Empty Stands

[Happy Panther]

Every race it seems. Michigan is actually better than some of the others.

I guess NASCAR doesn't care but the race tracks must be hurting right?

[pantherfan49]

Times have definitely fallen hard on NA$CAR. Some of it not their fault, some of it definitely NA$CARs.

Construction worker types make up a good amount of attendance at races and those guys have been laid off left and right.

Cost of travel.

Sport being considered conservative politically.

Hi-Def TV makes me think twice before going.

Over-expansion has also hurt.

Loss of some of the older drivers with dedicated fan bases.

Overemphasis and slurping on some of the sports' more famous drivers.

That ugly Car of Tomorrow.

[pstall]

I think it's very underrated but due to nice tv's as mentioned has really nailed some sports. Why bother with traffic, food costs, parking, beer and the potential threat of a DUI when you can stay home for nothing?

[ed bell]

I think it's an elephant in the room that NASCAR and the race announcers/TV coverage takes great care to keep hidden...I used to go to races in Charlotte in the late 90's when it was almost completely full. I doubt they even use the backstretch seats anymore. Same thing with the Daytona Superstretch and a lot of other tracks. This is not going well for the Cup series and I wonder if the Series, as it exists today, can survive.

[Starscream]

I think it's an elephant in the room that NASCAR and the race announcers/TV coverage takes great care to keep hidden...I used to go to races in Charlotte in the late 90's when it was almost completely full. I doubt they even use the backstretch seats anymore. Same thing with the Daytona Superstretch and a lot of other tracks. This is not going well for the Cup series and I wonder if the Series, as it exists today, can survive.

It needs to change a bit but it will definitely survive. Look at the seating capacity of many of the tracks that don't sellout. How many people can fit into Daytona compared to BOA Stadium? A whole lot more. At the end of the day, NASCAR and the track (most of them anyway) have made an assload of money. Darlington sells out almost every year. Tracks that have too many empty seats, such as California, need to go. They also need to get rid of a lot of the cookie cutter 1.5-2 mile speedways.

[KatsAzz]

Every race it seems. Michigan is actually better than some of the others.

I guess NASCAR doesn't care but the race tracks must be hurting right?

I feel the economy has a lot to do with the lack of attendance at races

I also feel that fan interest has also falling off because racing is becoming boring...All cars are basically alike futher killing fans interest.

[Happy Panther]

It needs to change a bit but it will definitely survive. Look at the seating capacity of many of the tracks that don't sellout. How many people can fit into Daytona compared to BOA Stadium? A whole lot more. At the end of the day, NASCAR and the track (most of them anyway) have made an assload of money. Darlington sells out almost every year. Tracks that have too many empty seats, such as California, need to go. They also need to get rid of a lot of the cookie cutter 1.5-2 mile speedways.

Yeah adding a bunch of generic ovals while removing rockingham, wilkesboro, darlington etc is best for the sport from a money and TV standpoint.

But I would have rather watched a rockingham race than a michigan race today

[pstall]

This will relate. A great book called " How soccer explains the world". It makes a great argument how corporitizing has pushed out the die hard fan and made the stadiums of many sports lame.

Save for college sports where there is true hatred of another team. In the pros, all of Joe Six Pack is now in the nosebleeds or at home.

[Starscream]

But I would have rather watched a rockingham race than a michigan race today

Amen!

[Starscream]

This will relate. A great book called " How soccer explains the world". It makes a great argument how corporitizing has pushed out the die hard fan and made the stadiums of many sports lame.

Save for college sports where there is true hatred of another team. In the pros, all of Joe Six Pack is now in the nosebleeds or at home.

I agree with that 100%.

[PantherFanOne]

Racing for me has never been the same since the late Dale Earnhardt had his unfortunate and untimely wreck at Daytona.

[lightsout]

Racing for me has never been the same since the late Dale Earnhardt had his unfortunate and untimely wreck at Daytona.

This. Although, the past couple of years I have slowly gotten back into it.

There's not enough bad blood. Too much niceness. You see these guys pre-race being so friendly and laughing with one another. That respect and friendship carries over to the track. I'm not saying the whole 43 car field should hate each other. But its a sport and a business. It's competition. There is time for friends after the race. Have a beer with the boys after.

I want to see racers who HATE each other. That makes for competitive, fun to watch racing. That's what made it popular. A fight on the last lap at Daytona between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison. Many people forget this.

[KatsAzz]

This. Although, the past couple of years I have slowly gotten back into it.

There's not enough bad blood. Too much niceness. You see these guys pre-race being so friendly and laughing with one another. That respect and friendship carries over to the track. I'm not saying the whole 43 car field should hate each other. But its a sport and a business. It's competition. There is time for friends after the race. Have a beer with the boys after.

I want to see racers who HATE each other. That makes for competitive, fun to watch racing. That's what made it popular. A fight on the last lap at Daytona between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison. Many people forget this.

Amen brother. There is to much MR. Nice Guy going on in NASCAR.There need to be some bitter competion among several drivers.