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31 Jul 2005, 19:40 (Ref:1368439) | #1 | ||
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Michigan 400 Attendance
Hey guys watching the race right now as week speark. It seems like most of the grand stands are empty whats going on?
The only place i see people sitting in grandstands is along the front straight and the towards the end of them where the turns start on each side of it. Doesn't seem like to many people showed up in Michigan to watch Chevy try to beat the Hondas. |
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31 Jul 2005, 20:04 (Ref:1368449) | #2 | ||
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This year the grandstands in the middle were the ones that were only open.
This year is the IRL's biggets crowd attendance at Michigan. |
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The thrill from west hill |
31 Jul 2005, 20:29 (Ref:1368471) | #3 | |
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If its the IRL's biggest attendance to date thats positive, but it looks pretty empty. Michigan is a great place to watch a race. I have seen stock cars and indy cars at Michigan and Indianapolis. Indy cars blow stock cars at both venues, my opinion of course.
And Michigan is filled for the NASCAR race. I think its about name recognition. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the only racing bumper sticker I see in my neck of the woods. Danica is the IRL's best hope. |
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31 Jul 2005, 20:31 (Ref:1368475) | #4 | |||
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Although it is a bit misleading as up to the event alot of people were saying it would be poorly attended... |
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31 Jul 2005, 20:34 (Ref:1368478) | #5 | ||
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I wouldn't be surprized that after this season since Chevy will be long gone that they will even race their next year. I think the race will be dropped from the scedule.
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31 Jul 2005, 20:43 (Ref:1368486) | #6 | ||
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Quote:
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1 Aug 2005, 00:41 (Ref:1368672) | #7 | ||
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MI holds a heck of a lot of people. I thought the opposite, that there were an awfull lot of people there. It obviously wasn't as big as a Nascar race so there were a lot of empty grandstands. I think it was better than some of CART's later Hanford device races at MI, which were perhaps the best races on a superspeedway ever.
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1 Aug 2005, 08:55 (Ref:1368843) | #8 | |
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The IndyStar has posted 35k as an estimated crowd number for Sunday.
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1 Aug 2005, 14:47 (Ref:1369242) | #9 | |
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Couple of folks who've been attending Michigan for years told me this morning that this year's attendance was maybe 5-10,000 more than last year. The place holds more than 100,000, so a crowd of 35-40,000, even if it's a good crowd, can look empty there.
And the TV overnights came in at a 1.5 rating, 3 share vs. 1.0 and a 2 share last year. |
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1 Aug 2005, 14:53 (Ref:1369253) | #10 | ||
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So thier slowly improving which is a good sign, but I don't know if those same fans will show up after Chevy is gone from the grid. You have to keep in mind their are alot of GM workers in Michigan who probably came out to see Sheckter run.
Also it makes me sad because before in 80's and early 90's they use to fill that track up almost completely like the Nasscars do now. |
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1 Aug 2005, 16:01 (Ref:1369324) | #11 | ||
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Penske had a meeting with GM last week while in Michigan...
Since he bought Illmor, maybe something is in the works there.... Who knows???? But Chevy has to be pleased with the performances of Panther at this time.... Scheckter stormed back to 3rd aftr a drive-through penalty!!!! And he has been fast a virtually every race recently.... Buddy Lazier also has shown quite well when he has raced, and Enge ( and Bell yesterday) were charging up to the front in their respective races this summer... |
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1 Aug 2005, 16:02 (Ref:1369325) | #12 | ||
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That was probably a pretty decent crowd for an IRL event.
Question is, what kind of marketing campaign will it take to really bump up the IRL's track attendence and TV numbers? Put the IRL Michigan race up against a typical NASCAR show at the same venue and you wonder why anyone would watch a taxi cab race. |
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1 Aug 2005, 16:04 (Ref:1369327) | #13 | |||
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It looked like more than that on TV, but it is hard to tell when you're watching a telecast.... Kentucky will have a good crowd in 2 weeks...last year the place was packed....and I'll be one of them |
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1 Aug 2005, 16:17 (Ref:1369341) | #14 | ||
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It didn't look like anyone was their to me on TV but I respect your opinion and agree that its hard to tell. I didn't know Penske had a meeting with GM, that is good news for IRL but I don't think thier going to change their minds about pulling out of the sport completely. My dad works for GM and he told me from what he hears at work that, their is not chance of them staying in. Maybe Penske had a meeting with GM but just concerning their team or his business in another form of racing other then the IRL.
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1 Aug 2005, 20:51 (Ref:1369631) | #15 | ||
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Michigan holds about 140,000 people....
The main grandstand on the front straight looked like it had quite a few people in it... The Indianapolis Motor Speedway draws about 120,000 people for the F-1 race...bu it looks empty, too, because the place holds 270,000 people in the stands.... It is all relative.... My guestimate, based on how many seats looked to be occupied was closer to about 55,000 or 60,000, but TV makes it difficult to tell. The Indy Star estimated 50,000 at Kansas, when friends of mine who were there said it was closer to about 65,000-70,000 people... Who knows???? |
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2 Aug 2005, 11:30 (Ref:1370042) | #16 | ||
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Bristol is probably the most extreme of them all (in terms of expanding), having expanded to 150000 seats around that tiny half-mile bullring. |
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