Rain in California. What else is new?
Friday, February 22nd, 2008 12:58pm CST
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.
Not to take a potshot at a track while it’s down, but even the locals in southern California will tell you that this is one of their rainy seasons. What really chaps my hide is the “reasoning” for giving California Speedway this particular date over Rockingham. Put aside that The Rock was being eliminated from the schedule, as it was sold to SMI by ISC in lieu of further legal proceedings, and get back to basics here.
The reasoning was that the weather in Rockingham was less than desirable at the end of February. Cold, rain, you name it. I won’t disagree that it could be downright chilly in those grandstands, with hot chocolate being a big seller on occasion. However, that being that case, it would seem logical that California’s current spot in February could be one hindrance to their lack of performance in the ticket office. In a market that big it should be selling out. Out of 20 million people, or however big the market is that they are claiming, you tell me you can’t get 0.45% (less than one-half of a percent) of the market area interested? To me, that doesn’t compute at all.
So what is the deal with not being about to draw what is really nothing in terms of percentage? I don’t get it. It just doesn’t make sense.
NASCAR says there’s some 80 million NASCAR fans out there, which is a little over 25% of the 315 million residents in the United States. From that, even with true market saturation of those fans varying, wouldn’t even saying that 5% of the market out there are NASCAR fans? That being the case, that would be 1 million fans if the market is 20 million. Of those million fans, you can’t get 90 thousand to show up? Also, I’m not including the relatively close market in Vegas, either. Strictly the L.A. market area, which is what they’re targeting with California Speedway.
What that tells me is that it’s a failure out there. But why?
Weather certainly has something to do with it. In February it’s a rainy season, and in September it can get pretty hot out there (as it does anywhere). With September, how could the Southern 500 do well, but this can’t? The best guess here would be that the level of dedication overall is less out there than in NASCAR’s backyard. Too hot, too wet, why bother. Not that that constitutes all fans out there, but the ones that would fill out the grandstands would certainly seem to be in that group.
Could it be ticket prices? A quick glance of what’s available shows seats for either $75 or $105. That’s in line with a lot of tracks, and even most major concert tickets these days. It’s not like baseball or basketball, where there are a ton of home games all season long. It’s a twice a year deal. Not to mention if you factor in the cost of living out there, the tickets aren’t quite as high as it would be for folks living in other areas and paying the same or similar prices.
So what’s the problem? Why can’t they get my buddy, who is a NASCAR fan, out of the garage and out to the track? He’ll drive 3 times as far for an NHRA or dragboat event, but can’t skip out to Fontana for a Cup race?
What the specific problems are out there, I have no idea. Without knowing the specific issues, it’s tough to formulate a solution. However, if only in part, weather and tickets seem to be a part of the issue. Take a family of 4, and by the time you get there, buy some souvenirs, food, and what have you, you’re looking at at least $500. While some would like to live in the land of rose colored glasses, $500 is a lot to the working family in these uncertain financial times. If they can spend it better elsewhere, they will. With $300 for tickets, $100 for souvenirs (4 t-shirts, at an average of $25 a pop), plus gas, concessions, and other miscellaneous items, it can take a hit on a lot of people in this country. It’s almost like a mini-vacation, and that’s if you live close enough to the track to leave and return to your own home. Traveling from a distance that would make that unwise? Add in some more cash for the trip.
While there are problems with California, not including the recently typical snooze-fests on the track, it combines for a bad idea for a lot of people. How this can be fixed is anyone’s guess at this point. Cut the dates in half? Not really, as when ISC looks to finally get another track built on the west coast, California is a likely target for shuffling dates. Although Phoenix might be a possibility as well.
Regardless if these are part of the problem, or the majority of the problem, they’re the easiest place to start. With the recent addition of naming rights to the track being sold this week (it’s now the “Auto Club Speedway of Southern California”, in case you missed it), you would think that there is at least a little bit of wiggle room to help make it easier on the families to support the events.
Filed Under: California, Nascar, Sprint Cup, Tracks
Tagged As: California Speedway, Low Attendance, Ticket Prices, Track Weather
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