[Bob Tanner]

Sports writer Mike Smith had the following in the Las vegas Sun today:
Are they real NASCAR fans?By Mike Smith · June 3, 2008 · 9:15 PM

Mike Hembree of scenedaily.com reported on Monday that thousands of fans left the stands long before the end of Sunday’s race at Dover.

I find this astonishing. Tickets to a NASCAR race aren’t cheap and neither is the gas it takes to get there. So why would someone leave before the end of the event after having spent so much hard- earned money to attend? It’s not as if the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse.

Even the casual NASCAR fan knows that anything can happen on the last lap of a race and that who wins or loses can be determined in the blink of an eye.

I suspect two things may have come into play here. Dale Jr. wasn’t winning and Kyle Busch was winning. But that’s not a good reason to skip out early and miss the possibility of some dramatic action on the track. Besides, who would want to miss the opportunity to boo Kyle when he takes the checkered flag?

If ticket holders want to leave because their favorite driver isn’t winning or their least favorite driver is, then I don’t consider these people worthy of being called NASCAR fans.

I can't say I disagree.

[Quality88]

AMEN to that

[Phils20]

Very true.

But it happens at every race there.

Trust me on that one.

[j-man24fan]

i'd like to do more than boo kyle, maybe take a 2 Liter of pepsi and when i get close enough to him....

i think it's really dissapointing to those fans who do actually leave when JR isn't winning. thats about 36 races a year suffering from losing people because he can't win. and right now, i can see hendrick slapping his face saying "why did i trade kyle for this driver?" he's gonna have sellers remorse and gonna look for kyle for a contract with him and boot JR out. or replace casey mears with JR. but....

[Phils20]

It has nothing to do with Kyle.

This guy must be new. I've never been to a race that didn't have folks leaving long before the end. Just the way it is.

It happens in every sport I go to. At pretty much every game.

Much ado about nothing!

[LSC9901]

Having been to a race or two myself there is another reason why people leave the stands. I won't argue with the reasons stated here in reference to JR and Kyle but many people leave because they want to get on the road ASAP. Granted when your chosen driver doesn't have a chance to win it does become less exciting to watch the end but the thought of consuming 4 plus hours to get out of the parking lot is far from exciting. Keep in mind that there are 41 other teams out on the track as the end nears and not everyone leaving hates Kyle or is a follower of Jr. I've been a part of the 4 hour exodus and it isn't fun, but I still stay to see the checkers.

[Lefty Noob]

Yeah, Phils and LSC are right. To some degree, there are always people who have to be somewhere else, get hungry and don't want to pay track/stadium prices, or just want to beat traffic. And for some folks, the only reason they even go to these live events is just to say they were there.

The only thing is, how many people were leaving? A few stragglers or a considerable amount? L.A. Dodgers baseball fans at one time had a bit a of rep for being poor fans because, as the saying went, they'd always show up fashionably late to a game and make up for it by leaving early. Maybe some NASCAR fans are like that these days?

[Bryan88]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Having been to a race or two myself there is another reason why people leave the stands. I won't argue with the reasons stated here in reference to JR and Kyle but many people leave because they want to get on the road ASAP. Granted when your chosen driver doesn't have a chance to win it does become less exciting to watch the end but the thought of consuming 4 plus hours to get out of the parking lot is far from exciting. Keep in mind that there are 41 other teams out on the track as the end nears and not everyone leaving hates Kyle or is a follower of Jr. I've been a part of the 4 hour exodus and it isn't fun, but I still stay to see the checkers.

Exactly, if you have ever been to a race and had to deal with the couple hour exodus, then you might be able to understand people leaving early. Plus the races are very long and you are packed into the stands like sardines and chances are it is hot, add all that up and that is another reason people leave early. Remember not everyone is a hardcore fan like us and they just want to be entertained for a few hours, and there is nothing wrong with that. And for the love of God can we stop blaming every little thing wrong on Jr and Busch?

[jks812]

Originally Posted by j-man24fan

and right now, i can see hendrick slapping his face saying "why did i trade kyle for this driver?" he's gonna have sellers remorse and gonna look for kyle for a contract with him and boot JR out. or replace casey mears with JR. but....

I can see Hendrick counting the money and saying, "yes I did make a good deal even if he never wins a race". I think Hendrick got what he wanted, the Earnhardt name and all that comes along with it.

[Fireball]

Well, did anyone notice that Mike Smith is a sports writer for the Las Vegas Sun. In my opinion, if you are the sports writer from Kyle Busch's home town you may be a little biased on your remarks. I would discount his remarks as to the cause of the fans early exit at Dover.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Fireball

Well, did anyone notice that Mike Smith is a sports writer for the Las Vegas Sun. In my opinion, if you are the sports writer from Kyle Busch's home town you may be a little biased on your remarks. I would discount his remarks as to the cause of the fans early exit at Dover.

It's not about Kyle. It's about driveer fans thinking themselves race fans. The two terms are not interchangeable, as Smith clearly states.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

If ticket holders want to leave because their favorite driver isn’t winning or their least favorite driver is, then I don’t consider these people worthy of being called NASCAR fans.[/color]

I can't say I disagree.

In re-rereading this and giving it some more thought I think I will disagree with Mr. Smith.

I think I would term the people he describes as actually being "NASCAR fans," as opposed to being "Race fans."

Since NA__AR panders to the driver fan and, thru the media, makes the driver more important than the racing, maybe "Driver fan" and "NASCAR fan" are interchangeable?

[PenelopePitStop]

What a crock! When I first started going to Loudon, we sat in the stands until 7:00 waiting for the crowd to clear out and to watch the haulers leave the track.

I'm so tired of the "Jr. wasn't winning" excuse. I love him, but he's not the be-all, end-all of NASCAR. Granted, Loudon is one of the most boring races on the circuit, but if you've ever sat in post-race traffic, it's not fun ... to say the least.

The last few races I attended, we left with around 20 laps to go. The thrill is the start of the race ... to me anyway. Just being there is worth the $80 I paid. This guy, Smith, has his head up his bum.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by PenelopePitStop

What a crock! When I first started going to Loudon, we sat in the stands until 7:00 waiting for the crowd to clear out and to watch the haulers leave the track.

I'm so tired of the "Jr. wasn't winning" excuse. I love him, but he's not the be-all, end-all of NASCAR. Granted, Loudon is one of the most boring races on the circuit, but if you've ever sat in post-race traffic, it's not fun ... to say the least.

The last few races I attended, we left with around 20 laps to go. The thrill is the start of the race ... to me anyway. Just being there is worth the $80 I paid. This guy, Smith, has his head up his bum.

Penny, LSC and everyone else who brought up the post-race traffic excuse... may I repost the last sentence of Smith's article? It goes:
"If ticket holders want to leave because their favorite driver isn’t winning or their least favorite driver is, then I don’t consider these people worthy of being called NASCAR fans."

Notice NOWHERE does he blame anyone who doesn't like to spend hours in traffic, or just get bored with the competition. I admit to having left a track under those considerations myself. He specifies the driver fans who leave solely because "their driver" is off the pace or the driver they "hate" is winning."

I will continue to agree with him.

[PenelopePitStop]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

"If ticket holders want to leave because their favorite driver isn’t winning or their least favorite driver is, then I don’t consider these people worthy of being called NASCAR fans."

Notice NOWHERE does he blame anyone who doesn't like to spend hours in traffic, or just get bored with the competition. I admit to having left a track under those considerations myself. He specifies the driver fans who leave solely because "their driver" is off the pace or the driver they "hate" is winning."

I will continue to agree with him.

I guess I agree as well. I stand corrected.








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