THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 18th, 2011
Volume V, Edition LXXXV
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 18th, 2011
Volume V, Edition LXXXV
~~~~~~~~~~
Top News
by Tom Bowles
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better: ESPN Announces Split Screen Commercial Plan
Just one day after claiming their NASCAR contract prevented them from split-screen commercials, ESPN pulled an about-face Tuesday in announcing "NASCAR NonStop" to the public. Their response to FOX's side-by-side racing and commercial format, the new system will debut during the Chase, at Chicagoland September 18th and showcase an advertisement on the left side of the screen while the racing will still be shown on the right.
"Since we returned to NASCAR racing in 2007, one of the most common questions from our fans has been 'Why don't you do the commercials side-by-side?'" John Skipper, ESPN executive Vice President for Content explained in a press release. "We're very pleased to be able to do it now with NASCAR NonStop and showcase the advertiser while still showcasing the race. ESPN's mission is to serve sports fans and this is a way to give the fans more racing action during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup."
The network also plans for its ticker to stay on screen during these commercials, a way for fans to keep track of all 43 drivers in the field instead of just one camera shot showing the action. A concept in the works for months, it took a corroborative effort with NASCAR to give the Worldwide Leader In Sports a green light to move forward on the project.
"NASCAR has the most dedicated and loyal fans in the world, and we are constantly trying to enhance how those fans consume this great sport," said Paul Brooks, president of NASCAR Media Group. "ESPN's 'NonStop' format will ensure our fans maximize their viewing experience during the most intense and thrilling time of the season – the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup."
Considering the timing of FOX's split-screen, it appears the rival network caught wind of the changes and looked to one-up ESPN for their own publicity purposes. That network remains unclear on how it will handle commercial breaks going forward, including the final two races of their season at Charlotte and Kansas over the next few weeks.
As for ESPN, their format will air in only the second half of Cup races; traditional commercial breaks will still occur in pre-race, the first half of an event and after the checkered flag. It's not the first time the network has worked within this format, utilizing a similar system for its IndyCar coverage since 2005.
Indy Ticket Sales Struggling, Fears Of Small Crowd Growing
Attention turns towards Indianapolis this week, its 2.5-mile oval hosting qualifying for open-wheel's big day, the Indy 500. Fingers are crossed that crowds for the race will jump up, interest growing in anticipation of major chassis changes for IndyCar next year.
The way NASCAR audiences are going, IMS is going to need the boost. The AP is reporting Sunday ticket sales for the speedway's second race, Sprint Cup's Brickyard 400 are lagging well behind last year's pace. That's a problem considering last season, attendance was reported at just 140,000, a 50% decrease from the crowd there just five years ago. A tiered pricing structure, designed to lower costs hasn't helped and now the speedway is growing resigned to a smaller profit, if any, this coming summer.
"We don't disclose numbers, but you saw a lot of empty seats here last year, and I think you're going to see more here this year," IMS President and CEO Jeff Belskus told the AP Tuesday. While the track puts part of the blame on a rough economy, high gas prices and NASCAR oversaturation officials privately admit their 2008 on-track disaster has played a role. In that race, the tire compound was so bad drivers could not compete for more than 10 to 12 laps before Goodyears would self-destruct, leading to multiple competition cautions, numerous wrecks and fans so distraught thousands left the event shortly after the green flag. Many angry ticketholders that day swore they'd never attend a stock car race there again.
Without a title sponsor since 2009, speculation has mounted that Indianapolis might one day lose its Sprint Cup event for good. For now, though, Belskus remains confident IMS will be part of the NASCAR schedule come 2012 while hoping new marketing initiatives, announced in the coming weeks will increase sales.
Josh Richards Joins Kyle Busch Motorsports, Will Make Truck Series Debut
Kyle Busch has himself a new driver development project – and it's not Kimi Raikkonen. The Cup driver announced a partnership Tuesday with Joy Mining Machinery, a sponsorship deal that comes with World Of Outlaws Late Model champ Josh Richards climbing behind the wheel of Busch's No. 18 Truck. The company, with over 90 years of experience in the development, manufacture, distribution and service of underground mining equipment will give the 23-year-old his first chance at a Truck Series ride beginning at Kentucky Speedway July 7th.
"We are honored that Josh Richards and Joy Mining Machinery have chosen to partner with Kyle Busch Motorsports for their first endeavor into NASCAR," said Busch, giving the dirt track champ a chance to use his skills on asphalt. "Knowing that an up-and-coming driver and a highly successful global company trust in KBM to assist in their transition reinforces the fact that in just a short period of time, we have established ourselves as one of the most respected teams in the sport."
"We look forward to providing Josh Richards and Joy Mining Machinery with all the tools necessary to develop from NASCAR rookies into household names."
Richards, the youngest champion in WoO Late Model series history has won the title two years running, tying a record with eight victories in 2010 while never dropping lower than second in points. A former driver for Tony Stewart Racing, he's been mentored by the two-time Sprint Cup champ while posting a top-5 finish in both ARCA (DuQuoin, 2007) and K&N Pro East (Greenville, 2009) on his resume.
"Kyle Busch Motorsports is in this business to win races and championships, so we're excited to be adding a young driver in Josh Richards who has already proven he can do that," claimed KBM's Rick Ren in a press release. "The biggest thing I took from my conversations with Josh is that he has the heart of a champion. He is determined to do whatever it takes to be successful. That is something that you can't teach somebody, it has to come from within. Now, it is our job to teach Josh how to parlay his success on dirt tracks into a successful career on pavement."
As for Richards himself, the West Virginia native is excited about an opportunity to take the next step. Beyond Kentucky, he'll run a limited schedule of events and with the proper sponsorship could move to full-time Truck competition in 2012.
"I couldn't be happier," Richards said. "Getting the chance to enter NASCAR with one of the best teams in the sport is a dream come true. KBM's mission to win matches is the approach I have when it comes to racing."
Indy 500 Practice Speeds: Tuesday Afternoon
(Note: VERSUS is not covering Indy 500 practice this week, but for the latest on all the goings-on in Indianapolis you can always mosey on over to indycar.com which is offering a live stream of the action at the 2.5-mile oval.)
1) Marco Andretti – 220.656 MPH
2) Mike Conway – 219.910
Fastest Speed In Practices 1, 3, 4 – Alex Tagliani (Sam Schmidt Motorsports) – 225.878 MPH
Top News
by Tom Bowles
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better: ESPN Announces Split Screen Commercial Plan
Just one day after claiming their NASCAR contract prevented them from split-screen commercials, ESPN pulled an about-face Tuesday in announcing "NASCAR NonStop" to the public. Their response to FOX's side-by-side racing and commercial format, the new system will debut during the Chase, at Chicagoland September 18th and showcase an advertisement on the left side of the screen while the racing will still be shown on the right.
"Since we returned to NASCAR racing in 2007, one of the most common questions from our fans has been 'Why don't you do the commercials side-by-side?'" John Skipper, ESPN executive Vice President for Content explained in a press release. "We're very pleased to be able to do it now with NASCAR NonStop and showcase the advertiser while still showcasing the race. ESPN's mission is to serve sports fans and this is a way to give the fans more racing action during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup."
The network also plans for its ticker to stay on screen during these commercials, a way for fans to keep track of all 43 drivers in the field instead of just one camera shot showing the action. A concept in the works for months, it took a corroborative effort with NASCAR to give the Worldwide Leader In Sports a green light to move forward on the project.
"NASCAR has the most dedicated and loyal fans in the world, and we are constantly trying to enhance how those fans consume this great sport," said Paul Brooks, president of NASCAR Media Group. "ESPN's 'NonStop' format will ensure our fans maximize their viewing experience during the most intense and thrilling time of the season – the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup."
Considering the timing of FOX's split-screen, it appears the rival network caught wind of the changes and looked to one-up ESPN for their own publicity purposes. That network remains unclear on how it will handle commercial breaks going forward, including the final two races of their season at Charlotte and Kansas over the next few weeks.
As for ESPN, their format will air in only the second half of Cup races; traditional commercial breaks will still occur in pre-race, the first half of an event and after the checkered flag. It's not the first time the network has worked within this format, utilizing a similar system for its IndyCar coverage since 2005.
Indy Ticket Sales Struggling, Fears Of Small Crowd Growing
Attention turns towards Indianapolis this week, its 2.5-mile oval hosting qualifying for open-wheel's big day, the Indy 500. Fingers are crossed that crowds for the race will jump up, interest growing in anticipation of major chassis changes for IndyCar next year.
The way NASCAR audiences are going, IMS is going to need the boost. The AP is reporting Sunday ticket sales for the speedway's second race, Sprint Cup's Brickyard 400 are lagging well behind last year's pace. That's a problem considering last season, attendance was reported at just 140,000, a 50% decrease from the crowd there just five years ago. A tiered pricing structure, designed to lower costs hasn't helped and now the speedway is growing resigned to a smaller profit, if any, this coming summer.
"We don't disclose numbers, but you saw a lot of empty seats here last year, and I think you're going to see more here this year," IMS President and CEO Jeff Belskus told the AP Tuesday. While the track puts part of the blame on a rough economy, high gas prices and NASCAR oversaturation officials privately admit their 2008 on-track disaster has played a role. In that race, the tire compound was so bad drivers could not compete for more than 10 to 12 laps before Goodyears would self-destruct, leading to multiple competition cautions, numerous wrecks and fans so distraught thousands left the event shortly after the green flag. Many angry ticketholders that day swore they'd never attend a stock car race there again.
Without a title sponsor since 2009, speculation has mounted that Indianapolis might one day lose its Sprint Cup event for good. For now, though, Belskus remains confident IMS will be part of the NASCAR schedule come 2012 while hoping new marketing initiatives, announced in the coming weeks will increase sales.
Josh Richards Joins Kyle Busch Motorsports, Will Make Truck Series Debut
Kyle Busch has himself a new driver development project – and it's not Kimi Raikkonen. The Cup driver announced a partnership Tuesday with Joy Mining Machinery, a sponsorship deal that comes with World Of Outlaws Late Model champ Josh Richards climbing behind the wheel of Busch's No. 18 Truck. The company, with over 90 years of experience in the development, manufacture, distribution and service of underground mining equipment will give the 23-year-old his first chance at a Truck Series ride beginning at Kentucky Speedway July 7th.
"We are honored that Josh Richards and Joy Mining Machinery have chosen to partner with Kyle Busch Motorsports for their first endeavor into NASCAR," said Busch, giving the dirt track champ a chance to use his skills on asphalt. "Knowing that an up-and-coming driver and a highly successful global company trust in KBM to assist in their transition reinforces the fact that in just a short period of time, we have established ourselves as one of the most respected teams in the sport."
"We look forward to providing Josh Richards and Joy Mining Machinery with all the tools necessary to develop from NASCAR rookies into household names."
Richards, the youngest champion in WoO Late Model series history has won the title two years running, tying a record with eight victories in 2010 while never dropping lower than second in points. A former driver for Tony Stewart Racing, he's been mentored by the two-time Sprint Cup champ while posting a top-5 finish in both ARCA (DuQuoin, 2007) and K&N Pro East (Greenville, 2009) on his resume.
"Kyle Busch Motorsports is in this business to win races and championships, so we're excited to be adding a young driver in Josh Richards who has already proven he can do that," claimed KBM's Rick Ren in a press release. "The biggest thing I took from my conversations with Josh is that he has the heart of a champion. He is determined to do whatever it takes to be successful. That is something that you can't teach somebody, it has to come from within. Now, it is our job to teach Josh how to parlay his success on dirt tracks into a successful career on pavement."
As for Richards himself, the West Virginia native is excited about an opportunity to take the next step. Beyond Kentucky, he'll run a limited schedule of events and with the proper sponsorship could move to full-time Truck competition in 2012.
"I couldn't be happier," Richards said. "Getting the chance to enter NASCAR with one of the best teams in the sport is a dream come true. KBM's mission to win matches is the approach I have when it comes to racing."
Indy 500 Practice Speeds: Tuesday Afternoon
(Note: VERSUS is not covering Indy 500 practice this week, but for the latest on all the goings-on in Indianapolis you can always mosey on over to indycar.com which is offering a live stream of the action at the 2.5-mile oval.)
1) Marco Andretti – 220.656 MPH
2) Mike Conway – 219.910
Fastest Speed In Practices 1, 3, 4 – Alex Tagliani (Sam Schmidt Motorsports) – 225.878 MPH
Have news for Tom and the Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at ashland10@mail.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
Saturday was the first of four days of racing at Rockingham Speedway this year. The UARA Stars and the USAR Pro Cup Series hit the historic track and put on two great races; there was passing all over the track and tight battles for the lead right down to the end of both events. Unfortunately, there aren't very many people who can share their personal experiences with others about the day, though, because there were only a little over 500 people in the stands. 500!!!!!
That kind of a crowd is average to poor for a small local short track, not a major facility that is trying to become relevant in racing circles again. The people of the area surrounding Rockingham should be embarrassed over such a horrible showing and the people who run the track cannot be blamed if they don't bother to bring any more races back next season.
In 2004, the last NASCAR race was held at Rockingham and the track was shuttered for four years until it hosted an ARCA race in 2008. On that day, the fans who were upset over the movement of the Cup dates away from the track showed up in outstanding numbers to support the event. National exposure during the NASCAR races leading up to the race date certainly played a role in getting people to come, paired along with the sentiment that the older tracks were being shunned by the sanctioning body at large.
The track then continued to host ARCA races, along with the Frank Kimmel Street Stocks and USAR Pro Cup until this season when the ARCA Series decided not to come back to the track. The end result is that there are only four race weekends this year: a Chump Car series race, the Frank Kimmel Street Stocks and two weekends of UARA/USAR Pro Cup racing. The fans in the region don't have to come out and support a long racing season or a year long track championship with a weekly racing series. There are four dates that are spread across the calendar, for the most part, although the second weekend for UARA/USAR and the Street Stocks both race in November.
The economy is certainly still struggling to recover from the downturn of the last couple of years and the area around Rockingham has certainly been hit very hard with the loss of all of the textile industry jobs that made up most of that region. However, there are still thousands, if not millions, of race fans within a two hour drive of the track who did not have a NASCAR touring series race to steal them away this past weekend. Tickets for the event were $20 if purchased in advance and allowed fans to watch two races for the cost of one ticket. Heading to a track for an event is certainly not a cheap endeavor but the people at Rockingham have gone out of their way to try and bring well-known, established series to the track for a reasonable price.
Fans screamed and hollered when the NASCAR national touring series races were taken away from Rockingham and they made all sorts of excuses about why the attendance was lacking. The time of year was frequently cited because the race dates for Rockingham were always in March and November, when weather can be spotty at best in the region of North Carolina where The Rock is located. This weekend was not perfect because there was the potential for rain in the area. However, anyone with a computer, an iPhone, an iPad, a Mac, a television, a weather rock or a phone could have easily figured out that the rain was not going to impact the start of the races and the weather ultimately ended up being very comfortable. Sure, driving an hour and a half to see a race that might not run can be a hindrance, but with very little effort fans could have easily determined that weather was not going to be a problem Saturday.
But the fans are not the only ones who are failing folks at Rockingham, either as the Media Center in the infield of the track was nearly vacant this weekend. There were two representatives from Frontstretch, one from a local paper and two from Speed51. No local news stations were represented. SPEED, ESPN, Fox, Circle Track, Sporting News, Yahoo! or any other national outlet, be it print or electronic, were not in attendance. All of those have multiple individuals who live in the Charlotte area, which is only an hour and a half drive from the track, and not one of them sent anyone to cover the race live.
Sure it is UARA and USAR, but they're series that have the future stars of racing running equipment that is capable of getting in the neighborhood of 170 mph at the end of the straights. Some of the teams involved in the series have support from Cup teams and are sporting drivers who are signed to development contracts with the top organizations in the sport. The local media especially, and the national media to an extent, should be ashamed that they did not have any kind of coverage at the race track.
Rockingham is a great race track and would be a fantastic location for a Nationwide or Truck Series race. Fans of the facility have been harping since the Cup dates and associated support series left that NASCAR should at least bring the Trucks and/or Nationwide Series back to the track. In fact, they've even tried to point to the success of the first ARCA race that took place in 2008 when far more fans than show up at a normal ARCA event were in the stands.
Unfortunately, NASCAR is not about one-time attendance; they want to see continued support for racing at a facility before they're going to make a commitment to bring one of their big three series to a track. If the fans of Rockingham don't step up and fill some seats in the Fall for the UARA/USAR weekend, then there will be no shot of a Truck or Nationwide race any time in the foreseeable future.
Before you try and point the finger at Rockingham and say that you didn't know they were racing this weekend, there was quite a bit of effort put into marketing the race, although it was not advertised heavily in the Charlotte, Raleigh or Columbia markets. In the past, The Rock has attempted to market in the Charlotte area but they've been run over by Charlotte Motor Speedway. With their limited budget they focused most of their marketing in the Fayetteville, NC region because it is the closest to the track and generally, the greatest return from marketing is from the local area.
With that said, the effort put forth by Rockingham Speedway was far from lacking. Andy Cagle, the head of PR for Rockingham, confirmed for Frontstretch that they did do some limited radio advertising in the Fayetteville market. He and Andy Hillenburg, the track owner, appeared on 10 different radio shows to promote the races. They also sent out 25 press releases which each garnered 25,000 impressions and distributed posters to local establishments. Finally, they distributed in the neighborhood of 40,000 free tickets to kids in the area. The speedway does not have a huge marketing budget to compete against ISC or SMI in the bigger markets but did quite a bit of work to get the word out locally that the races were taking place.
Rockingham Speedway is a great race track that affords outstanding racing most of the time (they all can't be great) and the view from most every seat in the facility is good. Getting to and from the track is not very difficult with signage posted on roads leading to the track from all directions. Parking is easy and, until the crowds get enormous again, getting out after the race is very quick. Fans have bemoaned the demise of the smaller market race tracks as NASCAR has grown and moved the race dates away. But pne thing is for sure, unless the fans and media step up and practice what they preach, physically supporting Rockingham there won't be any bigger races coming back any time soon.
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hey, Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look at how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tweet 'N' Greet
by Jay Pennell
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Jay Pennell will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
@AndyHallESPN: Here's a video of what NASCAR NonStop will look like http://bit.ly/jYrZzv #nascar #espnupfront
@NASCAR: Busy week in Charlotte starts Wednesday with FREE #NASCAR Rev'd Up concert @NascarHall plus HOF Inductee dinner
@NASCAR: Thursday night is the #NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge and Saturday is the NASCAR #SprintAllStar Race @CLTMotorSpdwy
@JennaFryer: Just talked to CMS president Marcus Smith, who said: "If any of these guys get fined for fighting at the All-Star race, we'll pay the fine."
@nateryan: Statistics presented w/o comment: Estimated Dover attendance in #nascar box score: 82,000. Last year: 88,000. Grandstand capacity: 135,000.
@nateryan: Dover Cup crowd was lowest since #nascar began putting attendance estimates in boxscores regularly in 2003 and third straight under 100K.
@nateryan: Perhaps no #nascar track's Sprint Cup crowds have taken a harder hit. Dover average attendance from 2003-08: 136,250. From 2009-11: 93,600.
@nateryan: Threat of inclement weather didn't help (though doesn't explain sub-90K crowds last 2 races), nor prolly did date change to mid-May. #nascar
@nateryan: But also interesting 3 of tracks w/largest attendance drops - Dover, Dega, Bristol - also have some of most exorbitant hotel rates. #nascar
@nateryan: Of course, some of that stems from the tracks being in relatively remote areas or smaller pop. centers. Thus less available lodging. #nascar
@NASCARBowles (Tom Bowles): Got lots of feedback on Dover crowd today. One thing missed in my column: many ppl complaining about date change to May. There's...
@NASCARBowles: plenty of people who said they switched to Fall because of prom, graduation, etc. that took up their weekend. We'll see how the Fall crowd is.
@JennaFryer: At what point do hotel operators adjust due to empty rooms? RT @nateryan: But also interesting 3 of tracks w/largest attendance drops - Dover, Dega, Bristol - also have some of most exorbitant hotel rates. #nascar
@DonRohr: @JennaFryer @nateryan At what point do tracks adjust ticket prices due to empty seats? Six one way half dozen another.
@DonRohr: @JennaFryer @nateryan Whether you save it on a hotel or save it on a ticket, It's still a savings.. but you can't see empty hotel rooms.
@NASCARBowles: @DonRohr The "no hotel rooms near track that are cheap" is a bunch of hooey. You've got 2 major cities within driving distance. Not Bristol.
@DonRohr: @NASCARBowles I wasn't disagreeing. It was a general statement about something's gotta give, one way or another. Hotels won't budge.
@NASCARBowles: @DonRohr Sure the casino and hotels 10 minutes from the track are expensive... but overall, there's more options in that market.
@DonRohr: @NASCARBowles they have more locations.. they can make up for a loss in one market and a gain in another.
@NASCARBowles: @DonRohr I do think you're onto something with everyone overvaluing the event itself - from hotels to actual track. Adjustments need 2 happen.
@Regan_Smith_: In other news the biggest loser today was all the weathermen... Still nice and sunny here in Dover. Hope nobody stayed home for fear of weather.
@jeff_gluck: @Regan_Smith_ I think people did stay away. But in their defense,
during the race some nasty cells popped up close by, just missed track.
@Regan_Smith_: @jeff_gluck I wish they would have popped up around lap 300 and stayed... I think we broke on 330
@RCR33CBowyer (Clint Bowyer): "Two tires may have won the race right there, but when @cupcrewchief said four and that many guys stayed out or were on two...
@RCR33CBowyer: ...I really thought we would be able to get back up through them, especially as greasy and slimy as the track was on restarts."
@RCR33CBowyer: "It just didn't work out the way we wanted it to. I am really proud of these guys on the No. 33 BB&T Chevrolet team. A great team effort."
@David_Ragan: Got the bad end of pit road at Dover today. Pushing it a little too hard. We had a good car I thought. We will get back on track this weekend.
@David_Ragan: Drew and our team have a great car for the All-Star race. We will make it in the big show this time around.
@NASCARBowles: Tony Stewart on radio: "I don't know what to ask for [on pit stop]. I got no ****ing confidence right now." #NASCAR
@jaywpennell: WOW, Fox actually going side-by-side for these commercials. Kudos to that. #NASCAR
@jaywpennell: Watching BASEketball on Netflix and never knew Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was in it as the taxi driver. "Can I go any faster?!"
Jay Pennell is an Assistant Editor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at jaywpennell@yahoo.com, and you can also check out his work at allleftturns.com or jaywpennell.blogspot.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Did You Notice? ... Split-Screen Cheering Gone Insane, NASCAR David Beats Goliath And Too Much Parity
by Tom Bowles
What If... Some Fun Possible Scenarios in NASCAR
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Mirror Driving: Tire Rubber Slicks, Empty Seats and Picking on Probationers
by the Frontstretch Staff
Beyond the Cockpit: Travis Kvapil on Bad Luck, No Luck, and Making His Own Luck
by Bryan Davis Keith
Top Ten Ways Recycling Your Cell Phone Can Help Sprint
by Jeff Meyer
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Dover
compiled by Mike Neff
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
~~~~~~~~~~
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments?
Send them John Potts' way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat. Potts' Shots will run on Thursdays with a whole new set of Fan Questions and Answers!
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Featured Commentary
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
Saturday was the first of four days of racing at Rockingham Speedway this year. The UARA Stars and the USAR Pro Cup Series hit the historic track and put on two great races; there was passing all over the track and tight battles for the lead right down to the end of both events. Unfortunately, there aren't very many people who can share their personal experiences with others about the day, though, because there were only a little over 500 people in the stands. 500!!!!!
That kind of a crowd is average to poor for a small local short track, not a major facility that is trying to become relevant in racing circles again. The people of the area surrounding Rockingham should be embarrassed over such a horrible showing and the people who run the track cannot be blamed if they don't bother to bring any more races back next season.
In 2004, the last NASCAR race was held at Rockingham and the track was shuttered for four years until it hosted an ARCA race in 2008. On that day, the fans who were upset over the movement of the Cup dates away from the track showed up in outstanding numbers to support the event. National exposure during the NASCAR races leading up to the race date certainly played a role in getting people to come, paired along with the sentiment that the older tracks were being shunned by the sanctioning body at large.
The track then continued to host ARCA races, along with the Frank Kimmel Street Stocks and USAR Pro Cup until this season when the ARCA Series decided not to come back to the track. The end result is that there are only four race weekends this year: a Chump Car series race, the Frank Kimmel Street Stocks and two weekends of UARA/USAR Pro Cup racing. The fans in the region don't have to come out and support a long racing season or a year long track championship with a weekly racing series. There are four dates that are spread across the calendar, for the most part, although the second weekend for UARA/USAR and the Street Stocks both race in November.
The economy is certainly still struggling to recover from the downturn of the last couple of years and the area around Rockingham has certainly been hit very hard with the loss of all of the textile industry jobs that made up most of that region. However, there are still thousands, if not millions, of race fans within a two hour drive of the track who did not have a NASCAR touring series race to steal them away this past weekend. Tickets for the event were $20 if purchased in advance and allowed fans to watch two races for the cost of one ticket. Heading to a track for an event is certainly not a cheap endeavor but the people at Rockingham have gone out of their way to try and bring well-known, established series to the track for a reasonable price.
Fans screamed and hollered when the NASCAR national touring series races were taken away from Rockingham and they made all sorts of excuses about why the attendance was lacking. The time of year was frequently cited because the race dates for Rockingham were always in March and November, when weather can be spotty at best in the region of North Carolina where The Rock is located. This weekend was not perfect because there was the potential for rain in the area. However, anyone with a computer, an iPhone, an iPad, a Mac, a television, a weather rock or a phone could have easily figured out that the rain was not going to impact the start of the races and the weather ultimately ended up being very comfortable. Sure, driving an hour and a half to see a race that might not run can be a hindrance, but with very little effort fans could have easily determined that weather was not going to be a problem Saturday.
But the fans are not the only ones who are failing folks at Rockingham, either as the Media Center in the infield of the track was nearly vacant this weekend. There were two representatives from Frontstretch, one from a local paper and two from Speed51. No local news stations were represented. SPEED, ESPN, Fox, Circle Track, Sporting News, Yahoo! or any other national outlet, be it print or electronic, were not in attendance. All of those have multiple individuals who live in the Charlotte area, which is only an hour and a half drive from the track, and not one of them sent anyone to cover the race live.
Sure it is UARA and USAR, but they're series that have the future stars of racing running equipment that is capable of getting in the neighborhood of 170 mph at the end of the straights. Some of the teams involved in the series have support from Cup teams and are sporting drivers who are signed to development contracts with the top organizations in the sport. The local media especially, and the national media to an extent, should be ashamed that they did not have any kind of coverage at the race track.
Rockingham is a great race track and would be a fantastic location for a Nationwide or Truck Series race. Fans of the facility have been harping since the Cup dates and associated support series left that NASCAR should at least bring the Trucks and/or Nationwide Series back to the track. In fact, they've even tried to point to the success of the first ARCA race that took place in 2008 when far more fans than show up at a normal ARCA event were in the stands.
Unfortunately, NASCAR is not about one-time attendance; they want to see continued support for racing at a facility before they're going to make a commitment to bring one of their big three series to a track. If the fans of Rockingham don't step up and fill some seats in the Fall for the UARA/USAR weekend, then there will be no shot of a Truck or Nationwide race any time in the foreseeable future.
Before you try and point the finger at Rockingham and say that you didn't know they were racing this weekend, there was quite a bit of effort put into marketing the race, although it was not advertised heavily in the Charlotte, Raleigh or Columbia markets. In the past, The Rock has attempted to market in the Charlotte area but they've been run over by Charlotte Motor Speedway. With their limited budget they focused most of their marketing in the Fayetteville, NC region because it is the closest to the track and generally, the greatest return from marketing is from the local area.
With that said, the effort put forth by Rockingham Speedway was far from lacking. Andy Cagle, the head of PR for Rockingham, confirmed for Frontstretch that they did do some limited radio advertising in the Fayetteville market. He and Andy Hillenburg, the track owner, appeared on 10 different radio shows to promote the races. They also sent out 25 press releases which each garnered 25,000 impressions and distributed posters to local establishments. Finally, they distributed in the neighborhood of 40,000 free tickets to kids in the area. The speedway does not have a huge marketing budget to compete against ISC or SMI in the bigger markets but did quite a bit of work to get the word out locally that the races were taking place.
Rockingham Speedway is a great race track that affords outstanding racing most of the time (they all can't be great) and the view from most every seat in the facility is good. Getting to and from the track is not very difficult with signage posted on roads leading to the track from all directions. Parking is easy and, until the crowds get enormous again, getting out after the race is very quick. Fans have bemoaned the demise of the smaller market race tracks as NASCAR has grown and moved the race dates away. But pne thing is for sure, unless the fans and media step up and practice what they preach, physically supporting Rockingham there won't be any bigger races coming back any time soon.
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hey, Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look at how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tweet 'N' Greet
by Jay Pennell
Editor's Note: With the NASCAR Twitter community expanding by leaps and bounds, it remains a place for instantaneous news, reactions, and a whole lot of inside jokes. We understand if you don't want to join the Twitter community - but as a fan, it's important to know the news and info you're missing out on! That's why, every week, Jay Pennell will sort through the thousands of messages and give us a little taste of what's going on each Wednesday.
So, without further ado, here's a look at what those in NASCAR were thinking over the past seven days...
@AndyHallESPN: Here's a video of what NASCAR NonStop will look like http://bit.ly/jYrZzv #nascar #espnupfront
@NASCAR: Busy week in Charlotte starts Wednesday with FREE #NASCAR Rev'd Up concert @NascarHall plus HOF Inductee dinner
@NASCAR: Thursday night is the #NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge and Saturday is the NASCAR #SprintAllStar Race @CLTMotorSpdwy
@JennaFryer: Just talked to CMS president Marcus Smith, who said: "If any of these guys get fined for fighting at the All-Star race, we'll pay the fine."
@nateryan: Statistics presented w/o comment: Estimated Dover attendance in #nascar box score: 82,000. Last year: 88,000. Grandstand capacity: 135,000.
@nateryan: Dover Cup crowd was lowest since #nascar began putting attendance estimates in boxscores regularly in 2003 and third straight under 100K.
@nateryan: Perhaps no #nascar track's Sprint Cup crowds have taken a harder hit. Dover average attendance from 2003-08: 136,250. From 2009-11: 93,600.
@nateryan: Threat of inclement weather didn't help (though doesn't explain sub-90K crowds last 2 races), nor prolly did date change to mid-May. #nascar
@nateryan: But also interesting 3 of tracks w/largest attendance drops - Dover, Dega, Bristol - also have some of most exorbitant hotel rates. #nascar
@nateryan: Of course, some of that stems from the tracks being in relatively remote areas or smaller pop. centers. Thus less available lodging. #nascar
@NASCARBowles (Tom Bowles): Got lots of feedback on Dover crowd today. One thing missed in my column: many ppl complaining about date change to May. There's...
@NASCARBowles: plenty of people who said they switched to Fall because of prom, graduation, etc. that took up their weekend. We'll see how the Fall crowd is.
@JennaFryer: At what point do hotel operators adjust due to empty rooms? RT @nateryan: But also interesting 3 of tracks w/largest attendance drops - Dover, Dega, Bristol - also have some of most exorbitant hotel rates. #nascar
@DonRohr: @JennaFryer @nateryan At what point do tracks adjust ticket prices due to empty seats? Six one way half dozen another.
@DonRohr: @JennaFryer @nateryan Whether you save it on a hotel or save it on a ticket, It's still a savings.. but you can't see empty hotel rooms.
@NASCARBowles: @DonRohr The "no hotel rooms near track that are cheap" is a bunch of hooey. You've got 2 major cities within driving distance. Not Bristol.
@DonRohr: @NASCARBowles I wasn't disagreeing. It was a general statement about something's gotta give, one way or another. Hotels won't budge.
@NASCARBowles: @DonRohr Sure the casino and hotels 10 minutes from the track are expensive... but overall, there's more options in that market.
@DonRohr: @NASCARBowles they have more locations.. they can make up for a loss in one market and a gain in another.
@NASCARBowles: @DonRohr I do think you're onto something with everyone overvaluing the event itself - from hotels to actual track. Adjustments need 2 happen.
@Regan_Smith_: In other news the biggest loser today was all the weathermen... Still nice and sunny here in Dover. Hope nobody stayed home for fear of weather.
@jeff_gluck: @Regan_Smith_ I think people did stay away. But in their defense,
during the race some nasty cells popped up close by, just missed track.
@Regan_Smith_: @jeff_gluck I wish they would have popped up around lap 300 and stayed... I think we broke on 330
@RCR33CBowyer (Clint Bowyer): "Two tires may have won the race right there, but when @cupcrewchief said four and that many guys stayed out or were on two...
@RCR33CBowyer: ...I really thought we would be able to get back up through them, especially as greasy and slimy as the track was on restarts."
@RCR33CBowyer: "It just didn't work out the way we wanted it to. I am really proud of these guys on the No. 33 BB&T Chevrolet team. A great team effort."
@David_Ragan: Got the bad end of pit road at Dover today. Pushing it a little too hard. We had a good car I thought. We will get back on track this weekend.
@David_Ragan: Drew and our team have a great car for the All-Star race. We will make it in the big show this time around.
@NASCARBowles: Tony Stewart on radio: "I don't know what to ask for [on pit stop]. I got no ****ing confidence right now." #NASCAR
@jaywpennell: WOW, Fox actually going side-by-side for these commercials. Kudos to that. #NASCAR
@jaywpennell: Watching BASEketball on Netflix and never knew Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was in it as the taxi driver. "Can I go any faster?!"
Jay Pennell is an Assistant Editor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at jaywpennell@yahoo.com, and you can also check out his work at allleftturns.com or jaywpennell.blogspot.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Did You Notice? ... Split-Screen Cheering Gone Insane, NASCAR David Beats Goliath And Too Much Parity
by Tom Bowles
What If... Some Fun Possible Scenarios in NASCAR
by Beth Lunkenheimer
Mirror Driving: Tire Rubber Slicks, Empty Seats and Picking on Probationers
by the Frontstretch Staff
Beyond the Cockpit: Travis Kvapil on Bad Luck, No Luck, and Making His Own Luck
by Bryan Davis Keith
Top Ten Ways Recycling Your Cell Phone Can Help Sprint
by Jeff Meyer
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Dover
compiled by Mike Neff
~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1996, 56-year old Harry Gant, who had been retired from Winston Cup since the end of 1994, made a special guest appearance in The Winston. Why did this occur?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: In 1993, then-rookie Jeff Gordon was considered to be an early favorite to win The Winston. However, since he was a rookie, he had to race in through the Winston Open, and unfortunately, his night came to an early end. What happened?
A: Gordon spent much of the first 15 laps with Brett Bodine close in tow. Gordon eventually pulled away despite a loose condition. On Lap 23, Gordon drove his No. 24 into Turn 3 and just plain lost it. The DuPont Automotive Finishes Chevrolet swapped ends and went hard into the outside wall, putting Gordon out of the Open. The crash can be seen at the :35 mark of this clip.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- Shakedown Session by Brody Jones
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
MPM2Nite by Matt McLaughlin
Matt is back again this season with his sarcastic sense of humor ... and incomparable NASCAR insight.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Your favorite midwestern writer is back for another season of making you want to laugh, cry and even pull your hair out. Wanna know what he's writing about? So do we! Check in tomorrow to find out!
Potts' Shots by John Potts
Fanning the Flames has become Potts' Shots, and John Potts is here to answer your questions in our weekly Fan Q & A. Do you have something you'd like to ask John? Don't sit on the sidelines! Send it to john.potts@frontstretch.com, and you just may see your question in print next week!
Fantasy Insider by Brett Poirier
Did your fantasy racing team take a hit at Dover? Well, Brett has just what you need to know to turn things around when choosing your teams for the All-Star Race Saturday night.
5th Column TBA
------------------------------Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Phil Allaway
-- Shakedown Session by Brody Jones
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
MPM2Nite by Matt McLaughlin
Matt is back again this season with his sarcastic sense of humor ... and incomparable NASCAR insight.
Voices From the Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Your favorite midwestern writer is back for another season of making you want to laugh, cry and even pull your hair out. Wanna know what he's writing about? So do we! Check in tomorrow to find out!
Potts' Shots by John Potts
Fanning the Flames has become Potts' Shots, and John Potts is here to answer your questions in our weekly Fan Q & A. Do you have something you'd like to ask John? Don't sit on the sidelines! Send it to john.potts@frontstretch.com, and you just may see your question in print next week!
Fantasy Insider by Brett Poirier
Did your fantasy racing team take a hit at Dover? Well, Brett has just what you need to know to turn things around when choosing your teams for the All-Star Race Saturday night.
5th Column TBA
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2011 Frontstretch.com --
Feel free to forward this newsletter if you have any friends who loves
NASCAR and great NASCAR commentary. They can subscribe to the Frontstetch by visiting http://www.frontstretch.com/notice/9557/.
If you want to stop your Frontstretch Newsletter subscription, we're sorry
to see you go. Just send an email to
TheFrontstretch-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com from the address that you
recieve the Frontstretch Newsletter.
No comments:
Post a Comment