What's wrong with NASCAR?

What’s wrong with NASCAR? I have been at Bristol and turned down $450 for my ticket. Last race had 58,000 empty seats. I think it is many things and I am interested in your thoughts. Racing on Saturday night does not endear the Saturday night racer to NASCAR. The Saturday night racer is the back bone of racing and it is where the drivers and the crowd for NASCAR USED to come from. Their arrogance and lack of loyalty has offended their core base. There are a lot more of us Saturday Night People than Sunday afternoon dudes. I think we need a strong NASCAR leading racing. But when Roaring Knob PA has a record crowd of 10,000 + for the Lucas Oil Late models, and is only one of 1100 weekly racing shows that are having record crowds to start the season, then they have to recognize where the problem is. An example of how they treated their core is friend mine that had tickets to Talladega for 23 years in a row. He ordered his tickets right after the race and sat in the same seat for years. He made about 6 races a year. He told me one year he ordered, and they said his seat was not available. When he got to the track his seat was part of a BIG corporate block. Suuuuuuuuuuure makes you want to go back. Several years ago I was in Florida for the Winternationals. A friend in the news business and I were talking. I said it must be great to have your races sold out and the same people year after year in the seats. He said “Rog you are wrong! Over half of the people at a NASCAR race have never been before.” I did not believe him so I started asking and he was right. In the fall I saw him at the PRI and I said “I did not believe it but you were right. Why do you think that is? He said well they jack the ticket prices so they can turn over the people in the crowd. If you have been 10 times you already have your shirt and your hat and your jacket. If its your first time then not only are you buying you a hat and a shirt, but you are getting one for your brother in-law and 3 of the guys you work with. I guess I am DUHHHHHH I saw Bill France speak once and he was talking to a group of promoters. He said My Father and I have made every decision based on what right for racing and the money has flowed to us. Make your decisions on what’s right for racing and everything will come out right for you. Do you think they are making decisions based on what is right for racing? Kudos to Burton Smith he is listening to the fans and he is doing something to Bristol to try to fix it. Super Bowl Speedway, Sat Night: Sharyl and I were showing Sherry Hastings how to do the driver interviews and up dates. Sherry and Lonnie are going to help us keep up with the drivers across the south Dallas area. Superbowl is a great track; almost every race is won on the high side. And James Bryant almost always has smooth fast track. We had 186 race car drivers we have done stories on at Superbowl. So we have a lot of good friends we are leaving in good hands, with Lon and Sherry. Becky is always nice to me. They have great crowds and great car counts every week. Out newest reporter, Short Stuff, Ina Morrell, form Columbia SC covered the WoO Late Models at Tazewell TN. Great coverage for a start. See it on our New Late Model page. VA Dirt did a Pictorial on Johanna Long in the Nationwide series. It is the start of a new series on Women in Racing. You can see it on our feature page. Lots of rain in the Midwest keep others from the races. One more racing weekend in TX. Then the Big move. If you have not been to the races in Texas you are missing out!