WGI brass hopes the three races will bring nearly 100,000 fans through the gates this weekendGETTY IMAGES
Watkins Glen Int'l President Michael Printup said that he is "expecting a sellout crowd" for the three scheduled NASCAR races this weekend for the "fourth year in a row," according to A.J. Bush of Binghamton, N.Y.-based WICZ.com. Printup said that after expanding hospitality options for fans including "three party decks and luxury camping experiences," he is "excited to see the high-level of turnout for the three scheduled races." He said that the popularity of WGI has "become so large" that he is now "looking to expand a fourth party deck and more attractions just to accommodate the needs of the fans." While attendance totals are not disclosed because WGI is owned by ISC, Printup hinted that this weekend's attendance "could see nearly 100,000 racing fans walking through the gates" (WICZ.com, 7/31).
STOP THE DOOM & GLOOM: The AP's Jenna Fryer wrote the "sky is not falling on NASCAR," but a "cheerier disposition could go a long way in lifting the black clouds surrounding the series." NASCAR COO Steve Phelps earlier this week at Pocono Raceway said, "This industry tends to focus on the negative. I’m not really sure why." Fryer: "Phelps is right: The vocal majority of NASCAR find fault in most everything." However, that "doesn’t make fans fools capable of believing" NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France’s "proclamation that this is a 'good year' for NASCAR." For that, the "blame is strictly on NASCAR and its own failure to fix the negative perceptions surrounding the series." If the fans only "focus on the negative it is because NASCAR isn’t doing a good enough job of promoting the positives." Fryer: "Maybe the sky isn't falling, and maybe the focus too often takes a sinister slant. But that's on NASCAR to clean up" (AP, 7/31).
