The Charlotte Observer has concluded a study of 5 year revenues reported by the publicly traded track owners. The results are dismal as you'll see in the story I'm posting from the lead story on the front page of the Charlotte newspaper Sunday.
Of, course our favorite Brian has several statements in the story, including one where he says NASCAR is 60 years old. Sorry, Brian.... NASCAR's first season sanctioning races was 1948.... your math is incorrect.
With all the new hires down in Daytona and here in Charlotte, I'm thinking perhaps we can help Brian out with some selective questions for a NASCAR Employment Screening Quiz that must be taken by all these New York City and Los Angeles new hires coming on board our beloved stock car race sanctioning body.
I think the quiz should be broken into categories like Geography, Fashion, Nicknames, etc.
I'll provide a few sample questions and propose that our membership formulate additional questions to be asked of all potential NASCAR new hires:
THE NASCAR EMPLOYMENT QUIZ
GEOGRAPHY :
* Using a map of the United states, place your index fingers on the location of tracks at North Wilkesboro and Rockingham.
NICKNAMES :
* Who was Crawfish?
* Who was the Turtle?
TRACKS :
* Name all the dirt tracks where you've seen a race.
* Name any track where you've seen a race.
* Name the tracks on the Northern Tour
FASHION :
* What style shoe did Joe Weatherly wear when driving?
* What style shoe did Dave Marcis wear when driving?
* What brand of jeans did Dale Earnhardt wear?
* What was inscribed on Richard Petty's sunglasses?
* Early NASCAR track personnel wore straw hats, baseball caps or pith helmets?
CAR BRANDS - FILL IN THE BLANKS :
* Plymouth by ____________________.
* Fabulous _____________ ____________.
* __________________ - Wide Tracking.
* ______________ Has a Better Idea.
SPONSORS & MANUFACTURERS :
* The famous Chrysler 300s were sponsored by Johnson, Evinrude or Mercury Outboards?
* FISH manufactured carburetors or Fuel Injection devices.
* Hilborn manufactured carburetors or Fuel Injection devices?
* Holley was an evergreen tree, fuel injection device or carburetor?
* Frankland was the preferred supplier of __________________?
* Maremont-Gabriel, Monroe, and Bilstein supplied______________?
* What's an Air-Lift?
* Raybestos provided the early asbestos fire suits in NASCAR - true or false?
* The color associated with Hoosier tires is green, yellow or purple?
* Purolator, WIX and Fram supply _____________?
RANDOM :
* Jabe Thomas stopped for _____________, whether or not he needed gas or tires?
* What did Joe Weatherly carry around the garage in a box?
OK.... you get it. Any NASCAR hire with a hope of getting fans back to the track should have some notion of the correct answer to these few questions. Now, add your own questions to help us weed out potential flop employees in Daytona or Charlotte.
NASCAR ticket revenue in sharp decline
By David Scott and Andrew Dunn - dscott@charlotteobserver.com
Saturday, Jul. 07, 2012
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. The green flag dropped on Saturday nights Coke Zero 400 NASCAR race with all 57,000 seats in Daytona International Speedways backstretch grandstands empty.
With decreased demand, NASCARs most famous track never offered those seats for sale, in stark contrast to the days when sellouts were routine at Daytona and most other tracks on racings premier Sprint Cup series.
NASCAR, which has a big footprint in the Charlotte area and was once viewed as the countrys fastest-growing pro sport, continues to grapple with perhaps its most troubling ongoing challenge: declining ticket sales.
Actual NASCAR attendance figures are difficult to come by, but according to securities filings, ticket sales revenue fell by 38 percent over the past five years at its three publicly traded companies, which host 35 of the 38 race weekends 36 points races and two special events.
Things arent perfect and easy, no, NASCAR Chairman Brian France said Friday. But a lot of people would like to have our problems.
Securities filings for NASCARs track owners for 2006 through 2011 show:
Charlottes Speedway Motorsports Inc. has lost more than a quarter of its admission revenue, falling to $130 million.
NASCARs largest track operator, Daytona Beach-based International Speedway Corp., has lost more than 40 percent of its ticket revenue, falling to $144 million. Earlier this week, ISC reported an increase in admission revenue over the first six months this year (from $66 million last year to $69.9 million), but that included an additional race (at Kansas), moved from later in the season.
Dover Motorsports Inc., which runs tracks in Delaware (including Dover International Speedway) and Nashville, Tenn., has been hit the hardest, with admission revenue falling nearly 60 percent, to $13.6 million last year.
Not all of the figures reported are entirely NASCAR revenue, but the annual reports note that the declines are almost all due to NASCAR events.
Figures for a NASCAR race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and two at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, both privately held, are not available.
The main culprit for declining ticket revenues, said France, continues to be the economy, because attending a NASCAR race often requires more travel and a longer stay than attending other sporting events.
Given the way were structured, its had a greater effect on us, France said.
Television ratings, which are roughly flat from 2010 to 2011, show that the sport remains popular, even if fewer fans come to the track.
Track operators, in an attempt to bring fans to their speedways, have lowered prices and offered promotions, worked to improve the fan experience at the track and marketed the sport aggressively.
And NASCAR, which is based in Daytona Beach, is testing plans to draw Hispanic fans and appeal to younger people and organizing for a five-year plan set to launch in 2013 to better market the sport.
NASCAR isnt the only pro sport that has experienced attendance declines in recent years. Major League Baseball, the NFL and the NBA all release attendance figures, although they may use different methods to arrive at the numbers. Based on the numbers they provide, all have seen single-digit declines, much more modest than NASCAR.
Even the immensely popular NFL recently made a concession to some of its attendance problems, relaxing a longstanding policy requiring home teams to sell out or face a local television blackout. Beginning this coming season, only 85 percent of tickets will need to be sold for a game to avoid being blacked out.
Tweaking the formula
NASCARs racetrack companies largely blame the slowdown in consumer spending for the lack of sales. Admission revenues peaked between 2006 and 2008 and have fallen every year since. The companies say ticket sales will continue to struggle as long as the economy does.
We think the pricing this year will stay consistent with last year, SMI president Marcus Smith told Charlottes Sports Business Journal in May. And weve held pricing firm for the last few years. Weve done discounts for folks, the four-packs and the six-packs maybe food and beverage is included in the ticket. Its not the model that you would look to in the short term because it has resulted in some lower admission revenue. But its the right thing long term for our fan base because more and more fans are able to attend and continue their tradition.
Charlotte has been creative in how it deals with the problem. Several years ago, the track removed a large block of seats, replacing them with a luxury motor home park.
That can be a little misleading, said France. They have higher ticket pricing with that, but there are fewer people. But theres more money from it.
Tracks have tried other methods in attempts to at least conceal the attendance problems. Charlotte and Dover, for example, are among those that have placed tarps some with advertising logos or an American flag over large expanses of their grandstands.
People do different things, said France. How they approach things, thats the tracks prerogative.
NASCAR is making moves of its own, with numerous hires aimed at improving the sports brand. The sanctioning body is testing efforts to draw Hispanic fans, including signs at some tracks in Spanish to make the sport more accessible. It is also working to appeal to people in the 18-to-34 age group and organizing a five-year plan, which is set to launch in 2013 to better market the sport.
Regardless, France said, the sport and its track owners will take a long-term view on solving the attendance problem.
(NASCAR) is 60 years old and weve been through a lot of things, France said. But this was pretty dramatic, from an economy standpoint.
Observer researcher Maria David and staff writers Kelly Mae Ross and Michael Persinger contributed.
Declines in other sports, too
Attendance figures for Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NFL, provided by the organizations, show more modest declines than what NASCAR has experienced:
Baseball attendance dropped from 79.5 million in 2007, its peak, to 73 million in 2010.
NBA attendance peaked at 21.8 million in 2006-07, then dropped to 21 million in 2010.
NFL attendance topped out at 17.3 million in 2008 before dropping to 17 million in 2010. Attendance in the NBA and NFL rose in 2011, as it did in the NBA for the 2010-11 season. The NBAs 2011-12 season was shortened by a labor dispute.
Source: League-provided attendance figures
Scott: 704-358-5889; Dunn: 704-358-5235
Read more here: http://www.thatsracin.com/2012/07/07/91025/nascar-ticket-revenue-in-sharp.html#storylink=cpy
--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
