Are Pump Prices Hitting NASCAR Fans?

by Bruce Simmons

You bet they are?  With the price of gas on the rise as America gets squeezed by OPEC, we're feeling this from every angle.  Products we buy, services we use and especially at the pump.  Back in the late 80's I always wondered when we would start paying prices like the British do and other places.  I guess I finally got my answer.

The pump prices aren't being looked over either as far as NASCAR track attendance goes.  Though NASCAR isn't exactly free with it's statistics, insiders have been reporting that right now attendance is seeing a decline of about 10%, which doesn't seem big, but if you think 60 to 100 thousand fans an event, the number suddenly is huge.  Even on TV or Radio, the fans are starting to pass up the RV's and driving smaller vehicles.

Different tracks are doing different things to help stave off the additional damage to the wallet with incentives, specials and arrangements for the fans in attendance at their events.

When I lived near CA Speedway (Sorry, Auto Club Speedway) they had a pretty neat system where the local train services would set up rides from all over the region and there's a train station right at the track.  After a long hot day at the track, it was sweet to go sit down in an air conditioned train car and sleep it off.

Infineon has been reported to me as being a bear to get into and out of, not to mention the heat, but the track has teamed up with different organizations so if I wanted to, as part of my ticket purchase price, I could catch a party bus in San Jose and they would drive me to the road course...  if I wanted to spend those kind of bucks in blistering heat.  (IT IS HOT right now.)  I could also get a limo ride for almost the same cost.

New Hampshire, which is also a bear to get into and out of because unless they added roads since I've been there, was only service by one two lane road, is offering to pay someone's mortgage for the rest of the year.  (OK, now I'm thinking I need to go again!  See!  It's working on me already!)

And while we're seeing empty seats at the races now, it's going to get worse.  Right now is when we are being hit with the high price of gas and as we look to the fall, we now are aware how much more it's going to cost us to get to a track and the anticipation is that attendance is going to decline even further.

Source:  LA Times, Jim Peltz