Is Dirt Racing a threat to NASCAR

[Highside Hustler25]

Good read

https://racingnews.co/2017/02/08/dir...eat-to-nascar/

[Escobar]

Really? This was a horribly put together article. I haven't looked at it in a week or so, but it's spelled throne, not thrown. It's littered with spelling and grammar mistakes and there isn't ONE stat to back up his statement.

Dirt racing will never be threat to NASCAR. NASCAR's biggest threat is itself. The same could be said for dirt racing.

[RTW]

Threats come in many shapes and sizes.
Do I think that the two national touring dirt late modes series will combine and enjoy the success and exposure that NASCAR still has? No. Even though the interest in NASCAR is declining rapidly, dirt late model racing is not even close to being in a position to take its place. The facilities that Lucas and WOO run at simply do not have the capacity to hold enough fans to attract the big time sponsors that would be willing to pay for sponsorship on the cars and for the TV coverage that NASCAR has.

Dirt Late Model racing fans are a very loyal group, much the same as NASCAR fans used to be. I have no doubt that Dirt Late Model racing is benefiting from NASCAR's decline. I for one used to attend many NASCAR races during the year. I still have season tickets at Ky Speedway since it is only an hour from my house. I now attend many more dirt track races in a season than I do NASCAR events and enjoy the dirt track races much more.

So please continue to support your local dirt tracks so the guys that race there for the pure joy of racing have a place to race and we have a place to go watch but do not expect dirt late model racing to ever replace NASCAR any time soon.

[ptown]

Really? This was a horribly put together article. I haven't looked at it in a week or so, but it's spelled throne, not thrown. It's littered with spelling and grammar mistakes and there isn't ONE stat to back up his statement.

Dirt racing will never be threat to NASCAR. NASCAR's biggest threat is itself. The same could be said for dirt racing.

I read that article a few days ago and thought the same thing, very amateurish and poorly written.

[dirtdobber45]

I read that article a few days ago and thought the same thing, very amateurish and poorly written.

Some get too technical on here.

[dirtdobber45]

Back in the day Id hit both races at Bristol Rockingham N. Wilkesboro and Charlotte but now you cant pay me to go. Dont like the Chase one bit. I can remember that the owners wanted more mile and a half tracks cause there was less damage to the car. 'Save' money sorta speak. And since they ground Bristol Ive never been back for a Cup or Xfinity race. Every once in a while Ill go to a late model race up there but thats it for the round track.

[Bubstr]

NASCAR WHO? They shot their self in the foot. Dirt racing is just filling the void for disgruntled race fans. Everyone has heard the old saying, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Evidently NASCAR didn't. They didn't dance with the one that brought them and I'm not sure they will have a dancing pardner, when the dust settles.

First, they got rid of the dirt tracks that where the main stay of the early years. Then they built palaces that the original fan couldn't afford a ticket to. The cities charged a NASCAR tax on motels dinner and entertainment. They priced their self right out of the original fans pocket book. Then no more fighting. You have to have a franchised ride to play. Bill Elliot and Ramo Stott would have a hard time dragging their home built car to the big races. Now it's a pay to play deal. They have done the same things that every other type of racing, that gained some fame, has done. They let tech take over and price the local racer out. When the fan can't see if Joe the local mechanic can beat the super stars, they not only lost Joe but the fans that followed Joe and guys like him. The first NASCAR race I went to, cost $12 a ticket at Daytona and you saw guys with open trailers there. The infield wasn't crowded with corporate BS so you couldn't see the back stretch. It didn't cost a arm and leg for concessions. NASCAR ruled and penny pinched it's way out. I hope Dirt LM doesn't do the same, as we see knee jerk rules come out more and more.

[wfofan]

Dirt racing is no better off... its all about $$$ and the racing in both series is pretty much boring entertainment...
I'd gladly pay twice admission if I could see an actual race...when qualifying determines the finishing ordef that not a race...

[Snake X3]

I think it is a threat. Certainly not a threat to draw the types of crowds or televisions numbers that NA$CAR does, but certainly to draw fans that are fed up with the direction it has taken. I speak from personal experience because I went from being a diehard NASCAR fan for 30 years to a diehard Late Model fan starting a few years back...and I've never looked back.

I have to say that without Dirt on Dirt that would not be possible. In order to be able to follow the sport closely, you need to be able to feed your need for information and the ability to watch races year around and across the country. If I was NA$CAR I wouldn't really be worried about Dirt Late Models knocking them from the top of the heap, but I would be looking at why they are losing fans like myself that are tired of their on track gimmicks, corporate polish and political correctness.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Dirt racing can't get out of its own way.

[WisWildManFan]

Nascar should be benefiting from dirt racing by taking the cup series to eldora, knoxville, or covering Bristol again. Anyone can see the truck race at eldora is one of the best races of the year in all 3 major series.

[vande077]

Not sure where the author is going with this. Sure, the Dome had 15000 fans, but that is a far cry from even the worst attended Cup Race, even if the event grows, I can't ever see the day when it would exceed 25000 in the stands (even though the place would hold double that).

The current Marquee events in Dirt (Knoxville Nationals for sprints, World 100 for Lates), don't sell out (Knoxville hasn't sold out for 15 years now and according to Eldora Speedway, the Truck Race is their highest attended event, so obviously that means the World doesn't sell out).

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Not sure where the author is going with this. Sure, the Dome had 15000 fans, but that is a far cry from even the worst attended Cup Race, even if the event grows, I can't ever see the day when it would exceed 25000 in the stands (even though the place would hold double that).

The current Marquee events in Dirt (Knoxville Nationals for sprints, World 100 for Lates), don't sell out (Knoxville hasn't sold out for 15 years now and according to Eldora Speedway, the Truck Race is their highest attended event, so obviously that means the World doesn't sell out).

Eldora sells lots of tickets without seats for their LM events. I don't think a sellout is possible.

[callmez]

A handful of e-cred points* to Bubstr for the Ramo Stott reference. Made me smile to see that name come up. [* unfortunately, e-cred points are not legal tender]

[jog49]

My guess, after exposure, is that all racing is in a decline. NASCAR is the most high profile and in decline for a number of reasons but dirt racing attendance has gone downhill over the past five years or so too. A few of my local tracks are doing good to even stay open when one looks at the stands on a weekly basis.

[CIRF]

The current Marquee events in Dirt (Knoxville Nationals for sprints, World 100 for Lates), don't sell out (Knoxville hasn't sold out for 15 years now and according to Eldora Speedway, the Truck Race is their highest attended event, so obviously that means the World doesn't sell out).

There is one other marquee event run on dirt and it sells out to the tune of 15,000 people for 5 straight nights. Probably more like 16 to 17 thousand if the folks who can't get tickets and buy pit passes and watch on the pit side jumbo-tron are counted. It takes place at Tulsa in January.

Dirt racing hurting NASCAR? The extent is probably minimal. There was a day back in the 1990's up to around 2004 when the fandom of both dirt late models and NASCAR overlapped extensively but no more. These days on a Saturday night at FALS it's hard to find anyone who cares enough about NASCAR even to know who's starting on the pole for Sunday's Cup race. On the same token most hard core NASCAR fans seem to take little interest in late model racing.

The dirt open wheel fans never really took much interest in NASCAR. Still don't accept to see where the dirt open wheel guys that have made the transition are fairing on any given weekend.

[vande077]

There is one other marquee event run on dirt and it sells out to the tune of 15,000 people for 5 straight nights. Probably more like 16 to 17 thousand if the folks who can't get tickets and buy pit passes and watch on the pit side jumbo-tron are counted. It takes place at Tulsa in January.

Dirt racing hurting NASCAR? The extent is probably minimal. There was a day back in the 1990's up to around 2004 when the fandom of both dirt late models and NASCAR overlapped extensively but no more. These days on a Saturday night at FALS it's hard to find anyone who cares enough about NASCAR even to know who's starting on the pole for Sunday's Cup race. On the same token most hard core NASCAR fans seem to take little interest in late model racing.

The dirt open wheel fans never really took much interest in NASCAR. Still don't accept to see where the dirt open wheel guys that have made the transition are fairing on any given weekend.

Yes, Tulsa sells out, but it has factors in it's favor: No other racing going on in the USA (no NASCAR, no IndyCar, no short track racing, no drag racing, etc.) and draws fans from all of those forms of racing that week. But, no matter how you slice it, it's still the same 15000 people every day, it's not 75,000 people.

Another factor that helps it in interest is NASCAR guys racing: whether people want to admit it or not, some go to watch Kasey, Kyle, Christopher Bell, Rico and others get beat or if they win they want to say they were there for it.

Indoors, ZERO CHANCE of it raining out or getting cancelled.

Longevity: What is it now, year 34? Most dirt events (other than Knoxville and Eldora) seem to make it past year 5 anymore.

IMO, dirt racing has ZERO CHANCE of ever overtaking NASCAR. I'm not saying NASCAR has a better product (they don't), but casual fans will go to a NASCAR race because it's an EVENT. Most Dirt Track racing misses that by a mile...

[kidrock]

There is one other marquee event run on dirt and it sells out to the tune of 15,000 people for 5 straight nights. Probably more like 16 to 17 thousand if the folks who can't get tickets and buy pit passes and watch on the pit side jumbo-tron are counted. It takes place at Tulsa in January.

Dirt racing hurting NASCAR? The extent is probably minimal. There was a day back in the 1990's up to around 2004 when the fandom of both dirt late models and NASCAR overlapped extensively but no more. These days on a Saturday night at FALS it's hard to find anyone who cares enough about NASCAR even to know who's starting on the pole for Sunday's Cup race. On the same token most hard core NASCAR fans seem to take little interest in late model racing.

The dirt open wheel fans never really took much interest in NASCAR. Still don't accept to see where the dirt open wheel guys that have made the transition are fairing on any given weekend.

One of my friends loved Nascar and had only been to a few dirt races and didn't care for it. For one his wife said the bathrooms are nasty and it's to dirty and he would say if I want laid tonight I have to agree with her lol.

[Snake X3]

My guess, after exposure, is that all racing is in a decline. NASCAR is the most high profile and in decline for a number of reasons but dirt racing attendance has gone downhill over the past five years or so too. A few of my local tracks are doing good to even stay open when one looks at the stands on a weekly basis.

I agree that weekly attendance may not be doing well, but look at the crowds that Lucas was drawing last season. There was hardly an event where the stands weren't packed to capacity. For weekly shows Super Lates may have gotten to expensive to be a viable division, but on the national level and special events things seem to be going in the right direction.

[Mantis]

Longevity: What is it now, year 34? Most dirt events (other than Knoxville and Eldora) seem to make it past year 5 anymore.

I'm sure you know this but Knoxville and Eldora are not the only dirt tracks with a deep history that continues to run their marque events.