How long can this race hold on?

[Lee Roy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=6560423


INDIANAPOLIS -- Ticket sales for this year's Brickyard 400 are lagging behind last year's pace, and race organizers worry it could produce a second straight record-low turnout for the July 31 race.

"We don't disclose numbers, but you saw a lot of empty seats here last year, and I think you're going to see more here this year," Indianapolis Motor Speedway president and CEO Jeff Belskus told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Declining ticket sales have already hit two of NASCAR fans' favorite tracks this season -- Bristol and Talladega. And Dover, which has traditionally drawn smaller crowds, had empty sections at Sunday's race.

Indianapolis could be the next to see declining numbers.

[Alexamateo]

You ask how long can the race hold on, but I don't believe that's the proper question. You do realize that even with declining attendance, it is still the second highest attended race on the schedule after the Daytona 500.

Declining attendance is just part of an overall Nascar problem.

Correction, for 2010 it also trailed Vegas, the Bristol night race, and one of the Texas races in attendance.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I thought you were talking about Dover. I saw as much grandstand empty as I saw people, and I know 10 years ago you would see full stands at Dover.

As it has been said, if you half filled the stands at Indy, you still would have 150000 people....

[Bob Riebe]

If the intake ever gets close to being equal to the output- bye-bye.

[harvick#1]

Bristol went to hell since the repaving. plus Goodyear has been a major hit-or-miss at Indy, if a fan feels Goodyear is brining a bad tire, do you really want to see the crap in 2008 again.

they should put 80,000 seats around ORP and let the Cup boys race there short track style.

[Lee Roy]

Bristol went to hell since the repaving.

That's only if all you're looking for is wrecking.

[harvick#1]

That's only if all you're looking for is wrecking.

no, because it was different, much like Martinsville, he was an aggressive, payback style track. it was short track racing and was different from everything else. basically every other major racing series' likes to have a race thats out of the ordinary. IRL has Indy, Lemans has Lemans, F1 has Monza and Monaco. all the repaving did was make the race as boring as a normal cookie cutter track

[Lee Roy]

all the repaving did was make the race as boring as a normal cookie cutter track

Boring? Yep, to people who just like wrecking. Good riddance to that type.

[harvick#1]

I dont like watching any races for the wrecks, but I am just saying Bristol was Bristol, it was an aggressive beat and bang track and produced alot of drama. it was hard-short track racing. now that its been repaved, I dont bother ever watching a race from that place again. its a shame what they did to that track, not everyone has to be a multi-grooved circuit, you still saw the best drivers win.

[call_me_andrew]

"Beat and bang" is just code for crappy driving.

[Lee Roy]

"Beat and bang" is just code for crappy driving.

Yep.

[harvick#1]

what, so according to you two then, every short track and road course shall be replaced only with 1.5 mile- 2.0 mile cookie cutters, but Richmond, Phoenix, Martinsville, Dover, Bristol, Darlington, Infineon, Watkins Glen are all "beat and bang" type tracks.

you only want "clean"

[call_me_andrew]

It's probably more the drivers' fault than the tracks'.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Harv, the reality is the only way anyone passed at Bristol was to knock the other guy out of the way. No one could pass clean. This Bristol allows two cars to run in the corner, taking care of the one groove racing. I don't miss 100 laps of yellows in the last 250 laps.

The reality is people still go to Bristol....