Will California ever really embrace NASCAR?
Quote selected text Published February 25th, 2008 in NASCAR News
NASCAR just released its estimated attendance figure for the Craftsman Truck Series race in California today.
According to the race report, there were 37,000 people here.
I don’t know where they got that number, but the actual amount of fans in attendance was by far closer to 3,700 than 37,000.
It’s tough to estimate these things, but I’m fairly confident there were about 8,000-10,000 people in the stands during the truck race. Even if there were 10,000 additional fans in the infield, that would only account for about half of NASCAR’s estimate.
The bottom line is that not many fans took advantage of the track’s doubleheader offer.
Quite honestly, this really wasn’t the fault of anyone at Auto Club Speedway. For some reason, the race fans in Southern California just don’t show up when NASCAR is in town.
As a California native, that makes me sad. But when the speedway offers two NASCAR races for the price of one - with a Sprint Cup Series practice thrown in for good measure - and the fans STILL don’t show up, you have to ask: Will they ever?
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How about 1 or none for Fontana, pick up Kentucky and give 1 back to Darlington or the Rock.
Does anyone know anything about Calif - Atlanta fall swap?
Um.Gee.It could have had something to do with the RAIN!!!!!!!LOL!!Duh…….
By attendance does NASCAR mean just the average fans, or do they mean all the teams and media people and sponsor people and NASCAR people, and famous people who are also in attendance?
Really… I do think the rain had a lot to do with lack of attendance. I’ll watch a good race anyday. But I truly do think the trucks don’t have the pull/draw out here like they do further east. But, still the lack of attendance of that magnitiude had to be rain.
But after the BS that Nascar did for the cup race with yesterday’s fiasco, I’ll gurantee their going to lose a lot more now. I know I was going to go to the August race, and I live near Infineon. But, after the non stop bs they keep doing, why waste my money? Tv is just fine.
For those of you who just want to pull California races out… Think of those of us on the West Coast. The other half of the country is not the only place for NASCAR fans! There was a ton of rain in California this weekend, and most Californians are not partial to that. That’s why the best time to travel to Disneyland is when there’s a chance of rain and it’s not quite as warm. The fair weather people are indoors. I’ll still be there Labor Day weekend ragardless of the “BS” that NASCAR showed yesterday. In my opinion, the fact that NASCAR tried their hardest to put on a race just shows that they do care about their fans!
Nascar does NOT care about its fans. They care about their pocket books!! Money is the root of all evil and all that makes the world go round. Its disgusting, but a fact of life.
If Nascar cared about anything is should have been their drivers safety!
If Jr wouldn’t have been involved in an accident your tone might be different… I feel for Casey, for Jr, Hamlin, Hornish, Reed, anyone involved, but there were plenty of other drivers on the track! They managed.
My tone would be exactly the same. I may be a Jr fan. But I support other drivers as well.
The drivers that you say “managed” are only that because they were not NEXT/NEAR Mears when he lost control after his right sides got in the wet spot and he COLLECTED the other drivers. Hamlin had the same thing, fortunatly he did not collect others. But then again, HAD he done so, there MIGHT have been more people voicing their opinions sooner, before the other wreck could occur.
I guess YOU just didn’t notice all the sliding that ALL the cars were doing at the drop of the green, nor did you notice how some of those fast lead cars suddenly were dropping back. Why? Because THEY FELT something was wrong. In case YOU forgot… Only the cars in front can actually SEE what’s there. If another car is paced in front of you, how do you see the spot on the ground? Only when he moves or your spotter tells you. There were plenty of drivers that knew something was off about that track. But they ONLY listened to Gordon and Johnson.
And also noting, the seepage was getting worse AFTER the cars got up to speed, NOT when they were under the caution laps befpore the race started. The water pushed out more then. Which was VERY apparent on tv, so maybe those announcers could have made more of an impact with nascar, or the crew chiefs complaining. Guess we won’t know unless teams talk. And when they do, it’ll be more then my “PRECIOUS” Jr. So you can keep those type of comments out. Just because I am open about being his fan does not mean I don’t see others as having the same value.
Me=California resident and NASCAR fan, who lives approx. 1.25 hours away from Fontana, AKA California Speedway, AKA Auto Club Speedway.
Me=didn’t go this time BECAUSE OF RAIN.
PERIOD.
First off…don’t put words in my mouth. I never called him your “precious”…
And Second…nothing was meant as an insult and you shouldn’t take it that way.
I guess if I signed in you’d know I was a Jimmie Johnson fan and as much as I’ve never liked Gordon, because they are teammates, he’s grown on me. I think Mears is a great driver and I think Jr is a great driver! They’re all teammates and I support them all. Really I’m just a NASCAR fan in general. Well, I guess I do have to admit there are a few that I really don’t like, but none of those involved in yesterday’s wrecks are included. I just don’t talk too much smack so it’s not obvious.
I don’t like that Casey hit water and started an accident that involved three other drivers. I hate to see someone like Hornish come up under him with no way of knowing he’s there, with a hood up, and no steering, or a way to avoid him, and take himself out in the meantime. Or to see a guy like Reed Sorenson, who’s just there to drive, get hit because he sees what’s happening ahead and slows. Not to mention Jr, who was just as innocent, be taken out. I don’t really like it when anyone wrecks even if I don’t particularly like them! But it happens. Everyone of those drivers go to the track every weekend and know that it’s a possibility. Sometimes mother nature is the cause, sometimes it’s debris, sometimes it’s a donkey on the track, or sometimes it’s just your own bad driving, but it happens!
California fans LOVE RACING just as much as the rest of the country. Its just that, that track is the boringest track on the circuit. Had season tickets for first 4 years and said thats enough. Better to watch it from the couch. Well I should say tape it. Don’t watch a race anymore(day of). Have to tape it to get through all the crap. Someone tell the TV that the RACE itself is a comercial, just look at all the cars.
look im erica dont know how that happened
Travel to Vegas to catch a race. Bottomline California’s track sucks rain or shine.
Then don’t watch it!
I intend to…thanks… Brother lives in LA it’s an easy trip to Fontana…
Sorry Erica… That “precious” Jr part was more snide and towards two other people here who seem to put that alot onto referring to my comments. It was not intended AT you.
~~~~~~~back on topic~~~~~~~
Either way…. People didn’t go to this race due to all the rain we got. There is no reason to take away races from Ca just because of this one situation. Even being the trucks, that are not the best draws. There still is a draw for racing period, so keep it arund. Who knows, when and if Nascar gets more consistant, maybe they’ll start getting people back into it as well.
Kenneth= the Editor
As you can see above YOU do have a problem with peoples names posting as the last poster.
I have noticed that ( leave a message ) Welcome back ______ name is on my post and if I don’t look every time it will post some one elses name. Can this be corrected ?? Maybe that will fix some of the problems…
Bob that can be corrected. Take 30 seconds and sign up and then the only name that comes up when you post will be the name you signed up with.
Fisha695 wrote:
Tuna Fish= Im sue people have told you that you are just a average plain old pain in the ASS !!!
Oh and Kenneth I said that with the utmost respect I could muster
Bob wrote:
You wanted a solution to the problem so I gave you one. I don’t know why people don’t register anyway, especially if you post here more then once…
I don’t expect you to change whether NASCAR has a race in California, but really, if you hate it so much, there’s no point in you watching it. Pay attention to the Live Leader Board or just watch the highlights.
Bob…I don’t always agree with Fisha, but that was kind of rude…
dang bob0o and jr88fan dont like me and fisha. The truck race was held when it was bright and sunny and there was like a thousand people in the stands. Cali is horrible, and what really sucks is htey took a race away from a track that actually had some history and gave it to that dump of a track cali.
Fisha i do have a question i am registered but under a different s/n, how can i change it to this one?
truex1fan wrote:
I don’t Know.
As far as the Race yesterday, The Cup race was actually better then normal as there was actually a lot of side by side racing. The Nationwide race was kind of the same boring race, though…
Nascar has been racing in california for 30 years,why shouldnt they have a race? what empty seats thats not an excuse plenty of tracks in south and east have alot of empty seats weekly.
And as far as the truck race goes who cares,they never draw many fans unless their racing somewhere like kentucky where their isnt a cup race.