Posted on 07/04/2008 9:22:01 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A slumping economy is being blamed for keeping as many as 30 percent of NASCAR fans away from the Daytona International Speedway races this Fourth of July weekend.
"Normally this place is packed and we know everybody but now I only see like 20 people I know," a NASCAR race fan said.
The Daytona economy counts on the tourist dollars generated from the Fourth of July races.
However, this year's big race -- the Coke Zero 400 -- is not a sell out and 20 to 30 percent of fans who normally come are staying home over high gas prices and touch economic times, Local 6's J.R. Stone reported.
"It is no where near to the capacity it usually is," a NASCAR race fan said. "You are talking just for a weekend, about $1,000 just for fuel."
Local 6 showed parts of the Speedway campground empty early Friday. NASCAR officials said it is a sign of the tough times, Stone reported.
"I've been talking to people already and some of them come this year -- some friends who normally come -- they didn't come because of the money," a race fan said.
Fans camping at the track said they were also cutting back by cooking hamburgers and French fries instead of steaks and ribs.
People said it is costing them double this year to come to this year's race.
The Coke Zero 400 race begins at 8 p.m. on July 5.
LOL. That was the best laugh of the day, thanks.
The main reason in my opinion.
Also, isn't NASCAR spending big bucks on an 'affirmitive action' program?
Most have finally figured out watching a NASCAR race is about as exciting as parking by an interstate interchange for a couple of hours.
LOL
She shouldn't have been abused, and she shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
I guess they do worse than 10mpg. Also, I guess they use gas all weekend to generate electricity. Saves a stay in a hotel I guess.
Although this commentary is about the drop in attendance at certain NASCAR events, broadcasting productions could be driving away television viewers.
I don't think I have ever been exposed to so much guano as is proffered by the inane, useless and boring threesome panel shows, and stuck on stupid driver and crew interviews. Add to that the obligatory vacuous female on the infield, and the inane race commentary that won't ever measure up to the quality and genuineness of those good old boys that commented during the early days of televised racing. There is just something real phony about the over accented country speech patterns from the NASCAR race commentators who think that need to constantly run their motor mouths to be effective.
....bottom line, NASCAR won't ever just let 'em race. It's now about marketing, hype, and personality.
They lost me a long time ago.
I used to go to a handful of races every year, and catch a race on TV now and then. But the last few years the commercials have seemed to increase exponentially and they have a new found RAP tone to many of them and a RAP tone to the incessant commercialism done during the broadcast. A driver mentions 8 different sponsors every time they mug for the camera, it is transparent and bothersome. I figured the marketplace was changing just like it did for the NBA in the 80’s. Stopped watching that crap too as it became thug fest.
When I went with friends to see the Daytona 500 back in 1989, I was surprised by the number of friends they had who all showed up, most from around our area in northwestern Wisconsin. They did this year after year. A few of the retired ones followed the circuit in their RVs through most of the season.
We saw a lot of license plates from very distant states.
The number of people those stands hold boggles the mind the first time you see it. I don’t know about 30% but 20%+ sure doesn’t seem far fetched to me.
Maybe on TIVO.
Gas prices my butt. I stopped supporting NASCAR a couple of years ago, after being an avid fan for as long as I can remember. It’s gotten bland. What happened to all the fun personalities? Car of Tomorrow? Bah. They may as well use go-karts.
My gripes....
Car of Tomorrow. They need the Car of Yesterday. When you look at old videos of, Earnhardt, Waltrip, Martin, Awesome Bill driving a semblance of the mfgr they represent you see how much the sport has changed.
It’s cookie cutter cars now.
Dumping some of the old tracks for ‘new blood’. The Rock, Darlington.
Reminds me of the repub party forgetting their base.
The sport grew up in the Carolinas, many of the drivers live here. NASCAR told the ‘good ol’ boys’ to shove it.
Cup drivers driving in the Nationwide Series.. That series should be for young drivers, for gaining experience.
Ban Cup drivers from the Series. IMHO at least.
The major draw, the Cup race is tonight.
The scenario may very well play out, but this is akin to reporting the lack of voter turnout for the Presidential election on Oct. 1st.
Gotcha. Misunderstood your post. Thanks.
More evidence of an ignorant media. ;)
NASCAR paid into Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/Coalition fund and promoted “diversity”....now they are getting sued for millions on a discrimination suit. Go figure.
I'll add in there Fireball, Smokey, Lee Petty, Allisons, Bakers, Yarborough. Grandaddy France had the vision from the old beach races at Ponce - what a time that was.
Oh Yes, Obama, come to a race this year and pander to fans who pay thru the nose. and bring your eco buddies, yaknow, the ones who would rather have racing banned because it uses fossil fuels.
Oh Please Yes, Obama, come to a race. tell us all about change and hope. and why dems refuse to allow us to drill offshore , in anwr, Oh yes please come.
LOL - the Daytona folks would boo him off the stage.
This made me laugh as I have a friend who is googoo-gaga over NASCAR and he's so metro. Hey, this may be as close as he ever gets to guys with grease under their fingernails.
"Hand me that 14mm with a 3/8ths, 20" extension, will ya?"
"Did that boy just faint?"
"Here you go".
"Who are you, you're kinda cute".
"I'm his girlfriend, you car jocks don't intimidate me."
"You've never been around 800 horsepower."
"I've never been around 'eight' anything."
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