Dover Int'l Speedway About Half Full For NASCAR Sprint Cup Race

An estimated crowd of 82,000 was on hand for yesterday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover Int'l Speedway amid forecasts of rain. The track was "a little more than half-filled, with several sections of metal benches unoccupied." This comes after Dover's races drew crowds of 133,000 "just three years ago." The economy "had already cut into that total since then," but the weather "most likely cut into it even more" (Delaware NEWS JOURNAL, 5/16). The race "illustrated that while there are parts of the country where the economy has rebounded, there are others still struggling – especially with fuel prices" (THATSRACIN.com, 5/15).