Night NASCAR on a holiday weekend: A hit or a miss?
A night race at Bristol. Looks pretty swell, huh? (Photo from CaptainThunderRacing.com)
Our geographic clocks — we do live in the South — are synchronized to Sept. 5, which is the first big Saturday of the college football season. Georgia’s at Oklahoma State that day for a game the Bulldogs may or may not lose 387-24. Georgia Tech opens at home against Jacksonville State at 1 p.m. and seven hours later Alabama plays Virginia Tech underneath the Dome. But you know all this already.
What I’m wondering now is if we Atlantans know, or care, that a major NASCAR development will be held at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept. 6. This installment of the Pep Boys 500 will be the first night Cup race in track history, and Ed Clark and the AMS folks have huge hopes for this event.
You know me: I’d rather be wrong than wishy-washy. (Explains a lot, huh?) But I could see this one going either way. I could see it become a holiday weekend staple — night racing in the A-T-L on Labor Day eve — and I could also see it getting lost amid the Saturday tailgating and the Monday cookouts. So I’m asking: What do you folks think?
Will you go? Do you have your tickets already? Is this something you’ve circled on the ol’ calendar? Are you pumped to see three-wide racin’ not on a sunny afternoon but in the slightly spooky darkness? (I know: AMS will turn the lights on. I’m just trying to raise an evocative image here.)
Loading ...Or will football distract you? (The NFL doesn’t open full-force until the next weekend, FYI.) Will baseball? (The Braves play an afternoon game at Turner Field on Sept. 6.) Is there just too much going on in the big city for NASCAR to stand out?
This is uncharted territory for NASCAR in Atlanta. We’re used to having our two races — one in the spring and one in the fall. But Clark was more than willing to yield his track’s spot in the Chase for a chance to build something big on a holiday weekend. I hope it happens that way, but I’m a bit skeptical.
Maybe that’s just me, though. I’m interested in your thoughts. Thanks in advance.
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65 comments Add your comment
Night NASCAR here on a holiday weekend: A hit or a miss? | Mark …
August 21st, 2009
3:12 pm
[...] Night NASCAR here on a holiday weekend: A hit or a miss? | Mark … [...]
Yunel's Frosted Tips
August 21st, 2009
3:19 pm
I told my friends when they announced this date it was a mistake. Racing under the lights is great, but they will get swallowed up by College Football opening day, they would have been better off next Saturday Night.
Heckler
August 21st, 2009
3:23 pm
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
YOUR ARTICLE SUCKS BRADLEY!!!!
midnite
August 21st, 2009
3:26 pm
I think the night race will be success. I do not believe college football will have much effect if any since the race is Sunday night.
Khigh Dhiegh as Wo Fat
August 21st, 2009
3:27 pm
Man, they get a lot of people to go to those races, don’t they? I’ve never been to one, or had a desire to go, or watch on TV. I may go write a very similar comment on Schultz’s current Thrashers blog. So, really, I don’t know why I’m commenting here. Pardon the intrusion.
bali
August 21st, 2009
3:33 pm
who cares……….. let the big dogs race at the ATL
Brenda
August 21st, 2009
3:33 pm
Can’t WAIT! Big HIT!!!
Heckler
August 21st, 2009
3:36 pm
YOU’RE PROOF THAT KENTUCKY’S JOURNALISM SCHOOL WILL GIVE A DEGREE TO ANYONE WHO CAN BREATHE AND WALK UPRIGHT!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
Mark Bradley
August 21st, 2009
3:40 pm
Sorry to say, I didn’t major in journalism. (Supply your own punch line.)
Sting 'em Buzz
August 21st, 2009
3:45 pm
I love the idea of racing at night down in Hampton. College football will hurt the Saturday race but the NASCAR brigade will be out in force on Sunday.
Mark Bradley
August 21st, 2009
3:47 pm
I hope it is a hit, Sting ‘em. (Surprising myself most of all, I’ve grown to like NASCAR.) But I just drove by a billboard advertising Sunday tickets for $39.
MattyB
August 21st, 2009
3:47 pm
It may take a few years, but eventually I think it will be one of the premier races of the season. The old Southern 500 used to be and I, for one, am glad it has returned to the south. Although not part of the 10 race chase, it’s actually a racier event, as it is very near the cutoff for those teams vying for for a spot in the chase. Nice move, AMS! And nice job on actually covering some NASACR news, Bradley!!!
MightyQuinn
August 21st, 2009
3:48 pm
Really? Seriously, what did you major in? Inquiring minds want to know!
Khigh Dhiegh as Wo Fat
August 21st, 2009
3:48 pm
Sorry to say, I didn’t major in journalism. (That explains a lot.)
Mac
August 21st, 2009
3:49 pm
I’m guessing political science or English.
MightyQuinn
August 21st, 2009
3:51 pm
And I, surprising myself also, have become a fan of the Left Hand Turn. Started when I met my wife to be in 2000 (first date: Braves game. Match in heaven.) She was already a fan. Watched first race green to checkered flag in Feb 2001. Y’all might remember the crash on the last lap.
David
August 21st, 2009
3:54 pm
The only CFB game on TV at that time is Colorado State at Colorado. I doubt any in this area will care about it.
Saban Clause
August 21st, 2009
3:58 pm
This idea is the CLAYTON COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM of automobile race scheduling.
ROLL TIDE!
observor
August 21st, 2009
4:00 pm
I would rather watch Colorado vs. Colorado State any day then spend a minute watching NASCAR.
Nativebird
August 21st, 2009
4:08 pm
NASCAR? What’s NASCAR?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
August 21st, 2009
4:13 pm
Friday night AMS—Truck Racing
Saturday Night—Ga. Dome Tech vs. Bammer
Sunday Night—AMS to watch Mark Martin clinch a spot in the chase
Monday—Drive home
Now only if the economy would allow me to make that a Labor Day Weekend annual event. Especially if the Braves are in town and go to the Ted on Friday as opposed to the Truck Race.
Thats what I’m talkin about!
Evil Richt 2009 S.E.C. World Tour: "Banned in Columbus"
August 21st, 2009
4:23 pm
I think it will work because it is on a Sunday night. The UGA game won’t be as much of a factor because its an away game. The people who go to the UA-VT and GT games are most likely not the same people who will be going to this race. Also, don’t worry, they will be making money on those $39 tickets.
JAG
August 21st, 2009
4:29 pm
It will be good. Don’t have tickets, but know the date and thinking about going. Football already interfered with the previous later October date – Sunday afternoon race. Sunday night on Labor Day weekend is a great fall football time date. The NASCAR fans will be at AMS tailgating and watching the college football on their TV’s from their RV’s on Saturday and at the race on Sunday night.
Bat Masterson
August 21st, 2009
4:52 pm
Nascar, haha. As soon as they start running half the cars clockwise, I’ll start watching.
reebok
August 21st, 2009
4:54 pm
once college football starts, everything else is jockeying for second place among southern sports fans. i’ve been to a bunch of cup races, but there’s no way i’d kill most of a day of a holiday weekend to go watch a race i can watch on the big screen at home w/ friends.
Hillbilly Deluxe
August 21st, 2009
4:55 pm
As a purist, I still think the Labor Day weekend race should be the Southern 500 at Darlington on a Monday afternoon. And speaking of Darlington, they should switch the start finish line back to the other straightaway like it used to be. I haven’t been to a race in many years and don’t plan on going. The sport has lost it’s soul in my opinion.
As for the Atlanta race, it could go either way. Racing under the lights should help them for at least a year or two. Back in the day (until the mid 70’s) the 2nd race at Atlanta was always run in late July. They moved it to November because of poor attendence in July. The economy is tight so going head to head with other sports might hurt the gate and Atlanta has never really drawn the crowds you would think in comparision to some race at tracks with a smaller population to draw from.
I never get to see a dead tree edition of the AJC; is Rick Minter still y’alls racing writer? He’s a good one.
Mark Bradley
August 21st, 2009
5:05 pm
Rick Minter still covers racing for us, but I believe on a freelance basis now. He’s a fine fellow.
Grand PRIX
August 21st, 2009
5:44 pm
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Observer (the 4:00 guy can't spell)
August 21st, 2009
6:22 pm
“Observor” aside, I must say the level of discourse here is a step or two up from that on columns pertaining to UGA football. Now THERE’S an indictment of all things DAWG, don’cha think ?
Smarty
August 21st, 2009
6:25 pm
Ya gotta love a good, lusty BOOO, Mark. Thanks, Heckler.
Cuz
August 21st, 2009
6:33 pm
I’ll watch the Nascar event under the lights of my living room ceiling fan.
Matt Bastardson
August 21st, 2009
6:37 pm
Whaddya bet “Heckler” is Jeff Shultz ? He always was envious of Mark B.
Dawgs2009
August 21st, 2009
6:44 pm
I have lost interest in NASCAR the past couple of years. It has become extremely dull and boring. I would have went a few years ago, but now I will save my money go to a couple of Falcon games. It has become the Jimmie Johnson show the past three years and I am done with the race for the chase.
NASCAR is on the back burner after everything else. I kind of glance at the coverage….if I even get to it after College football, NFL, the Braves,and the Hawks off-season moves.
Jim
August 21st, 2009
7:17 pm
Are you kidding? All the UGA rednecks that would have been in Athens will drive their RV’s to Hampton and watch the game there while guzzling beer!
Dawgs2009
August 21st, 2009
7:26 pm
Is that an attempt at humor Jim? We have better things to do than to drive to Hampton. Auburn is closer.
DawgNation
August 21st, 2009
9:11 pm
I work across from the track and have to work that weekend. God the traffic going home is going to be horrendous. Once home however I will watch it on the big screen. Thank God though I will be home in time for the Georgia game though on Saturday.
buzz29
August 21st, 2009
9:17 pm
I’ll be camping at AMS all weekend and going to the Jackets game on Saturday. We’ll have the BAMA-VPI game on the big screen by the fire Saturday night. Stop by and have a drink. I just ask that the UGAly fans don’t get drunk and fall in the fire this year.
buzz29
August 21st, 2009
9:23 pm
We had a helluva time pissing that fire off that dude last year.
Pinball34
August 21st, 2009
10:35 pm
By the way…Hey Teresa, how’s that 8 car doing?
Stupid is forever.
NRBQ
August 21st, 2009
11:10 pm
That picture of the crowd at Richmond is amazing.
Only two other venues in sport commands such a crowd: American college football and soccer.
Nascar is a blast. Unfortunately, network coverage has become abysmal pandering.
Somebody please put a yard of dirt in Darrell Waltrip’s mouth.
Sid
August 22nd, 2009
8:35 am
A friend of ours had the audacity to schedule her wedding for 6pm on Saturday, yes….THAT Saturday…….!! Ticket prices have been reduced at many NASCAR venues with the recognition that they have to put some butts in the seats in a down economy. Sunday’s AMS race will be fine but I will be watching on the DISH.
bug
August 22nd, 2009
10:00 am
nascar has become a convoy—no passing and they all look alike!
Smokey
August 22nd, 2009
10:22 am
I went to 7 races in a row from 1999 – 2002 but finally got fed up with the traffic. Has that improved any? I would be tempted to go to this one but I don’t want to relive the traffic nightmare again!!!
nocar
August 22nd, 2009
10:38 am
It’s been a while since I’ve been to the race. Last time, getting out was a nightmare. Night games/events lead to more drinking. So…if NASCAR has decided this, they’re targeting rowdy drunken fans. Forget families, older folks, non-drinkers. Are there enough drunken rednecks to fill the stadium? Hell, yeah! Don’t forget your guns for the fight out.
Timboy6
August 22nd, 2009
10:40 am
Will there be college football on Sunday night? I think they’ll get a lot of walk up business.
Benjamin
August 22nd, 2009
11:26 am
Night racing in Atlanta on Labor Day weekend?
Yes, please…
Benjamin
August 22nd, 2009
11:27 am
lol @ the interaction between you and Heckler, btw. I have to admit that I had a little Heckler in me last year when you wrote in June that we would be pulling ahead in the division by Labor Day….
I love your blogs, though. Keep up the good work.
CCjacket
August 22nd, 2009
11:28 am
Pinball 34:
I guess it’s still Teresa’s fault that Jr. sucks way worse now that he’s at Hendrick than he ever did when he was at DEI ??
oh, and BTW; can’t even blame in on TE Jr. anymore, either.
Billy Bob from cobb
August 22nd, 2009
11:34 am
Nascar is dieing a slow death. The only race with the car of tomarrow is in the pits. Not sure why they even go on the track any more. they should just do the best 6 pit stops to decide the winner. How about the robo driver devoid or neurtered of their personality? what do you think about these cookie cutter tracks? All this makes for very boring raceing. i would bet they don”t sell 70% of the seats
Brad
August 22nd, 2009
11:35 am
It was a good move to a night race..but they should have done it while the race was in the Chase. The benefit though is it gives people traveling to the race an extra day of travel which could help attendance as well. The biggest thing that will help attendance is ticket prices that are reasonable for a family – case in point in spring race East Turn Grandstand was $50/$60 and almost completely full….the front stretch..mostly $90 and higher was about 60% to 70% full.
The took out the cheap seats on back stretch for camping spaces that cost thousands. Added seats on front stretch that exceed $100…the family and core NASCAR fan have been squeezed out.
Night race on Labor Day..I like it…but ticket prices on front stretch need to right size to the economy. Their greed will end up causing them to lose a race.
Fred
August 22nd, 2009
11:50 am
The comments from the uneducated posters here are a good indication of the attendance and why the 2 Atlanta races need to be moved to another venue. I haven’t seen the figures lately, but just a few years ago (4-6) the 2 races at Hampton (Atlanta Motor Speedway) generated more money for the metro Atlanta area than the COMBINED season totals of the Hawks, Falcons, and Braves. Yet the race gets little to no coverage from the local media and you still have idiots like Jim and Bat Masterson making their silly stereo typed comments.
Let’s not forget that Forbes magazine ranked the Daytona 500 4th in a list of the “most valuable” sporting events in the WORLD. IE: what generates the most money world wide. The superbowl was 1st, Summer Olympics 2nd, with World Cup Soccer (FIFA) coming in 3rd. No race from any other series makes the list. NASCAR has become the second most popular sport in the Country, (behind the NFL), but let’s continue to make mindless little snips at it Nativebird, that’s ok, the France family, who is making billions off it, don’t really care. You can pretend to be all cultured and wise by deriding NASCAR, but if you were as savvy as you pretend, you would have bought stock in the company when you had a chance. Those of us who did laugh all the way to the bank at every one of you wannabe pretentious snobs. Laugh all you want, I can’t hear you over the sound of the cash register. The sad thing is that Hampton (and metro Atlanta in general) haven’t even begun to cash in on the possibilities the 2 races in Hampton provide. Bruton Smith needs to send one race to Las Vegas and the other race to………….. hmmmmmm he has a lot of choices on the second one, any of them beat Atlanta, so that’s a tough call…………..
back to the question Mark asked: If the track had to depend on the Metro Atlanta area for ticket sales, I would say it will be a bomb. Since the rest of the world likes the track at Atlanta, I would say that there is a chance of it being a pretty decent payday. It’s a tough call to make since it will be the first Labor Day race in Atlanta and many fans had already made their race plans before the switch in dates was announced. Next years race will be a better indicator. No matter which way it goes, it will get more fans than it did when it was in California for those few sad years.
Oh and for you idiots with the tailgaiting in Athens comments? Hate to burst your bubble but the Dawgs are playing Oklahoma State in Stillwater OKLAHOMA. The NASCAR fans who are also Dawg fans that camp out at Atlanta will more than likely watch the game in the comfort of their air conditioned $100,000+ motorhomes on the 50 inch HD TV that they take with them. Although a good number of them also hook the TV up outside and share the game with their camping “neighbors” as well. Anyone at the track who wants to see the game will have no problem watching it before they go to their seats inside the track.
Billy Bob from cobb
August 22nd, 2009
12:01 pm
Forgot to mention those exciting gas race. so now we are left with crappy races crappy announcers and crappy tracks. Nascar has done to racing what obama wants to do to this country. lets make evryone equal. Whats up with these retired drivers in the booth? Dw sucks rusty sucks. they seem to feel that since there is no excitement on the track that they have to entertain us with stupid stick such as the bogity bogity thing.
Bo in North Carolina
August 22nd, 2009
12:32 pm
Mark, some NASCAR fans would go to a race at midnight on Christmas eve if one was being run at that time. BTW attendance is down at the other tracks due to the economy. When (if) the economy impoves the seats will be filled again.
Paddy
August 22nd, 2009
12:46 pm
Hey Teresa, “hows that 8 car do’in” Ever find a lugnut left rear tire guy yet? Geez, saints preserve us from the mindless.
MC in AL
August 22nd, 2009
4:40 pm
I’m wondering what the attendance will be too. I’m thinking about getting tickets for the race because it’s Labor Day weekend, never been to a race at AMS, and never been to a night race. I agree with Fred in that it will take a few years to see what the attendance figures are before drawing a conclusion. Being a Dawg and NASCAR fan, I’ll watch the Dawgs on Saturday and either watch the race in person or on t.v. on Sunday. No big deal. For those of you who say the racing has become boring I agree to some extent. The COT has made side by side racing tougher with the 1 – 1 1/2 tracks. Does anyone remember the races at Daytona and the first race at Talladega this year? Were they boring? I was at the Talladega race and thought it was pretty exciting even without the final lap crash that took out Edwards and others.
Above all else I hope the switch to Labor Day is a success for ATL and AMS and I hope NASCAR continues to look at ways to better the racing and competition. Just my thoughts.
Pi$$onaDawg
August 22nd, 2009
4:42 pm
I am still a Mark Martin Fan and a Rousch Fan to, but I don’t go to or watch races much anymore. NASCAR has become so boring and predictable. Put the right tires on the cars and race in the rain. A race should won on the track not in the Pits. Wrecking a racer is tithere wrong or it is OK, but It can’t be both ways. If you do wreck me to take the win Then don’t be suprised it I NAIL you on the cool down lap or kick your A$$ in Victory Lane.
Bill
August 22nd, 2009
7:00 pm
Mark the $39 tckets and not good seats, ok but you get what you pay for. My 2 tickets were $242 in front of pits and finish line up top and covered in case of rain. There will be a concert before race also. What the He!! its only two times a year , Braves are out of it and Football…..its a long season.
doggit
August 22nd, 2009
7:00 pm
Na$car sux – too hell /w left turns
Jr
August 22nd, 2009
11:49 pm
I liked it better when they had bush cars.
Twitter Trackbacks for Night NASCAR here on a holiday weekend: A hit or a miss? | Mark Bradley [ajc.com] on Topsy.com
August 23rd, 2009
5:17 am
[...] Night NASCAR here on a holiday weekend: A hit or a miss? | Mark Bradley blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2009/08/21/night-nascar-on-a-holiday-weekend-a-hit-or-a-miss/ – view page – cached Mark Bradley wonders if the first night NASCAR Cup race in Atlanta Motor Speedway will be a hit or, coming on a crowded holidy weekend, will get lost. — From the page [...]
Ricky
August 23rd, 2009
9:33 am
Fred, I don’t buy your figures. And by the way, Freddy, why are you calling folks idiots? A little like calling the kettle black don’t ya think! You said: “Anyone at the track who wants to see the game will have no problem watching it before they go to their seats inside the track” That would be very true, especially since the race is the next day. Any REAL sports fan would know that, you moron.
From the Forbes article:
Our proprietary list of sporting event brand valuations was compiled by adding up television rights fees (or advertising revenues for events like Major League Baseball’s World Series, where the fee for the championship games is not broken out from the regular season or other postseason games), sponsorship revenue from signage inside the stadium, ticket receipts and licensing revenue. We then divided this amount by the number of days of competition. (Note: For the NCAA’s March Madness, we only considered revenues for the Final Four bracket, for comparability to championship series in other sports.)
Why is the Super Bowl so valuable? Commercial inventory for last year’s game on ABC–owned by the Walt Disney Co. (nyse: DIS – news – people )–amounted to $154 million, based on a record $2.5 million commercial rate for 30 seconds of airtime. Sprint Nextel (nyse: S – news – people ) paid $12 million to sponsor halftime, a figure that is expected to be topped by PepsiCo (nyse: PEP – news – people ) when the Colts play the Bears in Super Bowl XLI on Sunday.
The Super Bowl’s licensing program generated a record $140 million, with the largest share coming from Reebok, owned by German apparel maker Adidas (other-otc: ADDDY – news – people ). And thanks to an average ticket price of $613, gate receipts provided $31 million in revenue (net of the 25% of the tickets the NFL gives to the media, sponsors and league affiliates).
In terms of total revenue, next summer’s Olympics will rake in more than any other sporting event, $3 billion. The Beijing games will leverage their global audience with $1.7 billion from broadcasters, a record for the Olympics.
But because the Olympics cover 17 days, its brand value is $203 million less than the Super Bowl.
The International Olympic Committee is using the Summer Games’ popularity to enhance the value of the Winter Games, which are ranked seventh on our list with a value of $82 million. As part of the Olympic Committee’s international sponsorship program, all companies based outside of the host country must sponsor the Winter Games as a prerequisite to sponsoring the summer event two years later.
************************************************************************************************************
Once considered almost exclusively a sport of the U.S. South, stock car racing has become the second most popular sport in the country. Worth $91 million, NASCAR’s Daytona 500 is our fourth most valuable brand.
*************************************************************************************************************
Last year’s race took home $47 million from broadcaster Fox, which is owned by News Corp. (nyse: NWS – news – people ) Despite the lack of a truly international audience, NASCAR’s top race garners four times the revenue of rival Formula 1’s fabled Monaco Grand Prix.
Perhaps the biggest surprise on our list is an annual college football game. The Rose Bowl Game ranked No. 5, ahead of the NCAA Men’s Final Four, the World Series and the NBA finals, with a value of $88 million.
The Rose Bowl is traditionally a contest where the Big 10 and Pac 10 champions battle it out, and its value is due in large part to its eight-year, $300 million contract with ABC. Even though sportscaster Keith Jackson, who became a legend with his famous play-by-play of the Rose Bowl, has retired, the game still remains the granddaddy of all college bowl games.
Jimmy Payne
August 23rd, 2009
3:26 pm
As soon as I saw this I said it was bad. I love Nascar as do a lot of other football fans. But all the ones I know who love both will tell you they love football more.
Catfish
August 23rd, 2009
7:54 pm
I love Nascar but I love Braves baseball, UGA football,and Falcons football more (not in that order). However, the fact that the race is on Sunday night is perfect for this Labor Day Weekend and Labor Day Weekends to come. UGA plays on Saturday afternoon and the Falcons don’t start the season until the following week.
I’m going to the Braves game that Friday, UGA on Saturday, NASCAR under the lights in Hampton on Sunday. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Pi$$onaDawg
August 24th, 2009
1:22 pm
Catfish U R a lair unless you own your own personal jet.
macon race
August 25th, 2009
1:41 pm
they ought to call it the Macon race. That track is nowhere near Atlanta.