Is NASCAR alienating its core audience?
Quote selected text Published November 16th, 2006 in NASCAR News
After a decade of wild growth, during which NASCAR zoomed to the No. 2 spot on the U.S. sports landscape and ballooned into a $3 billion behemoth, the stock-car market hit a speed bump this year. TV ratings for the races have dipped 7 percent since last season and attendance has skidded at scattered tracks — including empty seats in Charlotte, Atlanta and the smallest crowd ever to watch a NASCAR race in Indianapolis.
With the Nextel Cup finale looming Sunday, the business-end backfire has become a hot topic on the hotrod circuit. Pit road pundits question whether NASCAR is paying a price for alienating its old base — deep-fried, deer-hunting Dixieland — by courting fresh markets. With the league looking north and west to lure new fans, it now holds more races in California and New Hampshire than North and South Carolina. Next season, NASCAR also welcomes a Colombian driver from the Formula-1 world as well as Toyota cars. Heck, Betty Crocker is a modern sponsor.
What in the name of Ricky Bobby is going on in these parts?
“We’re going to be slightly back (on attendance this year),” said Roger VanDerSnick, chief marketing officer for International Speedway Corp., which owns 21 tracks across the country. “But immediately jumping to a conclusion that things are dramatically different based on one year vs. a history of growth over 50 years is probably premature.”
After NASCAR almost doubled its TV ratings from 1995 to 2005, viewership dipped nearly every race this season. That included two critical, late-season races in two demographic strongholds: the UAW-Ford 500 at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway Oct. 8, where ratings fell 9.4 percent, and the Bank of America 500 at North Carolina’s Lowe’s Speedway Oct. 14, where ratings were off 14.6 percent.
More at MSNBC
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- Formula 1 to stay on ‘Free’ television
- Busch Series TV Ratings are up
NASCAR is not racing, its low brow entertainment, and pandering hyper blow wrapped in corn bread, then jammed down your face.
It seems NASCAR is running out of suckers, or fans that want to live in the 1950’s.
NASCAR is no doubt racing. No traction control, no electronic fuel injection, no limitless down force. Its side by side racing like no other series in the world. Oval tracks with these type of cars are no less technical than any road course with an F1 car. And if you compare other oval series to NASCAR they are a freaking joke regardless of their lack of fenders. Pit crews actually race eachother in NASCAR unlike any other top series. NASCAR is racing. The open wheel series are just driving and playing follow the leader. Those series have roughly 20 cars on the track. Big wow. How is that racing? Car vs Car with drivers inside is racing.
NASCAR is paying the price for alienating its real fans and giving so many dates to these BS tracks in Cali, Phoenix, Pennsylvania and such. Who cares what David R. Smith thinks? If Earnhardt was still here it would be obvious what racing is.
Well, I have been upset with nascar since Winston was taken out. Nextel is pathetic and the rules changing week in and week out is crazyness. Even the drivers have trouble remembering all the new rule changes. Yes fans are droppin at a rapid speed, due to the fact that racin is not racin anymore. whether you was a #3 fan or not,, we can all agree that it was fun watchin racin til his death.
i am sure that nascar would not have implemented certain rules if #3 was still alive today, cause they know that he would not go along with all this bull that has been happening. who ever heard of the lucky dog? lol’s
get ya laps back like ya used to,,earn it and race the leader to the strip.
I agree with saftey and all, but to much non sense has come about and it’s turning viewers away. also,, leave the point system the way it used to be. the chase? lol’s… that’s crazy. let every man do his thing til the last race.
if nascar will bring nascar back,, the fans will return.
my word for nextel is nexthell.
Well I said this oh about 2 and half years ago. Nascar is tring too hard to shake its image as a redneck sport . My question is why? Nascar is what nascar is . By that I mean it all started with shine runners in the southeast U.S. wondering who had the fastest car . I think it has gone to far the c.o.t. is nothing but a IROC car. I have no issue with any make of car running in nascar but maybe if they would lighten up on the rules a little and go back to some of the old tracks ” rock,wilks,and hell that track in wis. The sport should respect its true fanbase .
Anyone who thinks nascar isnt real racing needs to explain real racing. F1 = whoever leads in turn one on the first lap usually wins the race and there may only be 2 or 3 cars in the top 10 pass each other the entire race. Thats follow the leader , not racing. American Champ or IRL racing is better , but the cars are so delicate any electical issue or stalling the car on the track means your day is done. Then eventhough the France family have gone crazy trying to fix a sport that wasnt broken , who can complain when 20 teams are good enough to win each week , some races have 20 or 30 lead changes , the pit crews are as important as the drivers , and rivalries are everywhere ( drivers , owners , sponsers and car brands ) Juan Pablo Montoya said it best “I’m coming to nascar because this is the most exciting racing currently in the world with the greatest fan base “. This coming from a guy that has raced follow the leader and in front of empty grandstands in indycars.