THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 13th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CXXXVI
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 13th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CXXXVI
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18 years since the death of Davey Allison... July 13th, 1993. NASCAR Nation never forgets :)
Top News
by Tom Bowles
Nationwide Crew Chiefs Penalized
Two underfunded teams are feeling the pinch this Tuesday, lighter in the pocketbook after NASCAR fined their crew chiefs for rule violations discovered during Opening Day practice at Kentucky Speedway.
Corrie Stott, owner and crew chief for the No. 02 car driven by Jamie Dick was nailed for an improperly attached weight found on his Chevrolet. Officials have penalized Stott with a fine of $10,000, also putting him on probation through August 17th for the infraction. NASCAR officials claimed Stott broke the following Sections of the NASCAR rulebook: 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by series officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20A – 2.3A (improperly attached weight).
Meanwhile, R3 Motorsports crew chief Walter Giles, in charge of the car driven by Robert Richardson, Jr. was punished for an improper intake manifold installed on that Chevrolet. The faulty part triggered a violation of Sections 12-1, 12-4-J, and 20A-5.9F (unapproved intake manifold) and caused officials to fine Giles $5,000; he is also on probation until August 17th.
Both men have the option to appeal their penalties; no points were lost as a result of either incident.
Coca-Cola Signs Onto Truck Series Event
The Coke brand, already heavily involved in NASCAR is spreading its wings into the Truck Series this Fall. On Tuesday, Talladega Superspeedway announced their October 22nd event would be renamed the Coca-Cola 250, Powered by Fred's that joins the soda company giant with a local merchandising store. It's the third event in the sport's top three divisions to be branded by Coca-Cola this year; this weekend's race from Iowa has been dubbed the Coca-Cola 200 and July's 400-miler at Daytona, a Sprint Cup event is annually named the Coke Zero 400.
Fred's Super Dollar will also play an active role in the agreement, giving away 250 pairs of tickets to the race leading up to the main event and 25 VIP experiences, special prize packages that include concession vouchers and additional at-track perks.
The event precedes the Sprint Cup race, one of the ten races inside the Chase for the Championship on October 23rd. Ironically, that event will be sponsored by AMP Energy, a drink manufactured by main soda rival PepsiCo.
The Latest On TrafficGate
News continued to flow from the Bluegrass State Tuesday, three days after snarling traffic kept tens of thousands of paying customers from attending Kentucky Speedway's inaugural Sprint Cup event. Governor Steve Beshear (D), who pledged to look into the issue Sunday has named Chief of Staff Mike Haydon to lead a full-scale investigation team. Haydon will manage a group comprised of the state police, the Transportation Cabinet and the track itself with the goal of identifying problems and coming up with solutions to solve any gridlock for next year's event.
However, Bruton Smith's contention that I-71 needs to be widened, a harsh criticism he pushed in the press over the weekend doesn't seem to be gaining steam. Beshear explained the roadway, two lanes on both sides is sufficient and blamed cars struggling to sneak into jammed parking lots, not the roadways itself for the bottleneck.
Hearings on the situation are set to begin in the Kentucky State Senate this September, led by Republican and possible contender for the governorship David Williams. On Monday, the track offered a free ticket exchange for paying customers who never made it into the race but have not offered a full refund for those who got turned away.
News Bites
- Our condolences to Keith Barnwell, spotter for Martin Truex, Jr. whose mother, Mary passed away Monday at age 75. Funeral services for Ms. Barnwell will be held Thursday, July 14th; fans interested in leaving condolences may do so at greer-mcelveenfuneralhome.com.
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
How the Mighty Have Fallen
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
For 80 years Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the pinnacle of motorsports venues. They ran one race every year and dominated the entire month of May with practice, qualifying and the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. The track broke from tradition in 1994 and added the Brickyard 400 to their menu, but still set themselves apart by having a huge purse for the unique event.
After five years of running the two events the first step away from the top of the heap was taken when the IROC series ran at the world famous speedway in 1999. That was followed by the addition of a road course for the Formula 1 series in 2000 and the facility simply became just another race track. Now, they have been reduced to not only just another race track but a facility that is scrambling, practically begging fans to come and attend activities at the track. Tony Hulman is certainly turning over in his grave.
The racing at IMS is not spectacular--it never has been. Sure there has been the occasional nail biter over the years but for the most part the 2.5-mile oval is not designed to promote side-by-side, fender banging excitement or three wide to the checkered flag finishes. The track was originally designed as a test for machines to find out who could survive to the finish of the race. Just making a vehicle last 500 miles was a major accomplishment and passing other cars to try and get into the lead of the race was a secondary thought.
Over the years, after Tony Hulman purchased the Speedway and built it into the largest single day sporting event in the world, the race became a destination, a bucket list item. The race was part of the spectacle but it wasn't THE spectacle. Adding the Cup series to the docket didn't dilute the product because NASCAR, at the time, was the fastest growing sport in the country and the fan base was completely different from the fan base of Indy cars. By offering a huge purse and playing on the history of the speedway the NASCAR race actually enhanced the aura of the facility and added it to the bucket list of a few million more people. Once the Speedway added another series to the mix the uniqueness and luster began to come off of the complex.
The split between the IRL and CART most certainly played a roll in the addition of the other series to the schedule as Tony George was using the profits from the track to support his fledgling racing series. With attendance at the 500 cut dramatically after the 1996 IRL/CART split George needed to come up with more revenue to ensure his series would survive and ultimately win out in the battle for open wheel fans. Adding IROC and Formula 1 brought additional income to the track, although the expenditures to make the facility acceptable to F1 were substantial and took some time to recoup. IROC ran at the track until 2003 when the series itself shut down and F1 ran there until 2008 when the sanctioning body decided not to return. The track brought in Moto GP to fill the void from the loss of F1 but certainly didn't bring in the crowds that the most famous racing series in the world commanded.
The same year Moto GP arrived the track devoured the tires on NASCAR's new car design for the Cup series and resulted in one of the biggest racing debacles in the history of the sport. A caution filled, staged race left fans with a very bad taste in their mouth that has left the track with continually dwindling attendance and an image problem that is making it harder and harder for them to get fans to the track. Add in the addition of race tracks in Chicago and Kentucky and the fans have options about when and where they'll go attend a race. The greatest speedway on the planet is now scrambling to put fans in the seats and the result has become a grab at any cost to put on more events instead of following the old adage of offering just less than what is demanded.
The track has added a Grand Am race for the 2012 Brickyard weekend and has pilfered the Nationwide race from Lucas Oil Raceway in an attempt to convince fans that a racing weekend is more of a destination than a single race, even though many of those fans already attended the Nationwide race and are most likely not going to attend the race at the big track because the competition will not be nearly as good, not to mention the race at the local track on the west side of town had been held every year since the series, then known as the Busch series, had been in existence.
And if that wasn't pathetic enough, the Speedway is trying to make a grab for the fans who were treated to a less than enjoyable Kentucky Speedway experience last weekend. While it is admirable for the track to extend an offer to the fans who had a bad experience, the offer is half hearted. Last year's Brickyard race had an estimated crowd of a little less than 140,000, although it was probably even less than that. This year will probably be in the 80,000 range based on the continuous downward trend for the event. The Speedway could have offered the fans a free ticket to the Brickyard and probably only given away 40,000 tickets at the most.
But instead they're offering a ticket to practice or a discount for qualifying for the race and free parking. Mind you that is a deal based on the prices of the tickets and parking, but the track is trying to reinvigorate excitement for the main event. Putting people in the stands for the big race will not only potentially bring them back next year but it will also result in concession sales and souvenir sales. Once again the track is proving that they don't understand the basic premise of promoting, that a butt in a seat is worth more than an empty seat, and they're missing a great opportunity to increase interest in their struggling event.
Indianapolis was the pinnacle of motorsports for decades. Drivers from around the world would come to race at the track just to say they had competed there. Fans would make pilgrimages to the track, some even when no event was scheduled, just to say they'd been there. Then the almighty dollar took over and the uniqueness of the track was frittered away, ultimately lumping it in with every other track that hosts major racing events all year long. The Indianapolis 500 still draws a big crowd but that is mostly because the race is blacked out in most of the state of Indiana so local fans have to either attend the race in person or watch it on tape delay. Whatever the case may be the feeble attempts to increase attendance at the Brickyard 400 weekend are going to backfire on the management of the track and hopefully they'll understand that after the first year of the Nationwide event when there are only 10,000 fans in the 250,000 permanent seats. Sometimes less is more and in the case of Indianapolis Motor Speedway less racing would put more fans in the seats.
One final note, the rumor is that the Nationwide race never left Raceway Park while Tony George was in charge of the Speedway because he would not be a bad neighbor to a fellow race track in the area. If that is the case then kudos are offered to the former head of IMS. It is a shame that the people who booted you out don't have the same class as you do.
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
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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...
@AllWaltrip (Darrell Waltrip): the crowd at Ky tonight is the largest crowd I've seen in years,I knew cup racing in Ky would be big,I had no idea it would be this big !
@dennyhamlin: Good news bad news/ bad news is I'm prolly not gonna make the drivers meeting in 3 hrs because I'm in this traffic with everyone else
@dennyhamlin: I think everyone should lay on their horns at the same time. Ready Set Go!!!!
@dennyhamlin: 20 bucks to the first of my followers to find me In traffic. Will send pic to confirm
@BrianLVickers: Thx 2 all the great fans 4 coming out tonight. I apologize on behalf of our sport 4 all the traffic problems, It was unacceptable bullshit!
@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): Reading thru a lot of angry tweets from last night (rightfully so). keep in mind that NASCAR doesn't control the tracks or traffic patterns.
@keselowski: I really want to feel bad for the speedway, but i just can't. How could they not see this coming? Was 11 years lead time really not enough?
@keselowski: Even Bruton Smith & Company had 3 years of ownership and planning to get this right and failed... Weird.
@keselowski: Chalk it up to lessons learned... For those fans that want a mid-west race track expierience with tolerable traffic, try Michigan speedway.
@keselowski Even Big Bill France knew when he built race tracks they had to have roads/support from the state. #SeeTalladega #AheadofHisTime
@jjyeley1 (JJ Yeley): I feel bad for all the fans that had to endure 4+ hours of traffic to get to the track.Thank you for trying and for being the best fans EVER
@keithrodden (Red Bull Racing No. 4 Engineer): It'd be awesome if there was a way to get fans that didn't make it last night complimentary tickets to the brickyard. #NASCAR
@jjyeley1: I think it is only fair for everyone responsible for this weeks race to man up and take care of the fans who got screwed
@MikeCalinoff (Mike Calinoff): For those of you who are still in traffic waiting to get into @KYSpeedway, feel free to sit wherever you'd like. #fb
@JimmieJohnson: Is there anyone still stuck in traffic? #Ihopenot!
@AllWaltrip: good morning everyone,I'm just one guy but I will work tirelessly for the next year to help fix the traffic problems we had last night !
@AllWaltrip: Bruton Smith owns many racetracks, he will work with Gov. Beshear to get things right, we have a year to make changes, they'll get it right !
@AllWaltrip hope: we don't lose sight of the fact Ky now has a cup race, it's the first new race date in 10 years, fix the problems we have for the future !
@Kenny_Wallace: When we come back to Kentucky Speedway NEXT YEAR traffic will be "PERFECT" Race track knows there reputation is on the line.
@ericmcclure: Apparently No truth to rumor that upon hearing about the traffic issue @ Ky, charlie sheen calls Bruton and congratulates him on #winning.
@3widemiddle (Chris Lambert): Only thing I'm gonna say about Kentucky is...I hate it for the fans! They are the ones who suffered, they paid their hard earned $ (Cont)
@3widemiddle: To have to suffer thru all the headaches, us crew guys & media had go endure it too, BUT, we were being paid to be there. It's part of the job
@31n2Spotter (Brett Griffin): @3widemiddle agree and think we are all standing up for them and the experience we feel they deserve.
@3widemiddle: Hope ALL the fans know that I, and a lot of my friends in the garage truly appreciate you coming to the races you can attend, PLEASE (Cont)
@3widemiddle: Don't let your experience last night drive you away from our sport. You guys are the reason we are on road 38+ weeks a year. (Cont)
@3widemiddle: We love to race & do the jobs we each do, but it's because of you guys that we are allowed to do it. THANKS to each & every one of you!!
@31n2Spotter: I don't know where 20,000 people would have sat. I haven't seen the stands that full all year! It was a beautiful sight... #nascar
@Tjmajors: So tired. Was thinking about Kentucky more, they need to do some major updating before they should get another race.
@Tjmajors: Kentucky problems. Traffic. Parking. Huge unused areas in garage. Lack of water? 1 elevator that broke. Needs more racing lanes.
@Tjmajors: Race was at 7:30. Garage opened at 2. Crews leaving hotel at 11:30 just to make it on time. Not cool.
@Elliott_Sadler: I can't say sorry enough to the fans who went thru traffic issues..we all understand that without fans coming to races...we have nothing
@Elliott_Sadler: Nascar is full of amazing people that will hopefully make this right..we appreciate every single fan and you deserve our best effort
@31n2Spotter: NASCAR Teams are free enterprise! Wanna race? Cmon.
@31n2Spotter: Obtaining events to host top 3 series are not! Equivalent to franchising. Don't franchise to venue that's not ready. Lesson learned, I hope
@NASCARBowles (Tom Bowles): #NASCAR Here's your latest Kentucky Speedway traffic report (er, statement, courtesy track General Manager Mark (cont) http://tl.gd/blgdl0
@NASCARBowles: A "we're sorry" in there would have been nice. Still goes a long way in this world... #NASCAR plus it's not from Bruton.
@dennyhamlin: ok question.. the 24 car finished 1.972 sec off the leader.. i was 1.971. how did i finish behind him? @NASCAR
@JeffGordonWeb (Jeff Gordon): @dennyhamlin Not sure either DH but I'm guessing the camera showed different. #JG @NASCAR
@CandiceSpencer (Lee Spencer, FoxSports.com): @dennyhamlin Here's your response from Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition, says "it's all about photo not transponders."
@Brendan62 (Brendan Gaughan): Hey everybody, the Onion, Mr. Todd Bodine, is now on Twitter! RT @Team_Onion Todd is now on twitter.
@2Spotter (Joey Meier): Airport guy expressed his disappointment about losing IRP next yr. He said" you can watch Brickyrd better on the radio"..#ThatsFunny
@jjyeley1: In case you haven't heard, I will be driving the 38 FRM car in Loudon filling in for Travis Kvapil. I am excited about getting to go race.
@AndyLally: Hope Solo is the next Lyndsey Vonn. #truth ..... My little Sis thinks I tweet to much about pretty women.
@Kenny_Wallace: Ok! I swear on a stack of bibles this "I have no idea who Jim Utter is, Who is he?..I have heard his name but what does he do?
@Kenny_Wallace: That's why I don't know him, I don't receive the paper, everyone says the same thing about him #Bitterperson
@NASCARBowles: Senate hearings and crazy apologies and track presidents criticizing other tracks... wow. Is this #NASCAR or a soap opera in disguise?
@Team_Onion (Todd Bodine): Still no sponsor for Iowa. Coach packed n ready to drive team. Making tons of calls
@ABestwickESPN (Allen Bestwick): Remembering my friend BP on his birthday. Great driver, great broadcaster, great friend. And greatly missed.
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.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Did You Notice? ... Midseason Oddities, Risk Takers, And The Trouble With Turning 40
by Tom Bowles
Mirror Driving: Junior's Contract, Kentucky Blame Games and Iowa Ignorance?
by the Frontstretch Staff
2011: The Year of the (Lame) Duck?
by Vito Pugliese
Beyond The Cockpit: Ricky Carmichael Gauges His Progress
by Phil Allaway
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Kentucky
compiled by Mike Neff
Remembering Davey Allison: Part One
by Matt McLaughlin
Top Ten Things SMI and Bruton Smith Are Offering Disgruntled Fans
by Jeff Meyer
The Frontstretch Foto Funnies! Kentucky, July 2011
by Kurt Smith
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
18 years since the death of Davey Allison... July 13th, 1993. NASCAR Nation never forgets :)
Top News
by Tom Bowles
Nationwide Crew Chiefs Penalized
Two underfunded teams are feeling the pinch this Tuesday, lighter in the pocketbook after NASCAR fined their crew chiefs for rule violations discovered during Opening Day practice at Kentucky Speedway.
Corrie Stott, owner and crew chief for the No. 02 car driven by Jamie Dick was nailed for an improperly attached weight found on his Chevrolet. Officials have penalized Stott with a fine of $10,000, also putting him on probation through August 17th for the infraction. NASCAR officials claimed Stott broke the following Sections of the NASCAR rulebook: 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by series officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20A – 2.3A (improperly attached weight).
Meanwhile, R3 Motorsports crew chief Walter Giles, in charge of the car driven by Robert Richardson, Jr. was punished for an improper intake manifold installed on that Chevrolet. The faulty part triggered a violation of Sections 12-1, 12-4-J, and 20A-5.9F (unapproved intake manifold) and caused officials to fine Giles $5,000; he is also on probation until August 17th.
Both men have the option to appeal their penalties; no points were lost as a result of either incident.
Coca-Cola Signs Onto Truck Series Event
The Coke brand, already heavily involved in NASCAR is spreading its wings into the Truck Series this Fall. On Tuesday, Talladega Superspeedway announced their October 22nd event would be renamed the Coca-Cola 250, Powered by Fred's that joins the soda company giant with a local merchandising store. It's the third event in the sport's top three divisions to be branded by Coca-Cola this year; this weekend's race from Iowa has been dubbed the Coca-Cola 200 and July's 400-miler at Daytona, a Sprint Cup event is annually named the Coke Zero 400.
Fred's Super Dollar will also play an active role in the agreement, giving away 250 pairs of tickets to the race leading up to the main event and 25 VIP experiences, special prize packages that include concession vouchers and additional at-track perks.
The event precedes the Sprint Cup race, one of the ten races inside the Chase for the Championship on October 23rd. Ironically, that event will be sponsored by AMP Energy, a drink manufactured by main soda rival PepsiCo.
The Latest On TrafficGate
News continued to flow from the Bluegrass State Tuesday, three days after snarling traffic kept tens of thousands of paying customers from attending Kentucky Speedway's inaugural Sprint Cup event. Governor Steve Beshear (D), who pledged to look into the issue Sunday has named Chief of Staff Mike Haydon to lead a full-scale investigation team. Haydon will manage a group comprised of the state police, the Transportation Cabinet and the track itself with the goal of identifying problems and coming up with solutions to solve any gridlock for next year's event.
However, Bruton Smith's contention that I-71 needs to be widened, a harsh criticism he pushed in the press over the weekend doesn't seem to be gaining steam. Beshear explained the roadway, two lanes on both sides is sufficient and blamed cars struggling to sneak into jammed parking lots, not the roadways itself for the bottleneck.
Hearings on the situation are set to begin in the Kentucky State Senate this September, led by Republican and possible contender for the governorship David Williams. On Monday, the track offered a free ticket exchange for paying customers who never made it into the race but have not offered a full refund for those who got turned away.
News Bites
- Our condolences to Keith Barnwell, spotter for Martin Truex, Jr. whose mother, Mary passed away Monday at age 75. Funeral services for Ms. Barnwell will be held Thursday, July 14th; fans interested in leaving condolences may do so at greer-mcelveenfuneralhome.com.
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
How the Mighty Have Fallen
Full Throttle
by Mike Neff
For 80 years Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the pinnacle of motorsports venues. They ran one race every year and dominated the entire month of May with practice, qualifying and the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. The track broke from tradition in 1994 and added the Brickyard 400 to their menu, but still set themselves apart by having a huge purse for the unique event.
After five years of running the two events the first step away from the top of the heap was taken when the IROC series ran at the world famous speedway in 1999. That was followed by the addition of a road course for the Formula 1 series in 2000 and the facility simply became just another race track. Now, they have been reduced to not only just another race track but a facility that is scrambling, practically begging fans to come and attend activities at the track. Tony Hulman is certainly turning over in his grave.
The racing at IMS is not spectacular--it never has been. Sure there has been the occasional nail biter over the years but for the most part the 2.5-mile oval is not designed to promote side-by-side, fender banging excitement or three wide to the checkered flag finishes. The track was originally designed as a test for machines to find out who could survive to the finish of the race. Just making a vehicle last 500 miles was a major accomplishment and passing other cars to try and get into the lead of the race was a secondary thought.
Over the years, after Tony Hulman purchased the Speedway and built it into the largest single day sporting event in the world, the race became a destination, a bucket list item. The race was part of the spectacle but it wasn't THE spectacle. Adding the Cup series to the docket didn't dilute the product because NASCAR, at the time, was the fastest growing sport in the country and the fan base was completely different from the fan base of Indy cars. By offering a huge purse and playing on the history of the speedway the NASCAR race actually enhanced the aura of the facility and added it to the bucket list of a few million more people. Once the Speedway added another series to the mix the uniqueness and luster began to come off of the complex.
The split between the IRL and CART most certainly played a roll in the addition of the other series to the schedule as Tony George was using the profits from the track to support his fledgling racing series. With attendance at the 500 cut dramatically after the 1996 IRL/CART split George needed to come up with more revenue to ensure his series would survive and ultimately win out in the battle for open wheel fans. Adding IROC and Formula 1 brought additional income to the track, although the expenditures to make the facility acceptable to F1 were substantial and took some time to recoup. IROC ran at the track until 2003 when the series itself shut down and F1 ran there until 2008 when the sanctioning body decided not to return. The track brought in Moto GP to fill the void from the loss of F1 but certainly didn't bring in the crowds that the most famous racing series in the world commanded.
The same year Moto GP arrived the track devoured the tires on NASCAR's new car design for the Cup series and resulted in one of the biggest racing debacles in the history of the sport. A caution filled, staged race left fans with a very bad taste in their mouth that has left the track with continually dwindling attendance and an image problem that is making it harder and harder for them to get fans to the track. Add in the addition of race tracks in Chicago and Kentucky and the fans have options about when and where they'll go attend a race. The greatest speedway on the planet is now scrambling to put fans in the seats and the result has become a grab at any cost to put on more events instead of following the old adage of offering just less than what is demanded.
The track has added a Grand Am race for the 2012 Brickyard weekend and has pilfered the Nationwide race from Lucas Oil Raceway in an attempt to convince fans that a racing weekend is more of a destination than a single race, even though many of those fans already attended the Nationwide race and are most likely not going to attend the race at the big track because the competition will not be nearly as good, not to mention the race at the local track on the west side of town had been held every year since the series, then known as the Busch series, had been in existence.
And if that wasn't pathetic enough, the Speedway is trying to make a grab for the fans who were treated to a less than enjoyable Kentucky Speedway experience last weekend. While it is admirable for the track to extend an offer to the fans who had a bad experience, the offer is half hearted. Last year's Brickyard race had an estimated crowd of a little less than 140,000, although it was probably even less than that. This year will probably be in the 80,000 range based on the continuous downward trend for the event. The Speedway could have offered the fans a free ticket to the Brickyard and probably only given away 40,000 tickets at the most.
But instead they're offering a ticket to practice or a discount for qualifying for the race and free parking. Mind you that is a deal based on the prices of the tickets and parking, but the track is trying to reinvigorate excitement for the main event. Putting people in the stands for the big race will not only potentially bring them back next year but it will also result in concession sales and souvenir sales. Once again the track is proving that they don't understand the basic premise of promoting, that a butt in a seat is worth more than an empty seat, and they're missing a great opportunity to increase interest in their struggling event.
Indianapolis was the pinnacle of motorsports for decades. Drivers from around the world would come to race at the track just to say they had competed there. Fans would make pilgrimages to the track, some even when no event was scheduled, just to say they'd been there. Then the almighty dollar took over and the uniqueness of the track was frittered away, ultimately lumping it in with every other track that hosts major racing events all year long. The Indianapolis 500 still draws a big crowd but that is mostly because the race is blacked out in most of the state of Indiana so local fans have to either attend the race in person or watch it on tape delay. Whatever the case may be the feeble attempts to increase attendance at the Brickyard 400 weekend are going to backfire on the management of the track and hopefully they'll understand that after the first year of the Nationwide event when there are only 10,000 fans in the 250,000 permanent seats. Sometimes less is more and in the case of Indianapolis Motor Speedway less racing would put more fans in the seats.
One final note, the rumor is that the Nationwide race never left Raceway Park while Tony George was in charge of the Speedway because he would not be a bad neighbor to a fellow race track in the area. If that is the case then kudos are offered to the former head of IMS. It is a shame that the people who booted you out don't have the same class as you do.
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...
@AllWaltrip (Darrell Waltrip): the crowd at Ky tonight is the largest crowd I've seen in years,I knew cup racing in Ky would be big,I had no idea it would be this big !
@dennyhamlin: Good news bad news/ bad news is I'm prolly not gonna make the drivers meeting in 3 hrs because I'm in this traffic with everyone else
@dennyhamlin: I think everyone should lay on their horns at the same time. Ready Set Go!!!!
@dennyhamlin: 20 bucks to the first of my followers to find me In traffic. Will send pic to confirm
@BrianLVickers: Thx 2 all the great fans 4 coming out tonight. I apologize on behalf of our sport 4 all the traffic problems, It was unacceptable bullshit!
@keselowski (Brad Keselowski): Reading thru a lot of angry tweets from last night (rightfully so). keep in mind that NASCAR doesn't control the tracks or traffic patterns.
@keselowski: I really want to feel bad for the speedway, but i just can't. How could they not see this coming? Was 11 years lead time really not enough?
@keselowski: Even Bruton Smith & Company had 3 years of ownership and planning to get this right and failed... Weird.
@keselowski: Chalk it up to lessons learned... For those fans that want a mid-west race track expierience with tolerable traffic, try Michigan speedway.
@keselowski Even Big Bill France knew when he built race tracks they had to have roads/support from the state. #SeeTalladega #AheadofHisTime
@jjyeley1 (JJ Yeley): I feel bad for all the fans that had to endure 4+ hours of traffic to get to the track.Thank you for trying and for being the best fans EVER
@keithrodden (Red Bull Racing No. 4 Engineer): It'd be awesome if there was a way to get fans that didn't make it last night complimentary tickets to the brickyard. #NASCAR
@jjyeley1: I think it is only fair for everyone responsible for this weeks race to man up and take care of the fans who got screwed
@MikeCalinoff (Mike Calinoff): For those of you who are still in traffic waiting to get into @KYSpeedway, feel free to sit wherever you'd like. #fb
@JimmieJohnson: Is there anyone still stuck in traffic? #Ihopenot!
@AllWaltrip: good morning everyone,I'm just one guy but I will work tirelessly for the next year to help fix the traffic problems we had last night !
@AllWaltrip: Bruton Smith owns many racetracks, he will work with Gov. Beshear to get things right, we have a year to make changes, they'll get it right !
@AllWaltrip hope: we don't lose sight of the fact Ky now has a cup race, it's the first new race date in 10 years, fix the problems we have for the future !
@Kenny_Wallace: When we come back to Kentucky Speedway NEXT YEAR traffic will be "PERFECT" Race track knows there reputation is on the line.
@ericmcclure: Apparently No truth to rumor that upon hearing about the traffic issue @ Ky, charlie sheen calls Bruton and congratulates him on #winning.
@3widemiddle (Chris Lambert): Only thing I'm gonna say about Kentucky is...I hate it for the fans! They are the ones who suffered, they paid their hard earned $ (Cont)
@3widemiddle: To have to suffer thru all the headaches, us crew guys & media had go endure it too, BUT, we were being paid to be there. It's part of the job
@31n2Spotter (Brett Griffin): @3widemiddle agree and think we are all standing up for them and the experience we feel they deserve.
@3widemiddle: Hope ALL the fans know that I, and a lot of my friends in the garage truly appreciate you coming to the races you can attend, PLEASE (Cont)
@3widemiddle: Don't let your experience last night drive you away from our sport. You guys are the reason we are on road 38+ weeks a year. (Cont)
@3widemiddle: We love to race & do the jobs we each do, but it's because of you guys that we are allowed to do it. THANKS to each & every one of you!!
@31n2Spotter: I don't know where 20,000 people would have sat. I haven't seen the stands that full all year! It was a beautiful sight... #nascar
@Tjmajors: So tired. Was thinking about Kentucky more, they need to do some major updating before they should get another race.
@Tjmajors: Kentucky problems. Traffic. Parking. Huge unused areas in garage. Lack of water? 1 elevator that broke. Needs more racing lanes.
@Tjmajors: Race was at 7:30. Garage opened at 2. Crews leaving hotel at 11:30 just to make it on time. Not cool.
@Elliott_Sadler: I can't say sorry enough to the fans who went thru traffic issues..we all understand that without fans coming to races...we have nothing
@Elliott_Sadler: Nascar is full of amazing people that will hopefully make this right..we appreciate every single fan and you deserve our best effort
@31n2Spotter: NASCAR Teams are free enterprise! Wanna race? Cmon.
@31n2Spotter: Obtaining events to host top 3 series are not! Equivalent to franchising. Don't franchise to venue that's not ready. Lesson learned, I hope
@NASCARBowles (Tom Bowles): #NASCAR Here's your latest Kentucky Speedway traffic report (er, statement, courtesy track General Manager Mark (cont) http://tl.gd/blgdl0
@NASCARBowles: A "we're sorry" in there would have been nice. Still goes a long way in this world... #NASCAR plus it's not from Bruton.
@dennyhamlin: ok question.. the 24 car finished 1.972 sec off the leader.. i was 1.971. how did i finish behind him? @NASCAR
@JeffGordonWeb (Jeff Gordon): @dennyhamlin Not sure either DH but I'm guessing the camera showed different. #JG @NASCAR
@CandiceSpencer (Lee Spencer, FoxSports.com): @dennyhamlin Here's your response from Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition, says "it's all about photo not transponders."
@Brendan62 (Brendan Gaughan): Hey everybody, the Onion, Mr. Todd Bodine, is now on Twitter! RT @Team_Onion Todd is now on twitter.
@2Spotter (Joey Meier): Airport guy expressed his disappointment about losing IRP next yr. He said" you can watch Brickyrd better on the radio"..#ThatsFunny
@jjyeley1: In case you haven't heard, I will be driving the 38 FRM car in Loudon filling in for Travis Kvapil. I am excited about getting to go race.
@AndyLally: Hope Solo is the next Lyndsey Vonn. #truth ..... My little Sis thinks I tweet to much about pretty women.
@Kenny_Wallace: Ok! I swear on a stack of bibles this "I have no idea who Jim Utter is, Who is he?..I have heard his name but what does he do?
@Kenny_Wallace: That's why I don't know him, I don't receive the paper, everyone says the same thing about him #Bitterperson
@NASCARBowles: Senate hearings and crazy apologies and track presidents criticizing other tracks... wow. Is this #NASCAR or a soap opera in disguise?
@Team_Onion (Todd Bodine): Still no sponsor for Iowa. Coach packed n ready to drive team. Making tons of calls
@ABestwickESPN (Allen Bestwick): Remembering my friend BP on his birthday. Great driver, great broadcaster, great friend. And greatly missed.
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.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Did You Notice? ... Midseason Oddities, Risk Takers, And The Trouble With Turning 40
by Tom Bowles
Mirror Driving: Junior's Contract, Kentucky Blame Games and Iowa Ignorance?
by the Frontstretch Staff
2011: The Year of the (Lame) Duck?
by Vito Pugliese
Beyond The Cockpit: Ricky Carmichael Gauges His Progress
by Phil Allaway
Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Kentucky
compiled by Mike Neff
Remembering Davey Allison: Part One
by Matt McLaughlin
Top Ten Things SMI and Bruton Smith Are Offering Disgruntled Fans
by Jeff Meyer
The Frontstretch Foto Funnies! Kentucky, July 2011
by Kurt Smith
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Prior to the then-New Hampshire International Speedway being built for 1990, what was the area best known for, racing-wise?
Check back Thursday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Tuesday's Answer:
Tuesday's Answer:
Q: Over the years, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has had plenty of issues with pavement in the turns. In the late 1990's, the Bahre's appeared to have a solution: A special pavement. Where was this asphalt from?
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 TBA
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 Kentucky? Well, Brett has just what you need to know to turn things around when choosing your teams for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Sunday afternoon from New Hampshire.
5th Column TBA by Mark Powell
Our professor of racing history "has at it" with another column pertinent to the sport at large.
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