Explain This Quote:

[FenderFree]

From the IndyStar article on the NASCAR race not being sold out.

"Nation said the politics of open-wheel racing focused attention on Indianapolis 500 attendance and the resulting publicity led to a larger crowd this year than in 2002."

What it says to me is that this year's Indy 500 crowd was bigger than last year's?!?

Is that what it's saying?

[Truth Detector]

No other way to read it.

[Belanger99]

As Marge would say on Bob and Tom:

Well, there you go........

After seeing much of what has (or has failed to) come out of the IRL offices on west 16th these last few years, I wouldn't believe what Fred Nation had to say if he had a beard and the ten commandments in his left hand.

Is that's what is says-yes, I think so

Is that possible-I suppose so.

Is it true-I doubt we will ever know.

[NDGator]

Yes,

TG was on Don Kay's show last month and explained this quite well.

The corporate crowd has really dropped off for all three races (I kn ow of some companies, which did just that). IMS marketing focused on selling smaller blocks to these same companies and picking up new companies to pick up the slack.

Ironically, it was the GA walk-up crowd that really surged the 03 numbers. TG stated that the BY would have trouble for the same economic reasons.

[FenderFree]

Well, there's my answer.

Just seems illogical that this year's race was better attended than last year's which was declared a sellout.

[AdamM]

Just seems illogical that this year's race was better attended than last year's which was declared a sellout.

I think it comes down to this, the "sell outs" were called sell outs based upon ball park estimates of renewals and new ticket requests received after the race. Most years there have always been tickets available directly from from IMS right up until race morning. Back then, they just made the decision to keep it very low key and didn't get aggressive pursuing those sales to avoid the kind of bad pr they got this year. So that's how a "sell out" in 2002 can actually have fewer tickets sold than the race this year.