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Post by Calvin on Jul 29, 2012 16:03:38 GMT -5
......Jimmy Johnson did that nasty ol' burnout on the bricks today.  did anyone else feel the same?  |
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Post by indycals on Jul 29, 2012 17:31:32 GMT -5
That didn't bother me as much as how butt ugly that paint job was.
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2whl
Front Runner
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Post by 2whl on Jul 29, 2012 18:18:21 GMT -5
.........they let the taxi cabs race at the brickyard.
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Post by pje on Jul 29, 2012 18:37:38 GMT -5
SPEED couldn't even be bothered with the post race interviews for the Hungarian GP this morning. Had to get to their NASCAR pre race show.
Paul Erlendson
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Post by indydog on Jul 29, 2012 20:03:09 GMT -5
I hate seeing Jimmy Johnson win anything.
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Post by professor on Jul 29, 2012 20:14:55 GMT -5
Where were the crowds? Looked about half full!
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Post by indycals on Jul 29, 2012 23:20:02 GMT -5
I thought the crowd was a big improvement over the last couple of years.
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Post by SWT500 on Jul 30, 2012 8:08:07 GMT -5
I disagree, Michael. The crowd was even less than before. A friend of mine could only get $100 for his $150 E Penthouse seats. The only full area was E Penthouse and many of those were less than face value. NASCAR is dying at Indy. The cars are not really compatible with the circuit and the product suffers.
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Post by indy on Jul 30, 2012 8:26:32 GMT -5
...I go swimming with my iPhone - DOH!!
I really had a bigger issue with them adding the extra races - especially the not top rung Nationwide event to the Brickyard. Burnouts in stockcars have been happening for about 10 years back to when Harvick won early last decade.
Missed the 400 - even with my NASCAR loving nephew in town. Just too busy with family and going to see the new Spider-Man movie. Didn't even know who won until checking this thread this morning. The 500, I plan my day, week, and month of May around - the 400 I could take or leave - no biggie either way.
Jordan
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AJ
Podium Finisher
I live in a world of bright reds, oranges, and yellows!
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Post by AJ on Jul 30, 2012 10:21:02 GMT -5
My dad called me and said it looked like a pole day crowd from the mid 90's
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Post by SWT500 on Jul 30, 2012 10:21:50 GMT -5
Even that was bigger.
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AJ
Podium Finisher
I live in a world of bright reds, oranges, and yellows!
Posts: 362
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Post by AJ on Jul 30, 2012 10:30:58 GMT -5
haha.. They left before halfway because it was hot and the racing was awful in the face that the grand-am cars put on a better show.
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Post by chadm500 on Jul 30, 2012 11:02:33 GMT -5
I have a lot of friends who are NASCAR fans and I had a hard time giving two free tickets away. I gave them to my wife's uncle who just moved to the area and has never been to the speedway. Bet he won't go back next year!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2012 11:37:29 GMT -5
I believe there was a lot of backlash in regards to the Nationwide race being moved from IRP to the Speedway. At least in regards to the NNS stuff. There were more people out for the sports cars than showed for the NNS race.
I'd put vehicle traffic on Brickyard day at about poll day levels. No massive backups.
Someone needs to go back to the drawing board with the type of racing, marketing, I don't know. Hard to put a finger on any one area.
I'd venture to guess that this was the worst attended Brickyard since they started in '94.
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Post by SWT500 on Jul 30, 2012 12:05:45 GMT -5
It's been a steady decline since the Goodyear tire debacle in 2008 but I just believe the racing is so bad, people choose not to come back. A friend of mine just told me that, of course, he lives here, but won't go to IMS. He happily drives to Darlington, Bristol and Talledega. It's just a bad fit.
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Post by 2lapsdown on Jul 30, 2012 12:32:20 GMT -5
I go the race every year. Not so much because I love NASCAR (which I don't) but because it's my only chance to go the Speedway. I can't get off work for the 500. Attendance was by far the worst this year and I spoke with many people that have been turned off by NASCAR for all the reasons stated previously. I think more people will be turned off after watching NASCAR screw Elliot Sadler Saturday. Right now one of the best things open wheel has going for it is the growing dissatisfaction among stock car fans.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2012 13:15:05 GMT -5
Is the decline of nascar really good for open wheel? Its fairly common knowledge/belief that the IRL has benefitted greatly from the brickyard $ over the years.
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Post by indycals on Jul 30, 2012 13:43:22 GMT -5
I think NASCAR's biggest mistake was catering to new/casual fans at the expense of long time fans. It drove away many of the long time fans, and the new/casual fans predictably lost interest. Let's hope IndyCar doesn't make that same mistake.
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Post by Chris on Jul 30, 2012 14:18:20 GMT -5
I think one of NASCARs biggest errors in buying up accompanying series like Grand Am and then trying to draw additional sponsors and crowds, then running the race on Friday! For the Grand Am race , which was Excellent, the Stands were virtually empty everywhere you looked!! Maybe they should have invested in making the existing series worth attending or even watching on TV instead.. Chris  Ps. they cant really think Grand Am fans are NASCAR fans.... |
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Post by 2lapsdown on Jul 30, 2012 15:34:01 GMT -5
Michael, you nailed. The demographic is definately changing and I'm feeling more alienated all the time. I found it interesting that on Sunday as they were blasting rock music over the PA system some of the older fans were covering their ears. The DP series is dieing a slow death, they had 8 cars at Mid Ohio in June. By the way, I got my first look at the new Dallara. It reminds me of a pretty girl wearing too much make up and clothes that don't fit.
John
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Post by gavkiwi on Jul 30, 2012 16:41:12 GMT -5
I dislike Jimmie Johnson, I hate the COT, I really hope the new cars next year look more like their showroom counterparts have in some years. I hope Dodge stays in the series. The 2013 cars are looking promising. I think its stupid that Nascar Cup cars have car models like fusion, impala / SS rumored for '13 for chevy and charger. Where NNS has mustang, camaro and challenger? WTF. I think they have that round the wrong way.
I stopped watching the brickyard 400 around 2007, and I maybe watch 1-2 races a year now. Nascar is not like how it use to be, and the diminishing crowds at every race this year, I mean even bristol wasnt sold out, are a sign of the times!
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Post by herk56 on Jul 30, 2012 18:13:15 GMT -5
Well, in response to Calvin's original post topic, NASCAR doesn't respect their own history and traditions, why should they respect Indy? NASCAR in general has made ME sick for quite a while now, just can't get into the new cars, new drivers, new attitude, etc.
Brian
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Post by trevor83 on Jul 30, 2012 23:49:36 GMT -5
I think one of NASCARs biggest errors in buying up accompanying series like Grand Am and then trying to draw additional sponsors and crowds, then running the race on Friday! For the Grand Am race , which was Excellent, the Stands were virtually empty everywhere you looked!! Maybe they should have invested in making the existing series worth attending or even watching on TV instead.. Chris Ps. they cant really think Grand Am fans are NASCAR fans.... Their goal was to get 200,000 people over the 3 days. Had nothing to do with who was or wasn't a fan of each series. They just wanted 3 races over 3 days to try to hit their goal. Rolex and Continental races were the best shows. The rain helped add to that but I'll go back and see them again next year regardless. I ended up with a free suite pass for Sunday's evcent due to someone I know not being able to sell out their suite. The suite next to us wasn't even being used. I was bored but enjoyed the free food and sat in the sun. Ears were killing me until I put the earplugs. Those damned things are loud. |
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Post by racerbrown on Jul 31, 2012 6:09:09 GMT -5
i've been a nascar fan since before i was born but i can't agree more with what everyone is saying here.
nascar still thinks they can come to town and throw a few signs up and the crowds will come. well judging by the crowds you see in the grandstands at all tracks over the past several years it just ain't working anymore.
michael so accurately points out how they've lost the older fans as i know i have no interest in these current cars, drivers or tracks. it's just not a good product anymore.
nascar should write a book on how to screw up a good thing!
duane
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Post by clm1545 on Jul 31, 2012 10:32:55 GMT -5
Several years ago, for whatever reason, NASCAR became the "in thing" for the so called young and hip segment. This was shortly after Pro Wrestling as the "in thing". The powers in NASCAR embraced these new fans, and thought that they would become life long supporters,and they no longer needed the old fan base. In an effort to lure even more of these people, they came up with more and more gimmicks (luckey dog, green, white, checker, The chase, etc). They ignored the fact that these "young and hip" folks have a short attention span, and are now moving on.
Most of the current NASCAR fans want to see a lot of contact during a race, and since most contact occurs when cars are side by side in the turns, Indy is not the place to be. You just can't run side by side in the turns at the speedway without a problem.
Since NASCAR is the model that Indycar has chosen to follow, we should be very concerned.
My $.02
Craig
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2012 12:53:15 GMT -5
Im not really sure the diminished crowds can be considered an accurate barometer of the health of any venue in the post 2008 economic meltdown. More people are staying home. Television numbers speak louder. To criticise NASCAR for marketing to younger audiences and newer markets is short sighted as theyve been quite successful in replacing open wheel as the premier racing series in this country on multiple levels. todays younger drivers now aspire to race at daytona-not indianapolis...and there seems to be no change in this trend whatsoever...
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Post by indycals on Jul 31, 2012 16:28:07 GMT -5
Im not really sure the diminished crowds can be considered an accurate barometer of the health of any venue in the post 2008 economic meltdown. More people are staying home. Television numbers speak louder. To criticise NASCAR for marketing to younger audiences and newer markets is short sighted as theyve been quite successful in replacing open wheel as the premier racing series in this country on multiple levels. todays younger drivers now aspire to race at daytona-not indianapolis...and there seems to be no change in this trend whatsoever... NASCAR had surpassed open wheel by 1990. Marketing to new fans is important, but not at the expense of altering the product to the point that the people who've been following for 20-50 years leave the sport. THEY are the ones that bring in more fans than anything else. There are two ways to run a business: 1) Focus strictly on the bottom line, in which case the product and customer service invariably suffers. 2) Focus on making the best product possible and top notch customer service, in which case the bottom line will take care of itself. |
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Post by racerbrown on Jul 31, 2012 17:02:19 GMT -5
2) Focus on making the best product possible and top notch customer service, in which case the bottom line will take care of itself.
[/quote]
well fortunately for us michael knows what he's talking about on that!
duane
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2012 20:53:49 GMT -5
I had this long comparison of 500 vs 400 vs F1 vs Grand Prix bikes yada..yada..yada.
My 3 day racing experience was huffing & puffing the stairway to Stand E paddock, basking in the mist of three rain delays and rooting for Gurney's kid. My ears still ring. The second day was recovery, listening to Sadler getting porked by powers that be over the radio, and then on Sunday sizzling in my own spit in the best Stand H seats I'd ever had for a 400 and rendering a few Hail Marys for my IRP hero Mike Bliss.
Should have suspected No tires & No pit cans as a dead give away.
I had a wonderful time!! The cover of the program sorta looks like a coloring page from daycare and the ticket was printed on paper thinner than what I'm doing the Wasp in. Good God! Times are tight!
Oh well, back to the safety of my toy room- Best wishes -Zoom
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