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Promoters resort to stunts to bolster flagging attendance figures. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24394078/)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/nascar2.jpgAssociated Press - April 30, 2008

Auto racing is the ultimate in gas-guzzling entertainment. But the prospect of paying $4 a gallon to get to the track has some fans reluctant to start their engines.

Ticket sales have slipped just as May, the biggest month in motor sports, approaches. So track promoters are shifting into high gear to keep the grandstands full, offering all-you-can-eat packages and staging rock concerts.

"This is a working man's sport, no matter what picture some people try to paint," said H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president of Lowe's Motor Speedway outside Charlotte, N.C. "The people most affected by these obnoxious oil prices are the working man."

About half the fans who attend the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race, set for May 25 at Wheeler's track, drive from more than 250 miles away, many of them in RVs that can cost $300 or more to fill up.

Fans often camp out for several days at races, too, making a weekend at the track a much larger financial commitment than taking in a baseball game — and suggesting mortor sports is more vulnerable to an economy under the yellow flag.

Dean Strom, a financial planner from Muskego, Wis., usually gets to 20 to 30 races a year, mostly at grassroots-level short tracks in the Midwest. These days he has more incentive to stay home.

"Now there's the gas price issue," said Strom, who also works as the public address announcer at the Milwaukee Mile racetrack. "I think twice now before I go and do something, whereas I never thought twice before."

Racetracks generally don't release official attendance numbers. But in a recent conference call with financial analysts, officials with one major track ownership group, International Speedway Corp., said the company was seeing a high-single-digit percentage drop in ticket sales over last year…http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24394078/

You see gas prices everywhere. I play a lot of golf, and it's even become painfully obvious there. Mid year, last year they had to tack a fuel surcharge of an extra $1 if you rented a golf cart for each nine holes, raising the price from $7 to $8.

This year they've gone to $9, and membership fees have risen because of the gas it takes to fire up all those mowers and golf carts.

It mentions that this weekend's upcoming race in our neck of the woods still has tickets available. That hasn't happened in years, maybe even decades. The Richmond track and its races are among the most fan-friendly on the circuit, and you either had to be well-connected or lucky (they had a lottery) to get tickets.

You see gas prices everywhere. I play a lot of golf, and it's even become painfully obvious there. Mid year, last year they had to tack a fuel surcharge of an extra $1 if you rented a golf cart for each nine holes, raising the price from $7 to $8.

This year they've gone to $9, and membership fees have risen because of the gas it takes to fire up all those mowers and golf carts.

They must be ripping you off. What fuel surcharge? Most golf carts are electric. I know my mom's is. She just recently had 8 Exide 6 volt flooded cell batteries installed. You'd think, of all places, on a golf course that electrically powered golf carts would be mandatory so as not to disturb the other golfers.

They must be ripping you off. What fuel surcharge? Most golf carts are electric. I know my mom's is. She just recently had 8 Exide 6 volt flooded cell batteries installed. You'd think, of all places, on a golf course that electrically powered golf carts would be mandatory so as not to disturb the other golfers.

These carts are all gassers. It's easy to tell--after all, the electric ones are nearly silent. (I've run out of gas before and had to call the clubhouse.)

I talked to the guys working down there, and they are replacing the carts with electric ones within the next year or two.

It mentions that this weekend's upcoming race in our neck of the woods still has tickets available. That hasn't happened in years, maybe even decades. The Richmond track and its races are among the most fan-friendly on the circuit, and you either had to be well-connected or lucky (they had a lottery) to get tickets.

Gas prices have some effect on NASCAR Sprint Cup Series attendance, but so do ticket prices. For some, they are through the roof. Also, with a lot of the Cup regulars driving in the Nationwide series, the Cup attendance is cannibalized by the Nationwide races.

Further, TV exposure (or overexposure) makes skipping the race easier. Having said that, there is no comparison between watching on TV and watching it live.

The Richmond spring race is not nearly as important as the Richmond fall race, now that Cup has a playoff system. I doubt you will see empty seats then. I was at the Martinsville spring race and will attend the Dover spring race. I expect to see empty seats at the Dover race now, but not in September.

Go Greg Biffle!

ok, dumb question here, perhaps. i used to watch races a few years back, but got bored with it.......

however, what do they run in the race cars themselves? gas? doesn't it strike anyone else as wasteful? i know it's a big industry, however it's a huge user of fuel. the article mentioned talked about the drivers doing special wheelies and burnouts for the benefit of customers as an effort to lure them to the special tickets. what the heck? if nobody's there, they are still going to have the race and burn the gas........

I agree that racing is wastful, but so are many other lesiure activities. Golf requires lawn mowers sprinklers, and often removal of trees. Football, baseball and other spectator sports require driving to the event, vending, food, waste removal. I even see people drive their bicycles to the park so they can go for a bike ride. Water parks, amusement parks, the list can go on and on.

It reminds me of an album called "Amused To Death" by Roger Waters (Pink Floyd). "This species has amused it's self to death."

Opps time to stop, I'm babbeling

You'll NEVER be able to convince a die hard NASCAR fan that it's a waste of gas. Unfortunately this sport does not exist without gas. It will take a hit though.

Laurieaw,

NASCAR is a huge waster of gas and huge fun. I hypermile to the track and hypermile home, but I love the sport. It's one area of my hypermiling hypocracy.

Having said that, there is no comparison between watching on TV and watching it live.

Yeah, watching top fuel drag racing on TV doesn't do it, compared to the body shaking experience of being there.

I'd be drag racing tomorrow but I cracked 3 ribs at work on thursday, no way I can make any passes like this.:(:(:(:(

The Richmond spring race is not nearly as important as the Richmond fall race, now that Cup has a playoff system. I doubt you will see empty seats then.
I wouldn't go as far as saying it's not nearly as important, but no question the fall race will be big and almost certainly sell out well in advance. But then, tonight's race did end up selling out (according to the TV crew). Not too much drama for the ticket-buyers for the first half of the race, but if the home town boy keeps up at his current pace (he's led every lap so far) I'm sure they won't mind.

Go Denny Hamlin!

I wouldn't go as far as saying it's not nearly as important, but no question the fall race will be big and almost certainly sell out well in advance. But then, tonight's race did end up selling out (according to the TV crew). Not too much drama for the ticket-buyers for the first half of the race, but if the home town boy keeps up at his current pace (he's led every lap so far) I'm sure they won't mind.

Go Denny Hamlin!

Gee, I wonder why Denny is your guy (i just noticed the Chesterfield, VA in your profile)! What a heart-breaker. I feel for him. I also wonder if Kurt Busch got out of there in one piece.

You'll NEVER be able to convince a die hard NASCAR fan that it's a waste of gas. Unfortunately this sport does not exist without gas. It will take a hit though.

Would be like convincing an NFL fan that pro football is a waste of human bodies. Does one deserve $13 million for being physically disabled and in pain the rest of one's steroid -shortened life?

I don't believe racing is a waste of gas, it is a proving ground for new auto technologies, that ultimately make their way down into passenger cars. Although typically formula 1 tries a lot harder to do this, than Nascar.

On a side note i've heard that bristol tickets are atleast 160 a piece. That sounded like a lot to me, but I have no frame of reference.

Hi Reid:

___Great story!

___With ticket prices what they are and the prospect of a $300 or more gas bill for the middle class RV’ers, you have to expect some motor sports events ticket sales will be curtailed. Ethanol will be the circuits saving grace but that is not a saving grace for the average Joe Q. driving in to see the racers go head to head? If we see race day blackouts, than you will know there is a problem with ticket sales but right now, a 5 – 10% dip in ticket sales is probably close to noise for these guys even though it’s a business and any fall-off is a loss.

___Koreberg, the last I heard, NASCAR is still refusing to use fuel-injection so that series being bleeding edge is about as far from the truth as one could imagine. Toyota was the last to fight for it I believe and they got turned away with any talk of fuel-injection for the “Good Ole Boys” stinking the place up while throwing it away at 180 mph :rolleyes:

___Formula One or the LeMans series however are moving forward. The Audi R10 TDI and the hybridization of the Formula One series in the very near future is going to make a lot of waves in the average Joe’s drive in the not to distant future I hope?

___Good Luck

___Wayne