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Is NASCAR dead?

Tom Slick

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Just tuned into the Brickyard 400 at Indy and the stands are basically empty. Looks pretty grim for the sport.
 

brianwhiteboy

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Same thought here. Haven’t watched a race in a while...just flipped on the tv and the turnout at Indy is pretty dismal.:eek:
 

GRADS

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No racing is doing great it's just today is the first day of football season.
 

lebel409

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What about stock cars does NASCAR not get? If I wanted to watch a COT race, dump the shitty camry body and at least get something more aerodynamic. I was interesting when you could buy one...40 years ago.
 

Spudsbud

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The France family (owners) sold a million+ shares of RACE last year..... they can see where its going......
 

Chili Palmer

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Remember when it was race on Sunday and sell on Monday? Well, you can't buy what the racers are driving anymore.
 

guest hs

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NASwho? Once the old timers left I have no interest. Same thing will happen to NHRA when Force Kallitah and Schumacher go away from it.
 

Cdog

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I just caught the last 20 laps. I only watch the road race tracks. Circle shit is boring. Congrats to Harvick. One of the last of the old guard.

I’m not happy about neckcars anti second amendment policy lately. I’ll be watching less and less the more they push that garbage.
 

GRADS

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The France family (owners) sold a million+ shares of RACE last year..... they can see where its going......
The ticker for Ferrari is RACE....I'm confused.
 

rrrr

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The Brickyard 400 has been a bad race since the beginning. The only passing opportunities are on the 5/8 mile straights, and the cars are so equal there are very few of them. NASCAR fans don't like that the entire track isn't visible from the seats. Since there is almost no real racing for position, they are watching their favorite drivers go by in a single file line about every 52 seconds.

Attendance at the first race in 1994 was around 250,000. Now it's around 30,000, the capacity of frequently sold out dirt track Eldora Speedway. It's not just the track driving the poor attendance. NASCAR has made an incredible string of stupid errors in the 2000s, beginning with the Chase. Serial idiot Brian France has presided over this, making it worse every year.

Stage racing and "The Playoffs" are the latest idiotic moves, along with the 9" rear spoiler and restricted engines running less horsepower. Now we are bombarded with incessant mention of stage and playoff points, scripted nonsense that TV announcers have been forced to make by the TV contract's money.

Mandating more downforce and lower HP are the exact opposites of what is needed to improve the racing. If everyone is running wide open the entire lap, where are the chances to outbrake another car? The racing line has moved to the top, and running three and four wide is common because the cars are glued to the track.

Car setups with camber and front and rear toe settings made to eke out an advantage over other teams have resulted in blown front right tires and dangerous trips into the outside wall at maximum speed. The increased downforce and reduced horsepower are encouraging drivers to make stupid low probability moves that cause multiple car crashes.

The Brickyard 400 is also involved in NASCAR's latest and perhaps most unbelievably stupid decision, moving the 4th of July race from its historical venue of almost half a century, Daytona, to Indianapolis. The Daytona race is now the final "regular season" event, which to me, and to probably a large percentage of fans, doesn't mean shit.

These mistakes have been made coinciding with a significant decline in a motor racing interest in the US.

In spite of my long time racing background, I am just a borderline fan of NASCAR. IndyCar is my passion, ignited by a trip with my dad to the Indy 500 when I was eleven and culminating with a position as a "weekend warrior" mechanic in the series for almost ten years. That sport is also facing huge problems, brought on by the disastrous war between IMS and CART. Like NASCAR, stupid decision making has contributed substantially to a precipitous decline in popularity.

The NHRA is feeling the pressure too. Attendance at national events has collapsed. On some weekends, the top fuel and funny car fields are barely large enough to make up a 16 car elimination bracket. The lowest qualifiers make the field with times one to three seconds slower than the top qualifier, making the show only because there weren't other cars entered to beat their times. There are drivers I've never heard of. Pro Stock is running at just half the national events, and every car entered is a Camaro. Ford and Dodge have given up supporting the class.

It's getting worse every month, with pro drivers and teams unable to find sponsorship. Tony Schumacher, eight time Top Fuel champion and son of superteam owner Don Schumacher, is sitting out the 2019 season, unable to find a sponsor.

What's going to happen if Schumacher, Force, or even Kalitta close their doors? Will it be the beginning of an abandonment of support for the fuel cars? Will they end up like Top Fuel hydros, just a handful of competitors making what are essentially exhibition runs?

The same question holds true for Penske, JGR, and Hendrick in NASCAR, along with Penske, Andretti, and Ganassi in IndyCar. Recently, Penske folded up the operation of one car, Ganassi two, and three of Andretti's five cars are pay rides. IndyCar's season ends in two weeks. They are unable to find sponsorship to run more events. Pocono Raceway and IndyCar ended their relationship after this year's race, the only other 500 mile race besides Indy, even though attendance had been growing.

This is all going in an ominous direction.
 
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Tom Slick

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I’m curious what the attendance at the Brickyard 400 was last year vs. this year? Did NASCAR’s position on the 2nd Amendment have an effect on this years dismal turnout?
 

Nordie

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I still watch Nascar here and there, but here's my take on it as a life long fan. The good ole boys are gone. Now when I watch I really don't care who wins the race (except Keselowski). I personally think a lot of people feel this way since the good ole boys left, and the new corporate guys showed up.

Also I think NHRA is doing very well, than years past. They are actually filling the pro fields and getting more exposure.
 

rrrr

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I’m curious what the attendance at the Brickyard 400 was last year vs. this year? Did NASCAR’s position on the 2nd Amendment have an effect on this years dismal turnout?

Last year's race rained out and was run on Monday, the estimated attendance was 15,000. I don't think their socially conscience pandering affected the attendance this year. The only people that still go are diehard fans and probably don't care.

IMS doesn't release official attendance figures, and it's all but impossible to tell the difference between 30,000 and 40,000 at the huge track.

Regarding the NHRA, I forgot to mention outlaw and drag radial racing has become hugely popular, and the big events like Lights Out at Georgia Motorsports Park routinely outdraw NHRA national event crowds. It's damn good racing with huge payouts, and side bet action is easily exceeding $100K.
 

spectra bash

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The Midget race on the new dirt track in the infield sold out Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Just saying!
Just sayin probably only holds a small amount of people. Do love the midgets though.
 

rrrr

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The Midget race on the new dirt track in the infield sold out Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Just saying!

Not many people know there used to be a track located across 16th Street from IMS. Midget races were run there from 1946 to 1959. It was a quarter mile asphalt paved track. Many famous Indy 500 drivers raced there during the month of May leading up to the 500.


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spectra bash

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i've had infield spots at fontana since 97 and is usually pretty much sold out and past few years put on great racing. Also go to phoenix and vegas every year with packed houses especially phoenix. I dont comlain about attendance i participate. Great family fun all year. Irwindale is fun but people dont support it. Go to longbeach for grand prix and boat races. All good times. Nascar infield is one of the best parties. Funny how people dont watch anymore but somehow know about attendance. To each their own. I also have a jet boat but the family still has fun at the river.
 

OldSchoolBoats

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It wasn't the Brickyard 400.........

It was the Big Machine Vodka 400....lol

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Racer56

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Just sayin probably only holds a small amount of people. Do love the midgets though.

Actually the said they had close to 15,000 seat's available. If the Cup race had 30k spectators, that makes the BC 39 midget race a lot more profitable for IMS.
 

Carlson-jet

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I got into watching NASCAR in the mid eighties while helping a friend out on a car that he ran at El Cajon Speedway.
So much has changed in the last 15 years with the rules, it just doesn't appeal to me like it used to.
 

Racer56

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Not many people know there used to be a dirt track located across 16th Street from IMS. Midget races were run there from 1946 to 1959. It was a quarter mile asphalt paved track. Many famous Indy 500 drivers raced there during the month of May leading up to the 500.


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They held Midget races for two or three seasons in the late 90's at 16th Street speedway. The track was built inside the defunct baseball stadium.
 

Backlash

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Nascar always played a role in our family's life as all of my Uncles have watched it for years. Being from Central Florida and living close to Daytona, it was always a big deal when the races came around.

For me, I refuse to participate in ANYTHING Nascar related. I wont attend or watch a race or buy any of their garb purely because of their stance on the second ammendment topic. Nascar can stuff it into turn 3 as far as I'm concerned.
 
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playdeep

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Actually the said they had close to 15,000 seat's available. If the Cup race had 30k spectators, that makes the BC 39 midget race a lot more profitable for IMS.

Yup...
Did you see the pursuit race that Kyle Larson won?
That had to be one of the best/craziest races I've ever seen.
Larson,Christopher Bell,Stenhaus Jr. all ran the BC39
Zeb Wise is a future star.
 

Jed-O

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I have known both since the early 90's and raced against Jet. Really cool guys!
Definitely one of my favorite families! I've been close friends with them for most of my life. Bob's shop is just down the street from my house in Running Springs.
 

Racer56

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Yup...
Did you see the pursuit race that Kyle Larson won?
That had to be one of the best/craziest races I've ever seen.
Larson,Christopher Bell,Stenhaus Jr. all ran the BC39
Zeb Wise is a future star.

The last five laps of the pursuit race was insane. I was rooting for Michael Pickens, but Kyle Larson almost always comes out the winner.
 

rrrr

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They held Midget races for two or three seasons in the late 90's at 16th Street speedway. The track was built inside the defunct baseball stadium.

I attended many May night races there while I was working across the street. Bush Stadium was built in 1931, and it was an Art Deco architectural treasure with beautiful tile work, including wonderful mosaics. I believe it was demolished in 1999.
 

Jed-O

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Looks like it was powered by a Sesco 4, which is a small block Chevy engine basically cut in half. It's a beautiful car.
Not positive, but I think you hit the nail on the head. I'd have to ask Bob or jet about it
 

tazzio

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There are so many things wrong with Nascar that it's impossible to save it. The C.O.T., the cost of tickets, I think are the biggest reasons. I personally don't like the playoff deal, and it doesn't make it anymore exciting.
 

spectra bash

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There are so many things wrong with Nascar that it's impossible to save it. The C.O.T., the cost of tickets, I think are the biggest reasons. I personally don't like the playoff deal, and it doesn't make it anymore exciting.
costs for tix are cheaper than most sports. Baseball expensive , football crazy. and parking free at all the tracks.
 

Boozer

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NASCAR screwed the pooch and the sport will be dead soon.

I’ve mentioned in other threads that I am Nascar’s target fan. We try to make a few races every year and when we are there we spend lots of money. I got my kids into it, my oldest son went to a race when he was 6.

The staged racing thing really started to turn me off and this anti second amendment stance pushed me over the edge. They won’t be getting anymore of money and I don’t watch the races at home anymore either.


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77charger

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There are so many things wrong with Nascar that it's impossible to save it. The C.O.T., the cost of tickets, I think are the biggest reasons. I personally don't like the playoff deal, and it doesn't make it anymore exciting.
Cost of attending is probably high and do so for the experience but with today's tv coverage hd tvs i find it better to watch at home plenty of beer can do other things and don't have to deal with traffic.
 

rrrr

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I still watch most races(recorded) and probably always will. Funny thing, the trucks and Exfinity are usually better.

The trucks have run at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday nights of the IndyCar weekend forever, like 20 years. I've watched a bunch of them live from the penthouse suite of the condos. The races are always good, waaay better than the Cup races.

I've gone to four Cup races there, they suck. It's 500 miles of stupifying boredom. One year it was so bad, I left my seat about lap 100, went out to my trailer in the VIP lot, broke down my two spot camp by myself, loaded up, and was back in Plano before the race ended.
 
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