NASCAR Gets Huge Lift from Pocono and The Glen
NASCAR's attendance woes in recent years have been well documented. Heck, the number of empty seats at most race tracks this season have been impossible to ignore. In some cases the empty seat became the story itself. Man, did that all change these past two weeks.
Turn back the clock to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and that historic facility. In the not so distant past, over 250,000 race fans flocked to the brickyard to see its NASCAR stars. This year's race saw only about a third of that number of paid customers. This in spite of a reportedly late "bump" in ticket sales brought on by the announcement that Jeff Gordon would be coming out of retirement and be substituting for the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The attendance woes have been a trend in NASCAR for sometime. Tracks such as Bristol which use to sell out years in advance have now suffered the empty seat syndrome. Some tracks have even gone so far as to remove sections of grandstands in hopes of improving the optics of having lagging ticket sales. The once proud mojo of NASCAR was no more.
We were told over and over that it's the economy. It cost an average family of four mega dollars to attend a NASCAR weekend. People no longer had that expendable income in which to spend it on race weekends, we were often told. Probably true, but perhaps the last two weeks in Pocono and Watkins Glen have taught us something else.
Much in the same vein as, "If you build it they will come", perhaps what we have learned these last two race weekends is, "if the racing is great they will come." The last several races at Pocono Raceway and Watkins Glen International have been arguably some of NASCAR's most exciting races on the schedule. Pocono, despite some horrible weather in its two racing weekends this season, reportedly had its highest ticket sales ever for it July 30th scheduled race. Watkins Glen announced it had its second consecutive grandstand sellout.
Remember Pocono 2015 when Kyle Busch ran out of fuel on the very last lap and was passed by race winner Matt Kenseth? And how bout that emotional victory in the second Pocono race by Martin Truex Jr.? When Pocono CEO and President Brandon Igdalsky shortened the Pocono races from 500 miles to 400 he changed the entire personality of the race.
Watkins Glen and road course racing have gone from some of NASCAR's hardest to watch events to some of the most exciting of its season. The racing at the Glen have been nothing short of tremendous. Last season had a final corner pass by Joey Logano over Kevin Harvick that had its fans on its feet. When fans leave the track buzzing about the action they have just witnessed, the chances are pretty good that they'll be back and bring some of their friends with them.
I understand the economy and the impact it has on peoples ability to attend races. I'm also sure that if NASCAR's on track product were more compelling and exciting the fans would once again flock to its venues. The majority of races are now run on cookie cutter 1.5 mile tracks that NASCAR is still struggling to match the cars aero package and tire package for better racing. It's still a work in progress but its moving in the right direction.
A better economy will go a long way, for sure but once the racing at other venues becomes as exciting and interesting as the racing at Pocono and The Glen, attandance will surge. Those two tracks offer evidence that they will come. They will most definitely come.
Thanks for reading. Listen to WTBQ radio on Monday and Friday mornings at 8:45 as I join Frank, Taylor and the Morning Show gang to discuss all the current happenings in NASCAR. You can also follow me on twitter @JimLaplante.
