Published: July 23, 2008 03:23 pm            

NASCAR stays positive amidst troubling economy

Gas prices playing a factor in attendance dip

Brian Kern/Flyer photo

Fans haven’t exactly flocked to NASCAR ticket windows this year as they have in years past, but officials are confident that the Brickyard’s historical significance will continue to pull in large crowds.







by Brian Kern



INDIANAPOLIS — Historical notoriety is nice, but the paycheck that it commands is even nicer. That theme is sure to resonate with Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials as NASCAR fans prepare for this year’s All-State 400 at the Brickyard.

High gas prices and increasing unemployment rates have at times taken their toll on fan attendance at several events in the NASCAR series. June’s LifeLock 400 race at the Michigan International Speedway caught the attention of many as attendance dipped to around 115,000 fans — nearly 30,000 fewer than the 145,000 that had visited the venue the previous year.

NASCAR races at other venues including the popular Lowes Motor Speedway at Charlotte, N.C., have also seen declines in attendance ranging anywhere between 12,000 to 15,000 fans when compared to 2007.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway does not release specific data on ticket availability, but track officials say that tickets for Sunday’s race are still available at a price range between $70 and $90. If popular ticket broker sites like StubHub and Ebay are any indication, then demand for this year’s Brickyard race is likely to be down. Tickets on Ebay are consistently selling at a rate of 50 cents on the dollar.

Still, NASCAR officials remain positive and say that it could be a lot worse.

“Overall, when considering the very difficult economy and the strain that it puts on our fans’ pocketbooks, we’re very pleased about our fan attendance this year,” said Andrew Giangola, NASCAR’s director of business communications. “Average attendance is well over six figures, which for most fans will be the biggest sporting event they’ve ever gone to in their entire lives, so even in a down economy these are still mega-events attended by many fans.”

Giangola noted that races at Darlington, S.C., Richmond, Va., New Hampshire, and Chicago were all sellouts.

“We are an all-star event that travels week to week and a large chunk of our fan base is driving 200 or 300 miles to a race and staying in a hotel, so the commitment is greater than most other sports, but even with empty seats, these are huge venues so we are drawing fans and we want to thank our NASCAR fans for their passion and their devotion,” Giangola said.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Public Relations Director Ron Green noted that even if repeat fans are scaling back, the Brickyard’s prominence is still likely to attract a larger fan base.

“Major motorsports get hit harder in this type of economy because most fans are traveling to and from and that adds up, but at the same time this is a special event so if fans are cutting back from four or five races to two or three, Indy is still going to be on there,” Green said.

Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce President Roland Dorson added that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has endured far worse than high gas prices.

“Economic cycles come and go and the Brickyard (track) is going to celebrate it’s 100th anniversary next year so it’s sustained itself through all sorts of events from World Wars to the Great Depression,” Dorson said. “People want entertainment and people love sports and those two things combine in what is NASCAR’s elite event. There’s a heritage there and a legacy and it’s more than a race — it’s an event.”



brian.kern@flyergroup.com

        

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