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Gas Prices Affecting NASCAR
By: Gregg A. Shultz- RaceFanVote.com
Fuel prices are having an affect on every aspect of life for people across the U.S., but
something that hasn’t been brought up too much is how it will start to affect the sport of
stock car racing. This is not a story about the fuel that the race cars use, but rather the
increased cost to the fans across the board when gas prices climb over the $4.00 per gallon
mark which is right around the corner.
When a lot of fans think about higher fuels prices, they think about what it takes to drive to
the track and then to get back home. For some that’s a deal breaker, but the problem
actually goes way deeper than that and the evidence of it is sure to start showing up soon
at the track.
Every aspect of a race event is affected by higher fuel prices. The team’s travel, track staff
and personnel, souvenir haulers, bringing in food and beverages and so on. The fact is that
every vendor that sells items at the track are suffering from the higher fuel prices and
having to pass the increase along to the fans in the stands.
The track owners are feeling the pinch as well. All of the equipment, sweepers, track dryers
and safety vehicles as well as all of the grounds maintenance equipment run on gas or diesel
which has just about doubled in the past three or four years. Electricity is costing more
because of higher fuel costs and the amount needed to operate a track facility is already
astronomical and now add in the increased cost and this all combined could start to affect
ticket prices as well.
The camping fees will probably also increase as well as for the water, sanitary and trash
services because the trucks are paying more for diesel that provide these services. Not to
mention the fact that driving or towing an RV any distance at all can almost require a second
mortgage to buy fuel for the trip.
NASCAR is not immune to the same problems that are affecting business across the Nation,
but what is the issue is how the increased costs will be paid. Ticket prices were already
receiving a lot of criticism from the fans and if they go up again then there will probably be a
lot more empty seats just simply because people cannot afford it. I am not saying that the
fans will stop going to the races, but instead of for example a fan attending 4 or 5 races per
year, that number might be cut back to 2 or 3 and for some maybe just one or none. That’s
going to be felt by the track owners and the sport.
Some might say that the track owners and concession & souvenir vendors are already
making too much money on the fans, so they should just absorb the increased costs. It will
be interesting to see if that happens or not.
There are actually some good opportunities for the track promoters and sponsors to turn a
negative into a positive and encourage continued support of attending races by the fans.
Sunoco, The Official Fuel Of NASCAR could hand out five or ten dollar gas cards with paid
admission as well as could the track promoters. The vendors could boast that they are
keeping their prices the same in spite of their increased cost of doing business as well as
keeping ticket prices the same or even lowering them to try to offset the increased cost for
the fans to make it to the track.
There is enough money floating around in the sport to where the powers that be can offer
some compensation to the fans that are loyal and want to continue attending races.
These articles usually receive a little over 10,000 hits in a matter of a few days, so hopefully
some of the marketing people are reading this and will start to think of what they can do to
offer some perks to the fans that show up at the track. Half price Budweiser & Miller Lite,
gas cards and anything that will keep some money in the fan’s pockets and help keep the
stands full.
As always we welcome your input by voting on the poll question below and submitting your
comments as well. If you have your own story of prices going up and how you are being
affected then submit it below.
Happy Holiday Weekend To Everyone!
By: Gregg A. Shultz- RaceFanVote.com
Fuel prices are having an affect on every aspect of life for people across the U.S., but
something that hasn’t been brought up too much is how it will start to affect the sport of
stock car racing. This is not a story about the fuel that the race cars use, but rather the
increased cost to the fans across the board when gas prices climb over the $4.00 per gallon
mark which is right around the corner.
When a lot of fans think about higher fuels prices, they think about what it takes to drive to
the track and then to get back home. For some that’s a deal breaker, but the problem
actually goes way deeper than that and the evidence of it is sure to start showing up soon
at the track.
Every aspect of a race event is affected by higher fuel prices. The team’s travel, track staff
and personnel, souvenir haulers, bringing in food and beverages and so on. The fact is that
every vendor that sells items at the track are suffering from the higher fuel prices and
having to pass the increase along to the fans in the stands.
The track owners are feeling the pinch as well. All of the equipment, sweepers, track dryers
and safety vehicles as well as all of the grounds maintenance equipment run on gas or diesel
which has just about doubled in the past three or four years. Electricity is costing more
because of higher fuel costs and the amount needed to operate a track facility is already
astronomical and now add in the increased cost and this all combined could start to affect
ticket prices as well.
The camping fees will probably also increase as well as for the water, sanitary and trash
services because the trucks are paying more for diesel that provide these services. Not to
mention the fact that driving or towing an RV any distance at all can almost require a second
mortgage to buy fuel for the trip.
NASCAR is not immune to the same problems that are affecting business across the Nation,
but what is the issue is how the increased costs will be paid. Ticket prices were already
receiving a lot of criticism from the fans and if they go up again then there will probably be a
lot more empty seats just simply because people cannot afford it. I am not saying that the
fans will stop going to the races, but instead of for example a fan attending 4 or 5 races per
year, that number might be cut back to 2 or 3 and for some maybe just one or none. That’s
going to be felt by the track owners and the sport.
Some might say that the track owners and concession & souvenir vendors are already
making too much money on the fans, so they should just absorb the increased costs. It will
be interesting to see if that happens or not.
There are actually some good opportunities for the track promoters and sponsors to turn a
negative into a positive and encourage continued support of attending races by the fans.
Sunoco, The Official Fuel Of NASCAR could hand out five or ten dollar gas cards with paid
admission as well as could the track promoters. The vendors could boast that they are
keeping their prices the same in spite of their increased cost of doing business as well as
keeping ticket prices the same or even lowering them to try to offset the increased cost for
the fans to make it to the track.
There is enough money floating around in the sport to where the powers that be can offer
some compensation to the fans that are loyal and want to continue attending races.
These articles usually receive a little over 10,000 hits in a matter of a few days, so hopefully
some of the marketing people are reading this and will start to think of what they can do to
offer some perks to the fans that show up at the track. Half price Budweiser & Miller Lite,
gas cards and anything that will keep some money in the fan’s pockets and help keep the
stands full.
As always we welcome your input by voting on the poll question below and submitting your
comments as well. If you have your own story of prices going up and how you are being
affected then submit it below.
Happy Holiday Weekend To Everyone!
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| Submit your comments about the story or the topic. Please no rude or defamatory comments. Addressing other poster's comments will be edited if deemed to be insulting or rude. |
I noticed some prices up at Darlington. I
actually have tickets to both Poconos,
New Hampshire and Chicagoland, but are
looking to sell some of my tickets because
the travel is getting too expensive. Some
perks like you mentioned would definitely
help.
Burt Grotos, PA
actually have tickets to both Poconos,
New Hampshire and Chicagoland, but are
looking to sell some of my tickets because
the travel is getting too expensive. Some
perks like you mentioned would definitely
help.
Burt Grotos, PA
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It's not Nascar's fault or the track, but I
have had to cut back from 6 races a year
to 2. If everyone across the board
reduced the prices a little then I might
could see going to a few more races, but
not the way it is now.
Nascar fan for 25+ years.
have had to cut back from 6 races a year
to 2. If everyone across the board
reduced the prices a little then I might
could see going to a few more races, but
not the way it is now.
Nascar fan for 25+ years.
It was already too expensive and now I
have even more reason to just sit at home
and watch the race on TV.
Billy R. VA
have even more reason to just sit at home
and watch the race on TV.
Billy R. VA
I am surprised that so far no sponsors
have looked at how you suggested to turn
a negative into a positive. That's some
good ideas. A+
Shawn Cappers, IL
have looked at how you suggested to turn
a negative into a positive. That's some
good ideas. A+
Shawn Cappers, IL
Nothing will change until nascar starts to
see the stands getting emptier and
emptier. They will wait until it gets in their
pockets before they do anything.
AJ in SC
see the stands getting emptier and
emptier. They will wait until it gets in their
pockets before they do anything.
AJ in SC
No one is talking about it because it's bad
press for the sport. It's a real problem for
the fans though and I am personally
cutting back. I try to go to 5 races a year
and it's looking like I am only going to
make 2 this year.
Family of four, driving, hotel, gas and food
now is costing me about $2000 for the
weekend. That's too much money as
much as we love it we have to cut back.
Gerald Banks, Michigan
press for the sport. It's a real problem for
the fans though and I am personally
cutting back. I try to go to 5 races a year
and it's looking like I am only going to
make 2 this year.
Family of four, driving, hotel, gas and food
now is costing me about $2000 for the
weekend. That's too much money as
much as we love it we have to cut back.
Gerald Banks, Michigan
I dunno, the food and beverages are
about the same as at a baseball or
football game. The tickets for good seats
are ridiculous so I think that they need to
bring the prices down for that or I will have
to have to stop going with what gas is
costing.
Sandra B. CA
about the same as at a baseball or
football game. The tickets for good seats
are ridiculous so I think that they need to
bring the prices down for that or I will have
to have to stop going with what gas is
costing.
Sandra B. CA
The sky is not falling yet, but if you freak a
bunch of people out talking about gas
prices it might. I have mixed feeling about
articles like this. It is a good point though
that the sponsors could turn this into a
positive and for sure ticket prices need to
be lowered.
I will wait to see how people vote before i
make an opinion.
John Stanford, NY
bunch of people out talking about gas
prices it might. I have mixed feeling about
articles like this. It is a good point though
that the sponsors could turn this into a
positive and for sure ticket prices need to
be lowered.
I will wait to see how people vote before i
make an opinion.
John Stanford, NY
