The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 29th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CXXIV
Top News
In the Indianapolis market, however, the race showed big gains. The event achieved a local rating of 15.0, an 8.7 percent increase from last year's 13.8. Final ratings are due later this week, where the Nielsen numbers will likely increase once smaller markets are accounted for.
"We haven't had any discussions with Tony beyond that (truck race)," O'Donnell said. "I wouldn't rule out looking at potential other venues for trucks, but I think for the most part, we want to keep the uniqueness of that event. It has been really successful.
"They have done a great job for us. They set the bar very high. But we like where we're at right now with it."
The statement comes despite a NASCAR Fan Council survey, released today that asks heavily about the future of dirt track racing in the sport, along with whether fans would like to see similar type of competition in Nationwide and Cup. No Eldora ratings were released, but sources say FOX Sports 1 handily beat ESPN and ESPN2 during the 8 PM - 11 PM primetime hours Wednesday while the race was on. Overall, the Truck Series audience has remained strong this season despite audience declines in both Nationwide and Cup.
~~~~~~~~~~
GOT A NASCAR QUESTION OR COMMENT? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
That's right; our Fan Q & A column is back once again in 2014. Send your question Summer Bedgood's way at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print on Thursday when she does her weekly column. It's all part of our daily mission to give back to you – the fans that keep Frontstretch afloat!
~~~~~~~~~~
Indianapolis Motor Speedway: A NASCAR Track Meant for All Time
Many years ago, I stopped at Cooperstown to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. While the displays filled with balls, gloves and jerseys added to my enjoyment of the sports nostalgia, it was the time I spent at Doubleday Field that enlivened the entire experience. Some little league teams took to the diamond for a scrimmage, and it didn't matter that there were no home runs or head-first slides into home plate. All that mattered is that the field lived through the actions of the sport it represents.
Along those same lines, Indianapolis Motor Speedway remains one of the world's hallmarks for automotive racing. It's undeniably the most recognizable track in America as for over 100 years, man and machine have rumbled over those bricks at the start/finish line. Their sweat, tears and grease have seeped into the asphalt, leaving a living pulse for fellow gearheads to wallow in when we visit this hallowed ground. The pagoda glows with an energy not to be matched anywhere else the command "Gentlemen, start your engines!" is given.
Yet, after the conclusion of Sunday's Brickyard 400, I was pretty much unimpressed with the afternoon's competition. Yes, I was thrilled with Gordon's 90th career victory, but it wasn't like there had been a whole lot of beatin' and bangin' over 160 laps. We experienced a blown tire, a broken axle, a couple of on-track passes for the lead... and that's about it. Those 400 miles, in the lexicon of the NASCAR fan, produced a yawner of a race. I did have a nice nap, thank you very much.
Thus, during a time of year when NASCAR is chewing over the track line-up for the 2015 Sprint Cup season, the question is always asked: Should we even be racing on a track that was never designed for stock cars and annually fails to present the kind of competition we look forward to watching?
Yes, we should, for all the reasons Little League teams take to Doubleday Field in Cooperstown. Indy breathes racing. Fast cars belong here. Fans will leave the crowded city streets behind, enter into the stately grandstands and inhale the atmosphere of blown engines and dreams. They will walk the yard of bricks, their fingers lingering over the rough surface, recalling the year when NASCAR first visited. Eyes will raise to the pylon, ears absorb the unique rumble that the tunnel-like frontstretch generates, and hearts race.
This track whispers to you. It speaks of lives lost and looks forward to a time when the next generation of fast machines will come. It is... Indy. It is immortal.
If there is one race that should never be removed from the schedule, the Brickyard 400 is it. When it comes down to ratings, TV deals, sponsorships and even ticket sales, this place simply doesn't enter into the calculation. It exists in bucket lists and dreams. There should always remain the opportunity for NASCAR fans to join the rest of the world in visiting this icon and see their heroes stand on its pavement, watch the green flag drop, and thrill to the checkers flying one more time.
We return to the flat rectangle in another year and if you've never visited, well, you should. The memories you'll build will remain with you for all time.
2014 Sonya Strictly by the Stats
Top Three Rookies for 2014 Brickyard 400
1.) No. 42 Kyle Larson - Started 15th, Finished 7th (1st in RoTY Standings)
2.) No. 3 Austin Dillon - Started 17th, Finished 10th (2nd in RoTY Standings)
3.) No. 51 Justin Allgaier - Started 31st, Finished 27th (3rd in RoTY Standings)
S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch and runs a NASCAR blog called the S-Curves. She can be reached via e-mail at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna and on her Facebook page (she's an author, too!) at https://www.facebook.com/Author.SDGrady.
0
0
1
2
2
3
4
5
7
12
15
$307,890
$309,151
Tom Bowles is the Editor-in-Chief of Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at tom.bowles@frontstretch.com.
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Early in the 1999 Pennsylvania 500, Ward Burton was a contender, leading 14 laps. However, his competitiveness for the day ended way too early. What happened?
Check back Wednesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Monday's Answer:
Q: The 1991 Miller Genuine Draft 500 was a rather slow affair, taking nearly four hours to run despite being stopped 21 laps short of the scheduled distance due to rain. However, Derrike Cope and Jimmy Spencer weren't on track for anywhere near four hours on this day. What happened?
Coming tomorrow in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from Ashley McCubbin
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Open-Wheel Wednesday by the Frontstretch Staff
Did You Notice?... by Tom Bowles
Amy steps up with 1,2,3,4,5 reasons you should be concerned about something going on in NASCAR this week.
NASCAR Mailbox by Kevin Rutherford
With Summer on vacation, Kevin steps in for our weekly session of answering questions from you, our loyal fans. Do you have a question or comment for Kevin? Don't be shy. Just send him an email (kevin.rutherford@frontstretch.com) and you might just see your name in print!
NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 after Indianapolis compiled by Michael Mehedin
Jeff Gordon re-assumed control of the standings with his second win of the year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, does that mean he's also at the top of the Power Rankings? Not necessarily. Find out how your favorite experts voted in the latest edition of our weekly poll.
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!
©2014 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.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Frontstretch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to thefrontstretch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
No comments:
Post a Comment