The Brickyard 400.............

[CIRF]

has fallen to such a level that it's a source of embarrassment to The Speedway.

Nobody there and it has the second highest payout of all NASCAR races behind just the Daytona 500.

A seat that would sell on the scalpers market for the Indy 500 for $50.00 over face price is lucky to bring 1/2 of face price. And I'm talking about the Penthouse seats.

[zyoung25]

It's boring. I tried to stay awake to watch the race and couldn't. The only races worth watching imo are Bristol, Martinsville, and Richmond.

I used to attend 2-3 races a year. I haven't been to one now since 05. Last Bristol ticket I bought was $95 for 1 seat mid ways up the back stretch, it was for the night race. After that I decided not go anymore.

[mudslinger47]

I did see that, no one there....I watched the race, it had some good spots, but not many....

[CIRF]

Mud, what I found most sad was the Penthouse seats in turn 1. Those are the most desirable seats of the 280,000 or so that make up the grandstands and you could have set anywhere you wanted to in those sections.

We've been in the ticket renewal system at Indy for the Indianapolis 500 for 29 years and can't get a sniff of those turn 1 Penthouse seats.

That gives you an idea just how sad the ticket situation is for the Brickyard.

There are many who think that the stock cars should never have been run at Indianapolis in the first place. It was a novelty for the first 10 years, give or take. But, given the general downturn in disposable income and interest in racing as a whole we are seeing the result.

Also, the tire situation 5 or 6 years ago is a contributing factor to the dismal attendance, as well.

[JokerPrime]

The Brickyard isn't a fun race to watch. NASCAR should call it a day and move away from that track.

[speedbuggy]

The Brickyard isn't a fun race to watch. NASCAR should call it a day and move away from that track.

I agree. The only race more boring to watch is Pocono.

It's like watching Legends run on a 1/2 mile track.

[CIRF]

Read on another board that supposedly there were 80,000 on hand. Sure didn't look like that many.

Don't know if they still do it but Purdue University did a seat count to verify exactly how many seats there are at The Speedway and they also have confirmed how may people were in the stands for an Indianapolis 500 a few years ago using satellite imagery.

Wish they'd do a count from this years Brickyard to see exactly how many there were actually in attendance.

[drtrkr244]

At least an ex-dirt driver won the race.....Congrats to TEAM 24!

[mudslinger47]

Place seats a quarter million so 80K is understandable..... and probably right.

[racin6mod]

Nascar is run by a group of fools they have the announcers pat them on the back for off season rule changes that don't help put butts in the seats, force racers to have to push one another out of the racing line to win or play fallow the leader. once a car is out front they seem to run away until the tire drop off. They need to fill those seats with lower priced tickets lower priced food/drink 100 thousand at half price is better than 10 thousand at full price for a half as$ show.they need to roll the prices back 15 years and the rules as well.

they spend way to much time showing the teams doing the copy cat kissing of the bricks.

[mudslinger47]

I agree on rolling the prices back, but the racing has been very good this year on the intermediate and short tracks as well as the road course....

[CIRF]

I don't know Mud, 80,000 might be awfully optimistic. They had 2 or 3 whole grandstands completely tarped off. However, I might well be way off base.

The only areas that were the least bit populated were turn 1 and turn 4 and high in Tower Terrace.

I'm not smart enough to be able to figure out how to improve the racing but it's obvious what they are doing isn't working.

[kidrock]

Plain and simple drop it from the schedule. The race has been boring to watch from day one. The honeymoon is over and time for a divorce from the speedway. You have to know when it's over and hate to tell them it's over.

[mudslinger47]

Plain and simple drop it from the schedule. The race has been boring to watch from day one. The honeymoon is over and time for a divorce from the speedway. You have to know when it's over and hate to tell them it's over.

I would agree with that.....

[CIRF]

I would agree, and add that this race should never have happened. When Tony George was running Indianapolis Motor Speedway he needed funding for other ventures and one way to get it was bringing NASCAR to Indy. On the same token, NASCAR wanted to race at Indy which, at the time, advanced the credibility of the stock cars series.

Remember, 1994 was 2 years before the Indy Racing League was created and the Indianapolis 500 was drawing 100,000 people just for pole day qualifying and with the infield crowd there were upwards of 350,000 for the Memorial Day Classic. Now, it seems, the chickens have come home to roost.

Plus, even during green flag racing the taxi cabs look like they're running at pace lap speeds compared to the open wheel cars.

Hopefully Tony George and company squirreled away plenty of money from the first 10 years of the Brickyard 'cause they sure aren't makin' much on it now.

[jog49]

Of course it's boring but you people aren't suggesting the Indy 500 isn't as boring, if not more boring, are you? Need to just shut the entire track down and expand the golf course!

[CIRF]

I've been in the grandstands for the last 29 Indy 500's and of all 29 the '13 & '14 were the best I've ever seen and right up there with the best racing we watched during the whole season of both years. 68 official lead changes among 14 drivers in '13 and at one point there were 7 different leaders in just 7 laps and the lead changed more than once in the final 3 laps. In the '14 race there were 34 lead changes among 11 drivers with the winning pass taking place on the final lap.

The 500 is still, and has been for a very long time, the largest 1 day sporting event in the world.

I'm not suggesting anything, I'm stating facts.

However, I would strongly suggest that you don't know what your talking about. No, I don't suggest, I know you don't know what you're talking about.

[kidrock]

I would agree, and add that this race should never have happened. When Tony George was running Indianapolis Motor Speedway he needed funding for other ventures and one way to get it was bringing NASCAR to Indy. On the same token, NASCAR wanted to race at Indy which, at the time, advanced the credibility of the stock cars series.

Remember, 1994 was 2 years before the Indy Racing League was created and the Indianapolis 500 was drawing 100,000 people just for pole day qualifying and with the infield crowd there were upwards of 350,000 for the Memorial Day Classic. Now, it seems, the chickens have come home to roost.

Plus, even during green flag racing the taxi cabs look like they're running at pace lap speeds compared to the open wheel cars.

Hopefully Tony George and company squirreled away plenty of money from the first 10 years of the Brickyard 'cause they sure aren't makin' much on it now.

I agree they had no business going there in the first place. Nascar has their grand daddy of them all and they should have left alone at Indy.

[kidrock]

Of course it's boring but you people aren't suggesting the Indy 500 isn't as boring, if not more boring, are you? Need to just shut the entire track down and expand the golf course!

I have been watching Indy for over 40 years and yes they have had some not so entertaining races but, they have also had some pretty entertaining races and like CIRF the last 2 were pretty good and entertaining races.

I remember back in the day we would sit around and listen to the radio of the live event and then later that night watch it on tape delay.

[mudslinger47]

I disagree with the "traditional" argument, its a load of you know what..... I hear purists whine about Late models at Knoxville and Eldora and Williamsburg....bull pucky if you can put a show on for the fans then try it, if it doesn't work, then that's fine, move on to try something else....but the "purist" argument is bunk....JMO