[vincesanity82]

After a two-year dip, NASCAR's TV ratings are up 5%, but attendance has been flat or down at several tracks this year. NASCAR Chairman Brian France says there are no concerns of losing fans and argues a resurgent IRL benefits NASCAR because they share speedways, sponsors and TV networks. "I'll take the benefits if they develop into an impactful series, and any negatives, too," France says. Open-wheel's popularity still trails stock-car racing, which claims a fan base of 75 million to the IRL's claimed 36 million. The Indy 500 will draw a typical 250,000 Sunday. But most of the crowds for the IRL's 18 other races are dwarfed by NASCAR, which averages at least 100,000 for the bulk of its 36 races. -- USA Today



Can hard-charging IRL catch up to big bro NASCAR? - USATODAY.com

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by vincesanity82

After a two-year dip, NASCAR's TV ratings are up 5%, but attendance has been flat or down at several tracks this year. NASCAR Chairman Brian France says there are no concerns of losing fans and argues a resurgent IRL benefits NASCAR because they share speedways, sponsors and TV networks. "I'll take the benefits if they develop into an impactful series, and any negatives, too," France says. Open-wheel's popularity still trails stock-car racing, which claims a fan base of 75 million to the IRL's claimed 36 million. The Indy 500 will draw a typical 250,000 Sunday. But most of the crowds for the IRL's 18 other races are dwarfed by NASCAR, which averages at least 100,000 for the bulk of its 36 races. -- USA Today

Can hard-charging IRL catch up to big bro NASCAR? - USATODAY.com

So, Brian isn't worried? Isn't that special.

Nate Ryan, the writer of the linked article, brings out some very good point which Brian would be insane not to worry about.

• Personalities - NA__AR has worked hard at making driving ability secondary to personality and being able to sell tee-shirts. NA__AR has improved TV ratings due basically to two people, Junior and Kyle Busch. Believe me, IF Junior were still at DEI and around 12-15th in points, and if Kyle were still at HMS, doing so-so, NA__AR improved ratings would be less than half of what they are now and that would be due solely to increased fuel prices and people no longer traveling long distances to races.
  IRL has Danica, Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal (haven't heard of him..? just wait, you will) Helio Castroneves and a host of other genuine personalities.

• Competition - We saw a preview of the World 600 last weekend with the All Star race. When any car gets in front it's hard to pass and there is all kinds of beliefs that we will see 400 laps of follow-the-leader Sunday night.
  IRL will be turning around 40 MPH faster than the Cup cars. History shows that almost any IRL wreck is spectacular and there is a sizable number of people who follow racing just for the wrecks.

• History- From 1911 until around 1996 the Indianapolis 500 was THE RACE. It was the race that, if you only watched or listened or attended one race a year, it was the 500. Now, for better or worst, IRL and Champ Car has reunited and that alone has brought a lot of traditionalists back into the fold.

• Oversaturation - I have said here before that if anything kills NASCAR it might be its own success. I stand on that. NA__AR's rapid and huge succes has put us in a position where, unlike IRL, we have 24/7 coverage of NA__AR. We have an above average amount of technical knowledge, we know the drivers better than we know some of our own relatives, we know their families their wives, their kids and even their darn pets! We know their favourite charities. About the only thing we don't know is how they're going to vote next Nov., but even there we probably have a good idea. We know almost intimately the team owners, the crew chiefs and even some of the crew members!?
  Where does this lead us? There is no more mystery in NASCAR. The pre-race shows, the race itself and the post race all have the inherent regularity of getting up and going to work each day.
  I mentioned this in another thread and the more I think about it, the truer it becomes to me; we, as a group, have slowly turned from being fans, who watch for the enjoyment, to critics and annalists, who watch races as a vocation.
  IRL is the "new kid on the block." The one who everyone knew but moved away, and now he's back and everyone is interested in where he was, what he did and what his plans are.

Note to Brian France: Take heed of that famous philosopher, Elmer Fudd, when he said, "Be afwraid. Be Vwery, Vwery afwraid."

[wingkey1]

There will be an ebb and flow. The proverbial waxing and waning.

Brian speaks to/of the true fan of motorports. Those who can appreciate and enjoy the difference. For/of those, he could not be more correct.

Conversely for those who focus on the $$$ draw (Oh Brian, you're gonna lose so much revenue based on your beliefs; the more "today" observers), they would say ole Brian should be concerned. Yeah well, their heart will always be with the money as opposed to the, lacking a better defintion, the "sweet science".

Open wheel racing at the mountains peak is exhilarating (sp?). Covered/closed wheel, equally so. Those who would in any way seek to lead others to measure one to the other - Oh Lord.

But what do we know.

[bears9]

I will be watching racing all day Sunday, the Indy 500, the Coke 600, whew, I pumped for racing Sunday.

[WestCoast]

Originally Posted by bears9

I will be watching racing all day Sunday, the Indy 500, the Coke 600, whew, I pumped for racing Sunday.

Don't forget to "tape" the glamorous Monaco GP and watch it in the morning prior to the Indy.
I know I will.

[Bob Tanner]

John Daley has an interesting article which touches on this thread:
The Daly Planet: Are NASCAR Fans Going To Watch The Indy 500?

Nice picture of Danica, too...

In part he writes:
Let's talk some TV here. Americans know Danica Patrick from her interviews and extensive media exposure. They know Helio Castroneves because of his Dancing With The Stars efforts. What they do not know is the rest of the Indy 500 field. Names like Rahal and Wheldon and Dixon might be of interest to race fans but entertainment TV viewers could care less. Bring on the summer dancing shows.

This year, however, there is one very big group in North America that is going to have an above average interest in the Indy 500. That group is NASCAR fans. Despite the fact that the open-wheel drivers who came over to NASCAR have been a tad less than impressive, it raised an issue. What did they do to get here?

I think this article connects with the thread in that if Indy turns out to be an exciting barn-burner with lots of action, and the World 600 is like last Saturday's race (either a run-away or a "follow-the-leader" or a "stay out of trouble for 500 miles and then run the last 100" race), some people are going to wonder why they're so obsessed with NA__AR.

If Indy, which is advertised as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" is just normal and the World 600 is a normal cookie-cutter track new car race, the title of this thread might be germane.