Bristol was like 1/2 full today? This is not a bash/slam NASCAR post but I know that there are some knowledgable people who visit this board. Seriously, what is it? Ratings and attendance have continued to slide the past 4,5 years at least.
One friend said when I asked him his opinion said, "they've made it so corporate... won't let the drivers say what they really think and won't let them settle disputes off the track without big fines..." Man I don't know, but this is really interesting to me. What's your serious opinion? Again, not a bash post.. but curious
A group of us used to have season tickets for Bristol. MY buddy gave them up about 10 or 12 years ago when it got super expensive, and got to be a pain to attend. We used to park the motor home within sight of the track for a reasonable price, and all of the sudden your parking a couple of miles away for $120. They were so greedy, they let people park in the aisles to use up every square inch. Saw a man have a heart attack and because responders could not get close, watched him get passed about 100 yards by fans trying to get him help. Kind of figured I could do a month of racing around here for that kind of cash, so I guess you could say it was a no brainer. One thing to remember, even with the empty seats, it still seats a lot of people.
My son and I used to do the night race but it got old and the place was fairly empty the last few years. Parking is high, along with most everything else, and wayy too much corporate crap going on. I don't give a crap about the pageantry because someone won some stupid contest, I wanna go in and watch some good racing and go. Not make a all day affair out of a few hour race.
Would help if the talent was also as great as advertised. Theres some good drivers but some shouldn't even be out there.
Corporate sponsors need people that sell products not win races. The drivers today are more like actors, do, say and give people what they want. Actually they are more of a sheep/actor clone. Stay in the herd, no following the beat of your own drum here. You need not win to be successful in Nascar, ask Danica how she's making out. Convenient yellows, gotta love them also. Not to mention Earnhardt dying, dislike nascar would watch anyhow to see Earnhardt drive.
The only racing I know that 40 cars are all in one pack and it's still boring. I got plenty more.
As the prices went up 15 or so years ago the quality of the product was declining. They made so many changes that took a lot of the real racing out of it that it has become near unwatchable. In 10 years I've gone from watching virtually every race on tv to just catching glimpses now and then. The product is just boring most of the time these days.
I get my racing fix at the dirt tracks. It seems that the dirt racing product is getting better all the time in terms of the quality of racing. Saw an outstanding late model mods and mowa sprint show at granite city Friday. There was a big crowd also!!
- Races take entirely too long these days. I don't want to sit on the couch for 4 hours to watch a race that's strung out on a mile and half track that has 12 of 40 cars finish on the lead lap where the only lead changes come during pitstops. Even at Daytona they just rode around the top all day single file until Hamlin decided to make a move in the last mile.
- Too many gimmicks. These "cautions" for a piece of debris or a water bottle that is on the apron that everyone knows is meant just to group the field back up or the need for a "caution clock" is absurd. Or how about giving Jr. his own update segment each quarter of the race. I understand he's the most popular but focus on the guys that will actually win the championship not him or Danica whose in the back fighting to stay on the lead lap. And then we have "The Chase" which is ridiculous. In that system you could win the first 35 races of the season but if your engine blows in race 36...you just finished 4th in the standings....but I can see how that could make a ton of sense (sarcasm)
- Not even half the field is competitive. You can guarantee a Gibbs, Hendrick, Penske or Stewart-Haas car is going to win. Yeah a blind squirrel may find a nut once in awhile but that still leaves 25 other cars there are out there just going in circles and only impact the race if leaders are in lapped traffic.
- Prices are way up, used to have tickets up at MIS, decent seats near the end of pit road which is where all the good cars are pitted. But for a race thats usually pretty strung out I'm not gonna pay $100 per ticket. That can get me in the gate at 4-5 USAC shows where I'll see more passing for the lead in heat race than I will in an entire 400 mile NASCAR race. If you're married and have a couple kids and wanna go to the races you're gonna pay damn near 500 just in tickets and to park...thats crazy.
There are a ton of things wrong and these are just a few that personally have turned me off of their product. Sure I'll flip over to watch the last few laps and to see what Yeley or Larson are doing but thats about the extent of my involvement with them.
