What's up with the anemic crowd at the Brickyard ?

[Leadeye]

Bernie (F-1) is being Pro-Active to dwindling crowds. He is speaking out about going backwards to Flat bottom cars, Wide tires, 1000 HP V-10's. Drive the cars.

NAPCAR needs to step back in time as well but the damage may well be done.

Superbirds FTW!

 

[femurphy77]

I went to the inaugural 400 race and again in 2008 and the place was packed both times.

Has NASCAR effectively crapped in their own punch bowl ?

Purely conjecture on my part but; I was a NASCAR fan long before it became "cool". I'm guessing that starting sometimes during the mid to late '80's NASCAR suddenly became cool and EVERYONE was suddenly a NASCAR fan. Suddenly NASCAR was a reality show and doomed to certain failure as other reality shows ran their course and faded into obscurity. I just hope that it doesn't disappear completely but returns to the NASCAR I used to know and love. As far as the Brickyard, my own personal experience with this race has more to do with the track. IMS has a history, there is no doubt about that but history isn't enough to guarantee to survival. IMS must do something if they are to grow into the next 100 years. Expanding out to embrace the NASCAR race was a good move, the F1 while a lot of fun just wasn't meant to work in this area as I suspect the motorcycle race and the vintage races now held there. I think that IMS' biggest problem is the inability to see the track from everywhere at the track. I love Daytona, Martinsville or any of the other tracks where the spectator can actually see the track from every seat in the arena. If I wanted to watch it on a big screen t.v. as you must at IMS then I'll watch it at home in the A.C., with my clean bathrooms, my refrigerator and my ice cold fairly priced beer.

This is why I won't see another race at IMS, NASCAR or otherwise.

 

[vvet762]

Go fast, turn left. How boring is that?

 

[miguel]

Bernie (F-1) is being Pro-Active to dwindling crowds. He is speaking out about going backwards to Flat bottom cars, Wide tires, 1000 HP V-10's. Drive the cars.

NAPCAR needs to step back in time as well but the damage may well be done.

Bring back the power slide!

And c'mon guys, take it easy on IROC, I used to like that!

 

[churchmouse]

Purely conjecture on my part but; I was a NASCAR fan long before it became "cool". I'm guessing that starting sometimes during the mid to late '80's NASCAR suddenly became cool and EVERYONE was suddenly a NASCAR fan. Suddenly NASCAR was a reality show and doomed to certain failure as other reality shows ran their course and faded into obscurity. I just hope that it doesn't disappear completely but returns to the NASCAR I used to know and love. As far as the Brickyard, my own personal experience with this race has more to do with the track. IMS has a history, there is no doubt about that but history isn't enough to guarantee to survival. IMS must do something if they are to grow into the next 100 years. Expanding out to embrace the NASCAR race was a good move, the F1 while a lot of fun just wasn't meant to work in this area as I suspect the motorcycle race and the vintage races now held there. I think that IMS' biggest problem is the inability to see the track from everywhere at the track. I love Daytona, Martinsville or any of the other tracks where the spectator can actually see the track from every seat in the arena. If I wanted to watch it on a big screen t.v. as you must at IMS then I'll watch it at home in the A.C., with my clean bathrooms, my refrigerator and my ice cold fairly priced beer.

This is why I won't see another race at IMS, NASCAR or otherwise.

Turn the starting field around and run them on the road course. That would be a race.......JMHO of course.

 

[Bigtanker]

Bring back the power slide!

And c'mon guys, take it easy on IROC, I used to like that!

I likes it for the fact there were other kinds of racers involved. Drag racers, off road guys etc. That was exciting.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

I think it might have something to do with them moving the races to premium channels. I miss about half the season because I do not get FS1 or NBCSN, the more races I miss, the less I care about the sport. I used to be a die hard fan, but now I barely follow the sport.

 

[Super Bee]

Superbirds FTW!

I like the way you think. Bring back the Superbirds and the Daytonas.

 

[Classic]

The way they choose drivers is also a problem. They have to be skilled drivers but they also HAVE to be "presentable" to the public. in otherwords, nice appearance, well spoken and good behavior. All about the commercial marketability for the sponsors. I do wish they would just bring back stock car racing.

 

[BFP]

OK, I know I'm going to catch hell for this, but here goes. NASCAR has created a spec series. IndyCar following NASCAR's lead and seeing their success and IndyCar's lack thereof after the CART/USAC split, Tony George created an open wheel NASCAR. They all run the same engines, the same chassis, in NASCAR you can put whatever stickers on them you like, but they're still all the same car.

Growing up I loved the champ cars, it was the high tech developmental aspect of it. You run what you brung. Unfortunately the last bastion of technology and development among top tier racing leagues is Formula 1. Unfortunately F1's ownership is a senile old man who knows diddly squat about promotion. The real question is how long is it going to take for sponsors to get the message?

 

[Thegeek]

People have learned it's much more enjoyable and cheaper to drink beer and grill at home with the race on the TV. Blackouts will come next.....

 

[mike45]

I think it might have something to do with them moving the races to premium channels. I miss about half the season because I do not get FS1 or NBCSN, the more races I miss, the less I care about the sport. I used to be a die hard fan, but now I barely follow the sport.

You hit the nail on the head.....

I was following nascar before any race was on tv. Bill france sr. Always said they should race only when the local tracks were not.
He knew where the heart of the sport was.

 

[churchmouse]

The way they choose drivers is also a problem. They have to be skilled drivers but they also HAVE to be "presentable" to the public. in otherwords, nice appearance, well spoken and good behavior. All about the commercial marketability for the sponsors. I do wish they would just bring back stock car racing.

A lot of the drivers today bring sponser's with them Some have bottomless check books. Skills are not the only thing.

 

[churchmouse]

OK, I know I'm going to catch hell for this, but here goes. NASCAR has created a spec series. IndyCar following NASCAR's lead and seeing their success and IndyCar's lack thereof after the CART/USAC split, Tony George created an open wheel NASCAR. They all run the same engines, the same chassis, in NASCAR you can put whatever stickers on them you like, but they're still all the same car.

Growing up I loved the champ cars, it was the high tech developmental aspect of it. You run what you brung. Unfortunately the last bastion of technology and development among top tier racing leagues is Formula 1. Unfortunately F1's ownership is a senile old man who knows diddly squat about promotion. The real question is how long is it going to take for sponsors to get the message?

When these series were very successful many of the teams ran out of 1 car shops down on Gasoline alley and extended garages on private property.

With corporate PC dollars flying around the Taj-Mahal racing shops and transporters have pushed the small "Real" racers out. Now it is all about the show. The heart has been removed from racing.

 

[Denny347]

I think the race needs more transgender drivers.

Danica's racing right?

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Danica's racing right?

Yeah but when Gordon quits this year, that'll leave just one.

 

[scottka]

I've been the last two years now. This year definitely appeared to have more people than last (at least from our seats coming out of turn 4). Of the 6 of us, only two actually follow NASCAR throughout the year. The rest of us are just enjoying a weekend at IMS. We had an enjoyable weekend without paying too terribly much. It's great that you can bring in your own coolers with food and cold beverages so that you really don't have to spend a dime once you're inside.

I think it's all about what you make of it. We just make a weekend out of it. Spent most of Saturday at IMS, then hit the Indians game downtown that night, then out downtown for awhile, then the Brickyard on Sunday. All in all, we had a great time.

 

[Leo]

Seriously, I'd love to see a true STOCK car race.
Take a stock car, and build it however you want (and can afford), and race it.
Run what you brung!

When I first started watching Stock Car racing that is how it was. They were souped up factory cars with the glass removed and roll bars welded in. I used to really enjoy it. Mercurys, Dodges, Fords, Chevys were at least cars that you could find something similar at the dealer. I pretty much lost interest after the cars all became purpose built race cars.

 

[churchmouse]

Danica's racing right?

If you call what she is doing "Racing"

 

[churchmouse]

When I first started watching Stock Car racing that is how it was. They were souped up factory cars with the glass removed and roll bars welded in. I used to really enjoy it. Mercurys, Dodges, Fords, Chevys were at least cars that you could find something similar at the dealer. I pretty much lost interest after the cars all became purpose built race cars.

Except for Camaros, Chargers, Mustangs Etc. there is not much offered by the factory anymore that fits the bill......Chevy "Volt"..................