The "lackluster turnout" at Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway "clearly has to be a source of alarm to BMS officials," according to Allen Gregory of the BRISTOL HERALD COURIER. Several reporters "pegged the crowd in the 65-70,000 range," which "would still be larger than the attendance at 11 other Cup tracks." However, all the key elements "were in place for a banner event." The weather "was perfect, plus there was major buzz" surrounding the "highly-hyped debut of the monster television and stereo dubbed 'Colossus.'" The problems at BMS "center around the loss of the infamous bump-and-grind style of racing, the high cost of tickets and concessions, and the outrageous price-gouging by area hotel owners" (BRISTOL HERALD COURIER, 4/19). In Virginia, Jordan Bondurant wrote there "aren't any excuses that can be used to justify the thin crowds" at BMS this past weekend. The track "didn't look anywhere close to being at capacity on Sunday," and "not even TV magic could cover up the fact that fans just didn't show up." But BMS "isn't the lone culprit." Attendance at NASCAR events, "with the exception of the season-opening Daytona 500 and maybe the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, has been in a consistent decline for almost a decade." No matter whether the tracks or their sponsors "decide to give tickets away, or whether the tracks lower the ticket prices, it seems like nothing is getting the butts in the seats" (DANVILLE REGISTER & BEE, 4/19).
WANING INTEREST: In Florida, Don Coble writes based on a "persistent decline in attendance and television ratings," the Cup Series "clearly has lost traction with many of its fans." Concern throughout the industry has "been transformed into the reality that many fans have lost interest." There is "no clear-cut reason for the overall decline." If it "were that simple," everyone in the sport "would be doing it" (ST. AUGUSTINE RECORD, 4/20).
