sportsjabber.net

-It’s all about the market

I awoke this morning to find most of NASCAR Nation in an uproar over the plans for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule. No one seemed all that thrilled with the idea of Kentucky getting a race date and Atlanta Motor Speedway losing one of it’s dates. Fans were suggesting all kinds of other ideas of things that NASCAR should have done to keep to dares at Atlanta and give Kentucky it’s date. This post is to explain the real reason NASCAR took Atlanta’s date and didn’t take a road course, Pocono, or some other location.

Road Course

All major motor sports series have a road course. In fact MOST major series have a schedule dominated by road racing. NASCAR is the exception to this. It’s top tier series only has two road races in a 36 race schedule. In general the average NASCAR fan does not enjoy road racing, but in NASCAR’s mind two races a year where the average fan isn’t happy is an except-able casualty if it means bring new fans to the sport.

Despite what you the fan might thing road racing is good for our sport and NASCAR doesn’t want to lose the good thing they have going. Fans of other series often tune in or travel to road races just to see if “The NASCAR boys can do it right” and a lot of them see they can and dip their toes in the NASCAR’s swimming pool a little deeper and start attending and watching other races. NASCAR has to keep reaching new fans otherwise when all of us die the sport is going to tank.

The race at Infineon Raceway in northern California is settled right smack in the middle of wine country and therefore brings a more high end crowd. I’m talking the ritsy-titsy, glit and glamor type. If you walk down pit lane at Infineon on arec day it’s a whose who of Hollywood stars mixed with otherwell known people in business. NASCAR doesn’t want to lose that market, even if they only show up once a year. Again, all about bringing new people into the sport.

Pocono has two dates and the racing stinks

That’s true, but they still sell tickets!

READ THE REST…

By Rachel Trimm, The Spotter’s Stand

http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=60575