Saturday Night Cup races are killing short track racing. Which for us involved stinks, but for NASCAR stinks worse, because if this new IRL plays out like they (IRL) want it too (and I’m hoping it will) NASCAR will once again need these short tracks to get drivers from.
Pipedream Fisha695 ,IRL will never be as big as NASCAR,especially after the exciting racing they put on like last sat. nite(yawn),don’t get me wrong,I love openwheel racing but it will never happen.
You can say that fisha but im sure you’ve never been to chicago in july,and night cup races arent hurting local tracks because even if they race on sunday people are already at the track saturday or traveling to it so they wouldnt be home regardless.
Donnie wrote:
Thats true donnie boring an the merger isnt gonna do much at all for the irl.
Aww is poor little Nascar getting a reality check on their stupidity? Maybe they will figure out now that people are tired of their BS and aren’t going to continue to support the sport financially at the track(s). Sure the rain and cold mght have a SMALL part of this…. But I think this is showing the true feelings of the people. Like many have said… we are fed up and are not going to keep putting out our money for these bad calls, bad deals, and mistreatment from Nascar.
The IRL race was boring for a few reasons.
1. The Champ Car Teams only have one Tub, and very few spare parts. By Indy all teams should have at least two Tubs.
2. This car makes for boring races, but within 2 years they will have a new car.
3. It was at Homestead… I mean come one name one race at that track that is not boring…. l0l