Monday, March 19, 2012

Bristol Breakdown: Where Were The Fans?

Bristol Motor Speedway officials announced an official attendance of 102,000 fans for yesterday’s Food City 500; far below the track’s 158,000-seat capacity. Those numbers have triggered considerable debate about the current health of both the track and the sport, an examination of possible factors contributing to the downturn, and even Bristol’s worthiness to continue hosting two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events each season.
 
There were plenty of empty seats at Bristol.
There are many factors that could help explain Bristol’s sagging Sunday attendance. A discouraging race day weather forecast certainly did not help. In addition, the Tri-Cities area has been particularly hard-hit by the struggling economy, with jobless rates and housing foreclosures reportedly at record levels. BMS has some the most limited lodging options in all of NASCAR, with the few hotels within a 60-minute commute of the track now charging obscene rates that have almost certainly driven fans away from the track and back to the comfort of their own living rooms. While grandstand attendance plummeted Sunday, television ratings for FOX’s broadcast of the Food City 500 increased 3% over last year, despite direct competition from the NCCA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Food City 500 winner Brad Keselowski said yesterday that in his view, the accessibility of the sport in today’s digitally connected world, a struggling economy and skyrocketing gasoline prices have negatively impacted live attendance."The attitudes and trends of the fan base have changed,” he said. “There's so much access provided through social media, through the TV networks ... that I think the best racing action in the world might not matter. I think this is great racing, (but) at some point you have to accept the fact that the world has changed a lot over the last five to ten years. Live spectator events (are) tough to sell tickets to.

"Everybody looks up at the grandstands and says, 'I remember five years ago.' Well, I remember when gas prices were different five years ago, too."

Some fans have also complained about changes in the competitive landscape since Bristol underwent a major facelift in 2007. Prior to the rebuild, Bristol routinely hosted events that were equal parts stock car race and demolition derby. It was not unusual to see nearly as many laps run under the caution flag as the green, with demolished cars and frayed tempers the order of the day. BMS remains one of NASCAR’s most volatile venues, but yesterday’s race featured just five caution flags for a total of 49 laps; meaning that more than 90% of the day was spent under green flag conditions. Passing is easier at Bristol these days, and wrecks fewer.

Whether we like it or not, some fans miss the bad old days.

When analyzing Bristol’s attendance woes, however, a bit of perspective is helpful. The all-time Super Bowl attendance record is 103,985, set at Super Bowl XIV between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 20, 1980. Bristol’s disastrous Sunday crowd was less than 2,000 paying customers smaller than the greatest turnstyle success in the history of professional football.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

50 comments:

  1. Wait for the bristol night race. Despite the news papers saying the economy is getting better, it is not. People can still only afford things in moderation. So if you can only go to a few sporting events why not go to Bristol at night

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  2. Anonymous2:22 PM

    I have no idea, unless they were home watching March Madness..... I'll be there in August. One thing is: the hotels are gouging their guests. We are paying more for hotel (3 nights) than for airline and tix for Fri and Sat nite racing in August.... UGH!

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  3. I think it's two-fold: The cost of fuel to get to Bristol, coupled with the overwhelming cost of actually going to Bristol, leads to a smaller attendance. The most expensive ticket at Martinsville costs roughly what the cheapest ticket at Bristol costs.

    SMI needs to realize that it's not 2003 anymore. Fans can't afford $80/ticket for three or four people plus $150/night (three night minimum!) for a hotel plus food and everything else right now.

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    1. Ken, that's it in a nutshell.

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    2. I agree. I went to the spring race for 7 years. When I started, it was $70 per ticket. When we quit it was $95. I am going to Chicagoland now for $45 per. It only makes sense. Hotels around Bristol are outrageous also.

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    3. Anonymous3:09 PM

      Finally, someone who gets it!

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    4. Problem - the market dictates ticket prices. If the prices are that hight it's because demand was so high.

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    5. Anonymous7:55 AM

      I agree we are from Canada, and we went to the spring race for 7 years until last year, we decided to got to Martinsville in the fall, Man the tickets are cheaper and the camping is 100 bucks as apposed to $250, and the racing from a fans veiw is better!
      I will be in martinsville in 2 weeks!

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  4. Anonymous2:30 PM

    A ticket to Bristol used to be as hard to come by as a ticket to a Green Bay Packer game. In listening to talk on Sirius, seems that many do not like the racing, which is now racing. If Bruton gets word from too many that they don't like it, he may start ripping the track up tomorrow !! It will also be interesting to see how many show up at Fontana this weekend.

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    1. I doubt many will show at Fontana simply because southern CA is a lousy racing demographic - it showed that when Ontario Motor Speedway was around.

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  5. Anonymous2:31 PM

    SMI is as much to blame as anyone. The problem with attandance is not a 1 year thing at Bristol. I was a season ticket holder for almost 15 years and when times got tough I called and inquired about only purchasing 1 weekend and was told "We do not offer single weekend packages. You have to purchase both race weekends." With no compromise in this strategy I let my tickets go. Then the next year I see where they offer single event tickets. Depending on what happens with the economy in the next 9 months I may go back to Bristol but only for the night race if they are offering single event tickets. Time will tell.

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  6. billytharn2:32 PM

    one thing i miss is if you got up under somebody weather you had to bump them to do it you could pass them, but with new bristol it take 20 or more laps sometimes to pass some people and if thats your favorite driver trying to do the passing it irrates the hell out of you. Rubbing Racing i guess not no more

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  7. Anonymous2:33 PM

    All fair points above; however, one would have to argue that the Super Bowl is only limited by football stadium capacity. If played at BMS, the Super Bowl would sell out at 158,000 each and every year. Not to mention, the TV rating isn't even comparable. I was in the stands yesterday and have attended races there for 20+ years. In my opinion, what's missing is old school Bristol racing...the bump-n-run, hot tempers and bent sheet metal. Although competitive, the racing is less emotional. How long has it been since we've seen a racer's helmet thrown at another car? How long has it been since we've seen confrontations on pit road? Not to mention, a race with 10+ accidents. At Bristol, it's been a few years. All of those things above sell tickets. How do we know...because it's exactly how the track markets/advertisers itself to the public...just watch their TV commercials. Thanks for the article Moody. I always enjoy your stuff.

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    1. Anonymous3:43 PM

      Fightin' and wreckin' may sell tickets, but at what cost to the drivers and owners? NASCAR needs to STOP thinking like the WWE (as do it's fans) and ADJUST to the changing attitudes of the owners and SPONSORS. Gas is 77 cents a gallon MORE than the same date last year and absolutely contributed to lower attendance.

      The past is past folks, time to tighten it up and move on. I enjoy Bristol from my living room and my laptop so I have no complaints about the track. Or the racing. It was a GOOD day for a bunch of second tier drivers.

      Doug from NJ

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    2. Anonymous10:45 AM

      Doug
      Although the gas prices are higher that isnt the reason for the low attendence. And yes the fighting and the hot tempers are what sells Bristol out. As far as the cost to the teams and drivers they are the ones who made this monster and have accelerated the cost i=to insane amounts why should we be the ones who have to pay the price. all the big names teams are still making millions of dollars and the drivers are being paid more than ever. Who cares how much equipment they tear up thats what we grew up watching and we were the ones who made them rich beyond their wildest dreams. At least Nascar should put on a good show for the fans. I will never spend my hard earned money going to another bristol race again

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  8. Put the date back in Atlanta, thats where we should've been Sunday anyways!

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  9. Anonymous2:42 PM

    I looked at going there before the season started & decided to buy ticket to Vegas instead. It cost me less for a flight, room & rental car in Vegas than it would have to Bristol. Drive to & from track was shorter. I got move value & access with Neon Garage pass than would got at Bristol. Plus the first open drivers meeting was a plus for me because was great place for photos to be taken. I do 2 races a year & none in my home state of Texas.

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  10. Anonymous2:44 PM

    I have been going to Bristol for years and the main reason that I see for the down turn of attendance is this: Make it a night race in the spring and move it off of the NCAA Basketball tournament's first weekend. If the August attendance slips further as well, then I would agree that fuel and the cost for the weekend compared to the economy is a large part as well....

    If the Tri-city area added additional hotels rather than camping options this might also help.

    Bottom line, in my opinion... Ticket prices are still too high for a family... Limited accommodations around the track...Fuel prices are still high.... Concessions are ridiculously high as well... I'm just sayin.... but the timing of the race for the spring event is not great...

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  11. Stephen Conley2:47 PM

    Even at 102,000 people that is still between eight and ten percent more people than 10 out of 22 tracks on the circuit. Then how many of those other tracks sell out and actually cover that 102,000? not many. So, Were really focused on the wrong number.

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  12. I like the racing better now than 5 years ago. I can do without 250 laps of yellow we used to have there. I went to Bristol a few years back, it was a 45 minute walk from where we had to park. Post race it was 4 hours before our car could move, then another 2 hours in bumper to bumper traffic, then a 10 hour drive home. For my racing dollar, I'll stick with Iowa Speedway. Racing is just as good and it's a lot less hassle, plus we don't get raped by local hospitality.

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  13. Anonymous3:05 PM

    I think this proves that they need to fix the track back to how it used to be before 07. Look it might be better racing but but that doesn't obviously sell tickets. If they fix the track I bet attendance will pick back up

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  14. Tim Packman3:14 PM

    The racing at Bristol is better than ever with two and three-wide battles going on all around the track. It's the damn greedy hotels who are killing the racing event at Bristol. $275 to $350 PER NIGHT in that area is more than financially sensible folks can pay.

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    1. Anonymous10:51 PM

      Wow! Really?I spent four nights in Vegas for the race and only paid a few bucks more for the 4 nights! And we stayed at the Stratosphere!!

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  15. Dave Morris3:17 PM

    Ticket prices are TOOOOO High at Bristol & the hotels are still price gougingan hour drvr away. The most expensive our Martinville tickets ever were was $70.00. When the economy started down Martinsville dropped their ticket prices our seats are now $40.00 & the hotel we have been staying in dropped their rates also. Bristol was at least a $1000.00 weekend. We go to Martinsville for less than $500.00 and stay in a nicer hotel and eat at better resturants.

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  16. Anonymous3:29 PM

    Tracks used to thrive in this sport. The economy is no doubt different now but look at the owner's of the tracks. Every time Bruton gets a hold on a track attendance begins to dwindle. He closed North Wilkesboro and Rockingham when attendance dwindled. Look at Atlanta, Bristol, etc.. Bristol didn't have an attendance problem when Carrier had the facility it was not until Bruton and SMI took control that attendance began to falter.

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    1. Oh wow, where to start? First Bruton Smith closed North Wilkesboro to take a race to another track. not because of dwindling attendance. He never had any intention of racing there, nor did the man who bought the other half of the track, former NHIS owner Bob Bahre.

      Second, Bruton Smith NEVER owned Rockingham. The Rock was an International Speedway Corporation track, and lost its Cup race only after many years of non-support by the fans. Pinning the demise of Rockingham on Bruton Smith is just plain innacurate.

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    2. TomInRal4:00 PM

      Wrong. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockingham_Speedway under "Demise".

      In the wake of the Ferko lawsuit, and the sagging attendance, the track's state of affairs was sharply altered. In the settlement, ISC sold Rockingham Speedway to Speedway Motorsports (SMI), and the track's lone remaining race was "transferred" to Texas Motor Speedway.

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    3. Tom, your timeline is correct (despite being from Wikipedia), but Rockingham's fate was sealed well before the sale to SMI. In fact, I worked the final Cup race at Rockingham for MRN, and it was still owned by ISC. Everyone knew that if the stands didnt get filled that day, it would likely spell the end of Cup racing there. The stands were far less than full that day, and we all knew what the future would hold.

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    4. Anonymous5:03 PM

      Smith owned 25% of the stock in North Carolina Motor Speedway and tried to acquire all of it in 1997. Jo Wilson did not want to sell him any further stock. Penske had a hand in it also. Just the fact that Bruton had his hands in it was part of the demise.

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  17. JAMES BRYANT3:52 PM

    BACK WHEN I WOULD GO TO BRISTOL. SLEEP IN THE CAR,SAT ON A RED DIRT BANK,EAT BOLOGNA SANDWISHS AND BUY A FIVE DOLLAR HAT...LOVED IT...THIS YEAR GAVE UP A FREE RIDE, A STEAK, A FORTY DOLLAR HAT AND A SEAT IN THE VIP SUIET....YOU SAY THEM WERE THE OLD DAYS..YEP YOUR RIGHT...WE WERE FANS

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    1. Is it possible that we've just gotten too old and tired to sleep in the dirt and drink 137 beers in three days, James? I know I have! LOL

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  18. Anonymous4:07 PM

    as a season tic holder of 5yrs, i have to disagree w/ most of the complaints above. season tic prices are $100/person for the entire weekends festivities. hotel prices are crazy near the track; but if you stay in virginia & drive the 75mi extra+ rsvp afew months ahead, its very easy to find a dozen hotels for less than $130/night with no min stay requirement. as for waiting 4hrs in traffic to get to I81: who does this?! we arrive at the track before 9am & park less than 1/4mi away from tram stop 7. always use the alt race route from exit 17 from abington. watched the checker flag drop & were in the 1st 500 people to the tram. (turn 4 tics work best) food prices: $4 for a bottle of pepsi, $6 for a pizza, $6 for a beer; but they allow you to bring a cooler?! same prices as any other sport or concert venue. in my opinion, this is one of the cheapest weekends away from home with 2 full days of entertainment (3 if you count fri) i could have. cant wait til aug & to send the check for ticket renewal. dont change a thing, bristol!! :D eric in PA

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  19. Anonymous4:10 PM

    Well I loved the race and wasn't bored by a gazillion cautions. I saw 3&4 wide racing, passing without wrecks and a damn good battle for the win. I have been to Bristol for the night races and surmise anyone who hasn't been there can't get their arms around what they are watching cuz tv does that place no justice when it comes to understanding what those guys are doing there. Any venue would kiss somebody's ass in Macy's window for a turnout like that. The economy stinks and everyone is hurting. Joseph gerbles said if you just keep telling them they will believe it and I don't know anybody that can say the economy is better with a straight face. Printed money, smoke and mirror stock exchange numbers don't equal butts in the seats. Also I think Dennis Mcglynn said it best and spoke for me to a point, I'm 51yrs old and have been to hundreds of races, really, and I am partied out. I have a 46 inch Samsung hd tv that allows me to see more than I ever did being ther. I have been to so many that I can appreciate what I'm seeing and I don't really like these huge crowds we never had to deal with. You could leave your headset in your seat on a bathroom break and it would be there when you came back. The guy next to us at Dover made home made jalipino hot dogs for everyone around us. The stick and ball type fans up there have ruined that element for me as well. Men, prn, and the networks deliver us such a great product it's awfull hard to subject myself to having my eyes gouged out, blowing my money and vacation time on a race. I think all I need is some burning rubber insence and I'm good.

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  20. The track promotors cannot control the price gouging by the local hotels. We chose to stay in Boone, NC because I refuse to pay the type of prices posted for some place closer to the track. It's beautiful drive up there and so if you don't mind taking the extra 30 to 40 minutes to get there, then you have other choices. I will say that the higher gas prices do not do any favors for NASCAR are any other business for that matter. Money is tight and people have to pick and choose what is best for them.

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  21. Anonymous4:23 PM

    Tiger Woods brought up the TV ratings, the TV guys lost a pile of viewers (revenue) when Tiger was injured. Has there been an injury in Nascar? Fan support depends on a stand out performance by either a driver or venue. Can't tell you what it should be, but I'm sure Nascar is looking. Even the NASA TV coverage in the 60's lost interest until Apollo 13...

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  22. Anonymous4:23 PM

    I think the old Bristol always justified the hardships fans went through to go to it. Now that the product is different, they don't see it worthwhile to go through it all. The number of seats was increased and increased, and like the housing market fell through, it seems the same as the Bristol ticket market.

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  23. 2 things 10 years ago you would never see at Bristol, 2 and 3 wide racing and empty seats!!

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  24. Anonymous4:25 PM

    I went to Bristol starting in 2008,9 cup races and 2 nationwide,Last year I went to the night race but doubt that I will this year.I got tired of seeing Kyle Busch win and he also lead almost every lap,yes I was there when Edwards moved him and won the race,but that was the last of the excitement,when they have long green flags I could fall asleep.I have my seats at Dega,my camper spot goiog for the weekend in May and nobody will lead every lap and I love it

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    1. Anonymous9:53 PM

      Well, I guess you blew it this weekend since Kyle and Karl were out of it early. And Jr was never in it. Which made it altogether more interesting. Top 3 out of 5 for MWR, it doesn't get any better. Yesterday was like that lottery ticket you just didn't buy and the next guy after you gets the winning ticket, and he's your neighbor and now he lives in Tahiti.

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  25. Anonymous7:20 PM

    Dont spend money to fix track. Drop ticket prices instead.

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  26. Anonymous7:50 PM

    I used to look forward to that night race in August all year long. It was totally unique. That's the problem. Bristol is just 'another' race now.

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  27. Anonymous8:52 PM

    Maybe people are just fed up with Burton Smith. After the way he reacted to the Kentucky debacle, I think a lot of people don't want to give this man any of their money. Come to think of it, Kentucky isn;t that far away from Tennessee. I'll bet some of those people that sat on the highway have gone to a Bristol race or two. This is the first race of the year that they had a chance to voice their opinion with they dollars.

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  28. Anonymous10:13 PM

    I like the bump and run (I don't want 35 cautions or a wreckfest) cars just beat up and still getting after it. I think they should lose the radial tire also.

    I think they made the track a mini 1.5 mile track. The racing looks the same. The only races I will watch from flag to flag are the road course races, best show there is until they change those tracks too lol

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  29. Anonymous11:02 PM

    One thing is for sure: When it comes time to purchases season tickets in 2013, I will be buying them. I may not be able to use them every year, but at least I will have them. The economy will rebound, the sport will rebound. Bristol will once again be the toughest ticket to get, and at least I'll have my tickets.

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  30. Matt Gain4:22 AM

    I was at the race Sunday, sadly I may never go again. The racing was great with lots of 2 or 3 wide racing. My Hotel in Bulls Gap TN wasn't bad about $100 a night. The gas to get there wasn't an issue ,about $300 for the whole trip which included driving from Maine to Virginia Beach to pick up my brother and drop him off. The biggest problem I had was comfort. Yes I'm a bigger guy (6' 265lbs) and the cramped way that we all got packed in the seats on the front stretch was a bitch. I know waaa waaa waa

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  31. Anonymous7:50 AM

    if you try to buy a mid-season Red Sox or Yankees ticket you won't think that ticket prices are too high at any track. Or jump onto a 15 year waiting list for Jets, Giants, Packers, etc. tickets. My opinion is that NASCAR appeals to an aging fan base (myself included) and that the X-Games, Playstation, iPad, generation just doesn't relate the way we did. NASCAR also went through a huge period of growth, MOSTLY due to casual fans jumping onboard, and I think that the tracks, purses, cost of racing, etc. all outgrew the dedicated fan base. Once the "Newness" of NASCAR wore off the casual fans (much like the decline of the WWF/WWE from it's peak) we started to see empty seats.

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  32. Anonymous9:45 AM

    I think the dwindling attendance can be attributed to the high ticket prices somewhat but more importantly I think it is because the races have become too long and boring.They need to split up the races into a couple of heat races and then have a feature just like your local track. They also need to stop paying losers. David Ragan got $267,000 to finish last at Daytona. Really? You know what you get a your local track for finishing last? Jack Sh!t. These guys aren't hungry. They don't really care about winning. They are overpaid millionaires, not race car drivers. I want to see some tempers flare. I want to see helmets fly. Oh. Sorry. Forgot can't do that anymore. Would be unsportsman like conduct and cost the driver. Hello NASCAR. Are you listening? Lets get back to racing.

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  33. Anonymous3:20 PM

    It is possible that putting a date at Kentucky caused people in more populated areas like Lousville or Lexington to buy tickets there since it is closer than Bristol.(or The Brickyard which is dropping in attendance too)

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  34. Anonymous5:04 PM

    I agree with the 6:45 AM post. Let's get back to racing for a win. Drivers now are so points driven that many will settle for a "good" finish and not take a chance to win the race. In golf, it gets exciting when the pros try for birdies and eagles to get the win. They take chances to get the trophy. We get excited watching them try to make the great shots. NASCAR fans get excited when drivers and teams take chances to win. I paid good money to go to a race and I want to see my driver win or try like hell. Fans want the excitement and that's what puts butts in the seats.

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  35. I blame the progressive banking and hotel prices for the sagging attendance. The lodging industry is holding race promoters hostage. The only way to fix Bristol is to change the track back to the way it was, and for Buron Smith to build his own hotel(s) and charge reasonable rates.

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