Along with injectors we now have.....

[jacko241]

Let's put it this way, they aren't taking seats out because they expect MORE spectators. As far as car counts go, Matt is right on. When we ran the Rolex series, i know for a fact Nascar was paying for several teams to be there, and I have heard thru the grape vine they are doing the same thing in Cup to make sure they have full fields. Seems odd that most times they have exactly 43 cars, doesn't it?

[Groundpounder]

They could leave up the empty unused seats like they have for a couple of years but they choose to remove them, most likely recycle or sell them. The back stretch seats weren't that great anyway. The new front stretch seats are in a safer position and provide enhanced viewing...an improvement.

It's real easy from the peanut gallery to criticize NASCAR especially when you don't have a dime invested. If you own stock, attend the annual meetings and question the management. If I recall we still have capitalism in this country and so let NASCAR run it the way they see fit. You don't agree? Well they called Big Bill crazy when he first built a 2.5 mile track in 1959 so what does the peanut gallery know?

Sanctioning bodies have "helped" teams get to the track for years. Nothing new here...so what? Whether it's purses, appearance money, travel vouchers or whatever, sounds pretty smart to me.

[OldSchool+]

Aight.

Between the economy and the fickle public (notice how the "hot" restaurants and nightclubs come and go?) and whatever NASCAR has done, there are not as many people coming to Daytona.

2 unprovable arguments:

>There would be a lot more people in the stands if they had left the points/cars/blahblah unchanged.
>There would be a lot less people in the stands if they had left the points/cars/blahblah unchanged.

From NASCAR's perspective, it is what it is, and what is the "smartest" thing to do moving forward?

Clearly, their answer is to turn it into a Charlotte-like high end experience, and ditch the unused (and crappy) backstretch seats. Further, it is not good business for the TV cameras--or the folks in the frontstretch seats--to see a bunch of empty seats.

Kind of like a small bar with 30 people "feels" fuller than a large one with 50.

I am guessing that the goal is to appeal to the high end types that have the jack to travel and buy tickets, and the end goal is to...grow the business.

If that happens, or anything else positive just happens to improve attendance (like continued lower gasoline prices), for sure they will add more grandstands.

All of this is not unlike any other big business, or for that matter, the guvment.

[OldSchool+]

ps--Yoho probably already has "dibbs" on the backstrech stands!

[Groundpounder]

You bring up a good point about attendance. Gasoline prices. There has been a long term rise so if prices stay low that may help.

[Matt Albee]

Gas prices have nothing at all to do with the steep decline in ticket sales for Daytona. The slide started in 2002. People aren't going to buy crazy priced tickets, and pay $20.00 for parking, and $6.00 dollars for cokes, and $4.00 for coffees, and want to come back next year. Add the fact that the manipulated racing has pretty much killed the excitement for people who really understand racing. Now you're left with half the crowd you used to have, and they can be enticed to buy tickets until they figure out they're getting scammed.
The France family is taking the track in a whole new direction. A direction much more in line with Brians' true, and really only love....Football. Through in concerts, soccer, etc. and stock car racing there will slowly get shoved aside.
Makes financial sense of course, but it's sad to watch it happen.

[OldSchool+]

" People aren't going to buy crazy priced tickets, and pay $20.00 for parking, and $6.00 dollars for cokes, and $4.00 for coffees, and want to come back next year."--MA

Hypothetically speaking.

I agree that those things enter into it, but other "sports" have rediculous pricing as well, and Elton John (!?) tickets are $50.

Nontheless, and also hypothetically speaking, reduced gasoline prices not only make it cheaper to get to the track, but they also provide additional income to dispose of every week.

In my case (two high carbon footprint vehicles), it amounts to $40-50 per week.

[OldSchool+]

PS--Just did the Rolex.

They now have carved prime rib sammiches for $16, and the hamburgers (which looked good) were $8.

I brought my own stuff and so Publix got the (still stupid amount of) money.

[OldSchool+]

"Add the fact that the manipulated racing has pretty much killed the excitement for people who really understand racing."--Matt

Well, we are mostly in agreement here. However, I maintain that the very first restrictor plate did that, and all "fixes" since have just been trying to fix the fix.

Given that I do not like plate racing, I will say that they have the spoilers/springs/plate and all that the best it has been in years. However, again, it does not neccessarily follow that the gate is up.

[Groundpounder]

The France family is taking the track in a whole new direction. A direction much more in line with Brians' true, and really only love....Football.

Wow, do you know this guy personally enough to say that? Are you sure that's his only love??? Is this documented somewhere, please provide a reference if it is so...
If it even is so, who cares?

BTW, I have never seen any football stadium run by some pretty smart owners that looks anything like a racetrack!

[OldSchool+]

I'd pay a dolla to ride the escajector to the fourth tier--but it was free!

[Matt Albee]

I'd pay a dolla to ride the escajector to the fourth tier--but it was free!

Yes sir, a truly enhanced, experiential experience.