There is only one excuse now.....The Product.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Roy
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There is only one excuse now.....The Product.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Roy
Just so I understand your point, your theory is: Miami is more 'international', therefore they are not interested in "only left turn" racing? The problem is the oval track style of racing?Quote:
Originally Posted by anthonyvop
One of the problems...A big one but just one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve-o
mind you, I'm the new guy around here, and not trying to create an argument... but how can NASCAR go in there in a month with the taxi cabs and come a helluva lot closer to filling the place? Driver recognition?Quote:
Originally Posted by anthonyvop
I was told that a good 70% of tickets for the NASCAR race at HMS are purchased by fans outside of the Homestead/Miami area. Also remember that HMS is one of the smallest tracks on the NASCAR schedule with only 65K seats.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve-o
Even with that all factored in there are still plenty of seats available and the NASCAR race has only been a sell-out before race weekend 3 times.
The geography would make sense. I'm sure many other tracks have similar numbers. Looking at the south, you have so many tracks looking to sell to essentially the same fans.Quote:
Originally Posted by anthonyvop
Anothony, couple of questions please?
I looked around (from afar) in the days leading up to the Homestead race, and found very little evidence of the local promotions you referred to. Dade County Mall, the discount gas station deal...that's about all I found.
In addition to both of those promotions last year, there was also a glitzy fashion show and hotel volleyball/beach party deal.
With the ISC ticket package split, the handwriting was already on the wall for this race. The appearance is that promotion was consistant at best, or perhaps decreased. If the last minute ticket price drop was not heavily advertised locally, it would have done no good either.
The other puzzle you outlined is the demographic of the ticket buyers: if 70% are not local, then the big jump in local promotion you speak of was money spent in the wrong place. Right?
I fully agree with you. Rather than blaming NASCAR/ISC for this incredibly low turnout, one would think that the IRL would be looking in the mirror and doing a deep-dive to figure out why so few people turned out for a championship weekend. Unless there were NASCAR thugs armed with AK-47's encircling the area, preventing fans from entering, the question remains: how did an IRL championship deciding race garner no more fans than a mid-season ALMS "roval" race in Charlotte, that received ZERO promotion, about 10 years ago???Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve-o
Again, I agree with you. And the same used to be true in American open wheel racing. While (IMO) the cars were way cooler back then than what we have now, we also used to have world class personalities (and great drivers) like Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Nigel Mansell, Alex Zanardi, Juan Montoya, Paul Tracy, Michael Andretti, Al Unser (Sr. and Jr.), A.J. Foyt, et al. Now we have an overhyped bikini model, who's managed to trip over a lonely win once in her career, as the biggest "star" in the sport. I have to agree with Anthonyvop when he says that "the product" is the problem. But within that, there are several factors, and key among them (IMO) is the lack of recognizeable names that are capable of posting brilliant drives. As I bounce around Charlotte, I've probably run across Ryan Briscoe or Will Power at the mall or where ever. But to be honest, even though I recognize them during races, their faces aren't burned into my mind well enough that I would know them away from the track or TV. And since there would be no crowd of people around either, I'm sure that they can lead peaceful lives there. Juan Montoya, Jimmie Johnson, Dale, Jr. or Carl Edwards on the other hand... :eek:Quote:
Regarding the empty seats at NASCAR, you can only hi-gross folks for so long. I know tracks are offering deals now, but the combination of high prices and NASCAR handcuffing drivers on the track and in interviews has hurt them. I think the 'have at it boys' policy is a step in the right direction with that series. The racing has never been paramount in NASCAR, the personalities have driven the sport. Now they have returned to that type of promotion, letting the boys be boys.
So what does the IRL do now? I don't know. I don't know how to push a string across a table. And I think that's the position in which the IRL has now placed itself: trying to push a string across a (rough) table. But I would suggest that they begin promoting the drivers that they believe are the future of the sport, so that people feel some motivation to go to the track to see those drivers. Otherwise, what promoter in his right mind would pay a sanction fee to the IRL for the honor of having 10K people drag through the gate on a "big weekend"???
I watched something last night which was insightful, at least to me...I'm not a real big IRL/CCWS history buff.
It was the 2005 Homestead race. The stands were packed... to see the drivers? We have like eleven of them still competing, and they have established no broad recognition (outside of your favorite broad, that is).
The drivers you named, Jag, those guys brought out the fans. The roster we have today does not, even after years and championships past.
So who showed up at Homestead 2005? An army of Buddy Rice/ Sam Hornish supporters? The personalities are important, no doubt. But I think the arguments about star-making, U.S./ foreign driver counts, etc. are all side bets.
The product is the entertainment value of the competition, and that is what has grown stale. Even Danica haters must have loved the little dice she put on with TK. With spec cars and stratified budgets, unpredictability like that is all too rare a result.
I am a loyal, dues paying member of the Can't Stand Danica Fan Club. But yes, even I had to give the dog (fluffy show poodle) its due for that performance. Kanaan blocked her more than I've seen in any race in recent memory. But she dropped back near the end and dive bombed him, taking a well deserved second place in a straight fight. I was amazed; I didn't know she had it in her. Unfortunately I'll probably be drawing Social Security before she does that again. :dozey:Quote:
Originally Posted by Enjun Pullr