One of NASCAR’s most popular venues, Bristol Motor Speedway has a knack for eliciting strong emotions from both drivers and fans. This past weekend was no exception, with the inbox filling with those reacting to what unfolded on the track, in the grandstands and even in the garage.
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It seemed like everyone on Twitter was bitching about the number of empty seats at Bristol and I don’t understand why? Is it really that big of deal? Have you seen a baseball game and how few fans are in the stands? Sports nowadays is about the home viewing experience and not having to be there in person.
— Dennis
Yes, there was a lot of discussion on social media about the certainly less than full grandstands, though not unwarranted when you consider Bristol once was the toughest ticket to get in NASCAR and sold out every Cup race from August 1982 through August 2009 — a span of 55 events. And while an attendance figure estimated around 70,000 is still a respectable crowd size that many sports leagues would love to draw, wide swaths of empty grandstands is not an image that projects well for a sport dependent upon convincing companies to spend dollars on sponsorship activation.
Fairly or not, a lack of ticket-buying fans presents the image NASCAR’s popularity is regressing. That point is driven home further when you consider television ratings remain stagnant, with Sunday’s Food City 500 generating the fourth-lowest overnight rating for a Cup race airing on Fox (weather-impacted races excluded), according to SportsMediaWatch.com.
All that said, when you consider the last two spring Bristol races were plagued by rain causing significant delays, the attendance drop is understandable. Another factor is how many fans have become frustrated with the style of racing that is now commonplace on the high-mile track, which segues to the next question …
What happened to the Bristol of old when drivers could pass and race and didn’t just run around in line? It’s not the same track anymore and the races aren’t as good and something needs to be done. Is this really what Bristol is supposed to represent? Bristol used to be special and now it’s a lot like the other tracks.
— Van
Part of what made Bristol special was its aura that to be successful a driver needed to be aggressive, which in turn produced fiery tempers when an abundance of wrecks would inevitably occur because of said aggressiveness. That Bristol is now less about sheer physicality — striking the rear bumper of a competitor to shove them up the track so you can pass underneath — and more about precision, patience and one’s ability to set up and execute passes while in traffic, is a common criticism by many fans.
It’s also not entirely accurate. Just as it’s almost always been, Bristol remains a one-groove track — the preferred lane is merely the top, not the bottom now. And while passing may be more challenging, it isn’t impossible as anyone who watched Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch stage a marvelous clash for the lead during Saturday’s Xfinity Series race can attest.
While it is often exciting, there is no art to a driver shoving another out of the way. There is, however, a skill in navigating traffic and knowing how to balance aggressiveness with patience as Larson and Busch demonstrated Saturday and as numerous drivers showed Sunday.
But because of its reputation, Bristol faces unreasonably high standards. The expectations are no longer realistic due to its reconfiguration, which came at the behest of fans who were upset when track officials expanded the racing surface so drivers would run side-by-side revolted, essentially compelling owner Bruton Smith to make changes following the 2012 spring event.
Again, though, 70,000 is still a solid crowd, and before anyone panics let’s see what Bristol draws for its August race. If the attendance is bad and the complaints continue about the racing, then it might need to employ Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s idea of using sealer along the bottom to improve grip.
What is your personal opinion on fans and hot passes?
— Allen
A popular question this week after Kyle Busch clipped a woman with his damaged car as he attempted to turn into the garage Sunday. The woman, Erin Vandyke, fell to the ground but quickly got up and walked away. She later posted a video saying she was fine.
Naturally it’s led to some saying NASCAR should limit or outright ban fan access to the garage, particularly at a track such as Bristol where there is so little room to maneuver. That incidents like this don’t happen more frequently is a surprise considering the congestion between team personnel, equipment, fans, media and officials.
Of course, this is an overreaction. The woman in question appeared not to be paying attention and readying herself to take a photo when Busch, whose car had blown a right-front tire and hit the wall, steered toward the garage for repairs.
If some good can come out of this, it’s the need for fans to be reminded that with privilege comes responsibility and being in a live garage mid-race requires one to be mindful of their surroundings. Could NASCAR do a better job of limiting the amount of hot passes distributed, absolutely, yet to do so would diminish a wonderful characteristic that makes the sport special.
