Indianapolis residents love NASCAR, they just don't go to the Brickyard

   Some very telling information came out this week in the Nielsen ratings for last Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway which was broadcast on ESPN. The race received a 3.6 rating - up nine percent from a year ago.

   Attendance at the track, however, was perhaps the lowest in the race's 20-year history. That was not necessarily a surprise. What was a little surprising were the details behind the ratings.

   The market with the largest rating - where the most people had their TVs tuned to the Brickyard 400 on Sunday - was Indianapolis, with a whopping 13.7 rating. And that was up 26 percent from last year's 10.9 rating.

   What that means is a very large segment of residents in the Indianapolis TV market remain firmly loyal NASCAR fans. What it also means is they were not interested in attending the race in person.

   That is the best evidence I've seen of the growing disconnect between fans who attend NASCAR races in person and those who remain at home and watch on TV.

   It's a gulf NASCAR and the tracks are going to have to work hard to bridge.

   The rest of the best
   The rest of the top 10 TV markets for Sunday's Brickyard 400:

   2. Greensboro, N.C., (10.1)
   3. Greenville, S.C., (9.4)
   4. Charlotte, N.C., (9.1).
   5. Norfolk, Va., (8.3)
   6. Jacksonville, Fla., (8.2).
   7. Nashville, Tenn., (8.1).
   8. Birmingham, Ala., (7.8)
   9. Richmond, Va., (7.7)
   10. Knoxville, Tenn., (7.2)

 

NASCAR at the Brickyard: 'Something is indeed wrong'

   Some thoughts on Sunday's Brickyard 400 from former Speedway Motorsports Inc. and Charlotte Motor Speedway president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler:

   Sunday's pitiful crowd at Indy was a sore reminder that something is indeed wrong. Pocono, which is just a weird version of Indy, this Sunday will be similar except the crowd will look bigger since they only have 60,000 seats compared to Indy's 250,000.

   So, what is it?

   First, the economy is still lousy particularly for those working class people that made NASCAR what it is. I also think we have 'corporatized' the sport terribly and I blame the sponsors and some tracks for this. It has gotten too fancy and we need to get back to our roots.

   However, I believe a lot of this can be blamed on the much maligned aero push that enables the lead car on all tracks except Daytona and Talledega to simply take off and then you have a lead of 600 feet and that completely eliminates back and forth racing for the lead. The back-and-forth lead change is probably the second most exciting thing in racing (outside of the wreck) and we simply don't have that. Without it you have few if any rivalries and those intense rivalries sell more tickets than anything.

   I know that NASCAR is not only totally aware of this aero push dilemma and but their R&D department is working overtime to find the answer to this mystery. Will they? Of course, but it needs to be done with the speed of sound!

   If not, we will be running these races with "studio" crowds just for the sake of TV.

Randy Earnhardt, brother of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt, dies

   Randy Earnhardt, the brother of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt Sr., died Sunday, July 28, 2013 after a battle with cancer. He was 60.
 
   Randy's niece, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, posted the following message on her Twitter account prior to Sunday's Brickyard 400 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

   “Prayers for our family as we have lost our Uncle Randy after a year long battle with cancer. #cancersucks #earnhardtstrong”

   Dale Earnhardt was the third-oldest of five siblings, which included Randy, their brother Danny and sisters Kaye and Cathy.

   Dale Earnhardt Jr. was asked about his uncle's death after Sunday's race.

   "It was really tough. He helped me through a lot of challenges when I was trying to become a race car driver. He was there when I started driving late models. I went through the whole process of racing with Tony (Eury, Sr.) and all of them through the Bud car, Randy was always there. I hurt for Mamaw and Randy's brother and sister, Danny, Kaye and Kathy," Earnhardt said.

   "It is just very very sad, but I am glad his suffering is over with. He is going to be missed. He was awesome, such an awesome guy. He kept things together (at DEI). He was in charge of a lot of different things. Mainly in charge of where every nut and bolt was. He was accountable for everything. After the racing after I left and everything kind of went away, he stuck around. He was loyal to Dad, and really looked after everything that was there and that was my Father's and what would have been important to him as far as material things. Randy really looked after that.

   "It is tough. It is part of life, and it is hard to get used to. I am just glad his suffering is over with, he was having a real hard time. I loved him dearly, and will miss him a lot."
 

Where does Ryan Newman rank among NASCAR's all-time pole winners?

   Ryan Newman's pole for Sunday's Brickyard 400 is the 50th of his Sprint Cup Series career and he became the ninth driver in NASCAR history to win at least 50 poles.

    All-time pole winners
    Driver                    Wins
    Richard Petty        123
    David Pearson      113
    Jeff Gordon*           72
    Cale Yarborough    69
    Darrell Waltrip        59
    Bobby Allison         58
    Mark Martin*           56
    Bill Elliott                 55
    Ryan Newman*       50

*-active

CMS' Summer Shootout Series set to go out with a bang this week

   Charlotte Motor Speedway will wrap-up its 20th annual Summer Shootout Series on Monday and Tuesday nights. 

   The doubleheader will be highlighted by a fireworks display on Tuesday and a 'Grudge Match Bus Race' on Monday night featuring NASCAR drivers Max Papis and Miguel Paludo; Legend Car Pro drivers Daniel Hemric and Tyler Green; Security Force Legend Car Masters drivers Bruce Silver and Eddie Harwell; and the World's Fastest Mascot, Lug Nut, and the Carolina Panthers' Sir Purr.

   Monday night's action will also feature a car cruise promoting the fall AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Local car clubs will cruise around the 1.5-mile superspeedway to show off their classic rides. In addition, in honor of the birth of the royal baby, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, any fan that shows a photo ID proving their first name is George at the main ticket office will receive one free adult admission.

   On Tuesday night, champions will be crowned in six divisions, each featuring a tight points battle, as drivers look to lock up a Summer Shootout championship. Also Tuesday night, Stadium Stocks from Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., will take to the frontstretch quarter-mile in an exhibition race. The evening will be capped off with a 15-minute fireworks extravaganza, which will include not only the originally scheduled show, but the fireworks postponed from the Fourth of July celebration.

   For more information, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com

Statement from H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler on NASCAR's new TV deal

   STATEMENT FROM H.A. (HUMPY) WHEELER ON NBC-NASCAR TV DEAL

   "Is this better for them than the ESPN-ABC deal?  Is the parking meter full of dimes or quarters? With no info on the meter who knows? However, I think the meter is pretty full. If so, it is a major step for NASCAR and NBC. NBC stuck its toe in NASCAR waters a few years ago but I think they are much more serious this time.

   "Mark Lazaurus (NBC sports president) has been around a long time and knows NASCAR from the time he spent with Turner. They've done some good stuff lately and the new NBC Sports Channel will greatly benefit NASCAR particularly if they show a lot of the minor league races like the modifiers and K&N. The sport needs that to show off new talent and we are sadly lacking that now."

NASCAR statement on construction of new TV deal

NASCAR and NBC Sports Group Reach Landmark Media Rights Agreement

Ten-Year Agreement Returns NASCAR to NBC Family of Networks Beginning in 2015, Further Underscores Strength of NASCAR’s Live Racing Product And Positions Industry for Continued Growth

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. and NEW YORK (July 23, 2013) – NASCAR and NBC Sports Group announced today they have reached a comprehensive agreement that grants NBCUniversal exclusive rights to the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series events, select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events and other live content beginning in 2015. Financial terms of the agreement, which runs through the 2024 season, were not disclosed.

 

With this partnership, NBC’s 20 Sprint Cup race schedule includes becoming the exclusive home to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR’s final 10 races of the season, including its season-ending championship event which will return to network television in 2015 for the first time since 2009. Of NBC Sports Group’s 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, seven will be carried on NBC annually, with 13 airing on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN). Four of NBC Sports Group’s 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races will air on NBC, with 15 airing on NBCSN.

 

“NBC is known for being an exceptional partner and delivering outstanding production quality and presentation of live sports, as well as its broad portfolio of broadcast and digital properties so we are thrilled with the commitment they have made to NASCAR and its future,” said NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brian France. “We know this partnership will yield great value to our entire industry, provide a premium experience to our most important stakeholders, the fans, and help us achieve a number of strategic growth objectives. Our new partnership with NBC and the recent extension by FOX validate the strength of our fan base and the many bold steps we have taken the last several years to provide fans with better, more accessible racing.”

 

In addition to rights to NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series races, NBC has also obtained exclusive rights to practice and qualifying sessions for NBC’s national series events during their portion of the season, as well as rights to broadcast the NASCAR K&N Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series, the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony and NASCAR’s season-ending banquets. Further, NBC has been granted Spanish-language rights, certain video-on-demand rights and exclusive TV Everywhere rights for its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events.

 

“Acquiring the rights and bringing NASCAR back to NBC comes at an important point in time for NBC Sports Network, NBC, and all of our distributors and affiliates,” said NBC Sports Group Chairman, Mark Lazarus. “We look forward to working with Brian and his management team, who have brought a renewed focus to NASCAR's intersection of sports and technology.”

 

“We are excited about the cross-promotional opportunities NBC provides, especially in the timeframes right before NBC’s NASCAR schedule and during the Chase,” said NASCAR VP of Broadcasting and Productions, Steve Herbst. “We’re confident NBC will utilize its powerful Championship Season lineup, including the NHL Playoffs, Premier League, the French Open, the Kentucky Derby and other events, to build interest and excitement for NASCAR. Those opportunities, combined with the opportunity to lead into the number one show on television – NBC’s Sunday Night Football – for select Chase races, were both very attractive prospects when considering this partnership.”

 

Summary of key NBC Sports Group Exclusive Rights – 2015-2024:

·         Final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races (7 on NBC, 13 on NBCSN)

·         Final 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races (4 on NBC, 15 on NBCSN)

·         NASCAR K&N Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events

·         NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series events

·         NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony and season-ending banquets

·         ‘TV Everywhere’ live-streaming rights for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series

·         Spanish-language broadcast rights on Telemundo and Mun2 for national series events and NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series