Darlington Raceway Trims Ticket Prices For '10 NASCAR Event
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Darlington Will Offer Reduced Prices On About
35,000 Seats For Next Year's Southern 500 |
Darlington Raceway has "trimmed ticket prices on more than half of its seats" for its '10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race "in light of continuing tough economic times," according to Pete Iacobelli of the AP. Darlington Raceway President Chris Browning said that the track "would offer reduced prices on about 35,000 seats for next year's Southern 500." The track for this year's event reduced ticket prices on about 9,000 seats by $10 and came "within 3,000 tickets of a fifth straight sellout." But Browning said that officials "didn't want to just hold the line and pray more prosperous times were ahead by May." Browning said that renewal forms "will go out to all ticket buyers next week." If they respond by the September 18 deadline, purchasers "could receive an additional $5 discount." The "biggest reduction comes in the Wallace Grandstand along the start finish line and affecting about 2,500 seats that had been $85 this May and will go for $59 next spring." A "timely renewal would mean a savings of $31 a seat." Also, a section in the Colvin Grandstand along Darlington's backstretch, where seats usually cost $70, will "drop to $59." The Brasington Tower in turn one and the Pearson Tower in turn four will "see prices dropped from $95 to $90, along with the additional $5 discount" for renewing by the deadline (AP, 7/30).
STARTING TIMES: In Jacksonville, Don Coble noted there have been "12 different starting times" for Cup races this season. Half of the races "still start at 2," while the rest "range from 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m." Keeping up with the start times "has led to a lot of confusion -- and concern." ESPN VP/Programming & Acquisitions Julie Sobieski: "With ratings being down, there's lots of factors that are contributing to that. Can consistent start times make a difference? Certainly that's possible. We'd be supportive of consistent start times with ESPN and we know that's also been a priority for NASCAR to try and look at. So if it's good for the fans, and we think it's going to benefit ratings, then certainly we're on board with that concept. It's ultimately NASCAR's call when it comes to the schedule of their races, and certainly the tracks as well" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 7/29).
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