Bristol Attendance

[Jimmy_22]

So, if people bought tickets and there's only an hour or two rain delay, wouldn't you think those people would still show up? Estimating 10% full - maybe.

[Sybil D. Sobydianz]

They may be nearby, but it's not reasonable to think they would be in the stands, no.

[don7031]

100% chance of rain = I'm staying home

[ambig88]

There was a time, regardless of rain, the stands would be full. 10 year low ratings, empty seats after removing seats, and what was once a guarantee sellout requiring buying tickets off a waiting list now has Nationwide attendance.

A huge Nascar fan at work used to go to Talladega, Charlotte and Bristol, every year for both races now only goes to the night race at Bristol. It's not because he has lost interest, but because he can't get anyone to go with him. A guy going to 6 races a year in the 90s and early 2000s to just 1 is a huge drop off. Looking at the stands and TV ratings isn't the only one. I live around the Greensboro, NC area. In case you guys don't know it, that area generally has the highest market share nationwide. And chief among complaints I've heard are high ticket prices, all the rule changes, the gimmickry. But Nascar insists on trying to change. But the more they try, it seems the worst they do.

[Red Byrd]

I'm in Western North Carolina. We have known about this storm system since early this week. It's not a pop-up thunderstorm or surprise storm system, it's been forecast for about a week now that Sunday will be rainy with the weather clearing by Monday or Tuesday. So most people indeed chose not to make the trip because of that news.

[Jimmy_22]

Thousands, upon thousands of poeple just decided to eat their tickets and stay at home. Interesting. Could see the above effecting the walk up crowd.

[sean26]

If you notice the front stretch (premium seats) has a larger batch of people vs. the turns and back stretch. That means that this event was by no means near sold out.

[sean26]

http://sports.yahoo.com/video/things-odd-during-rain-delay-211438852.html

They are so desperate

[Z28]

Indycar fans sure know a lot about NASCAR attendance while they seem to believe whatever fabulous numbers an Indycar promoter says no matter how unprovable when it comes to attendance.

I recall the last or next to last INDYCAR race at Kansas when there were tornadoes in the area the previous night and TF experts saying the people in Kansas were lousy fans because they weren't showing up.

With so many people camping at Bristol I'm sure they could gauge the weather by stepping outside. It's not like there are a lot of motels nearby so anyone staying in one would have a considerable drive and since it was raining all morning the start time was in doubt. As a matter of fact they originally were moving the start time up a half hour to try to beat the rain.

[ambig88]

Indycar fans sure know a lot about NASCAR attendance while they seem to believe whatever fabulous numbers an Indycar promoter says no matter how unprovable when it comes to attendance.

I recall the last or next to last INDYCAR race at Kansas when there were tornadoes in the area the previous night and TF experts saying the people in Kansas were lousy fans because they weren't showing up.

With so many people camping at Bristol I'm sure they could gauge the weather by stepping outside. It's not like there are a lot of motels nearby so anyone staying in one would have a considerable drive and since it was raining all morning the start time was in doubt. As a matter of fact they originally were moving the start time up a half hour to try to beat the rain.

What does IndyCar fans have to do with the discussion? Nobody has made any comparisons to IndyCar before you. So don't come into this thread and use what some IndyCar fans believe as being representative of whatever the IndyCar fans in this thread believe. Don't even try to turn this into an "us" vs. "them" thread. The fact is, the attendance was pathetic. Yeah, rain has an impact. But there was a time when you had to buy your tickets 6 months in advance to even have a chance of going to the race. I remember 15 years ago the place would have been packed, regardless of the weather forcast! The 1995 Goody's 500 was packed, and it was rain delayed because the remains of a freaking hurricane dumped rain on the track!

I'm sorry, but the turn out has to be the worst for Bristol since the 1980s. Yeah, rain was a factor, but the attendance has been falling at Bristol ever since Bruton decided to screw it up.

http://sports.yahoo.com/video/things...211438852.html

They are so desperate

Did Steve Burns make a creepy comment about Danica???

[Richard Kimble]

NASCAR needs to replace their full-sized grandstands with a few, well placed high-school bleachers, strategically positioned to be seen in most of the TV shots. This way, even 10,000 people looks like a sell-out.

[grogg]

Borderline 50° day, overcast, rain and a washout forecast. I sat through a few of these and as much of a race fan I am it isn't much fun.

[Red Byrd]

Borderline 50° day, overcast, rain and a washout forecast. I sat through a few of these and as much of a race fan I am it isn't much fun.

I was at the Martinsville race a few years back that it was in the 40's with drizzle and wind. As much as I love that place, it just wasn't worth it.

[Jim Wilke]

I go to football games all the time with that kind of weather, I love it.

[KevMcNJ]

Yeah but thats Seattle

People up there get nervous when they see the sun

and then they wonder why it hurts to look at that warm yellow thing in the sky