The economy continues to affect NASCAR Sprint Cup races. International Speedway Corp., reports that admission revenue was down about 15 percent in the first quarter for races at Daytona and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
ISC officials also reported Tuesday that advance ticket sales are down at least 20 percent compared to this point last year. ISC officials say they see fans making ticket purchases closer to a race, meaning that unfavorable weather could impact ticket sales more than in the past. ISC owns 12 tracks - Daytona, Richmond and Martinsville, among them - that host 19 Cup races.
Admission revenue is projected this year to be off 15 percent from 2008, said Dan Houser, vice president and chief financial officer for ISC.
John Saunders, ISC's chief operating officer, said "we do not anticipate seeing any recovering in the economy until some time in 2010, and even then, we're expecting very gradual improvement."
ISC officials were asked if the declining TV ratings would allow the networks to renegotiate the contract, which goes through 2014.
"There's nothing in the contract that is ratings contingent," said Wes Harris, ISC spokesman. "We're going to get paid the same amount. Clearly, we want to have ratings high, as high as they can be, just like the broadcasters do."
As for the automakers and their struggles, ISC officials remain optimistic. "There's no question that the big three are facing incredibly difficult times and must cut overall spending," Saunders said, referring to General Motors, Chrysler and Ford. "Contrary to what you may read in the national media, any reduced spending in NASCAR will not lead to the sport's demise."
Team suspended
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing will suspend operations on the No. 8 team of Aric Almirola due to lack of sponsorship. The team will bring the car back pending sponsorship.
Almirola had finished in the top 25 only once in the season's first seven races. He placed 33rd last weekend at Texas and fell to 37th in the driver points standings.
Last year, Chip Ganassi Racing closed the No. 40 team of Dario Franchitti for lack of sponsorship
Off weekend
The Cup series is off this weekend and will resume April 18 at Phoenix, beginning a stretch of 12 consecutive weekends of racing, including the all-star event next month in Charlotte.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on what he plans to do this weekend: "I'm going to raise a little hell and I'm going to go to Whisky River (a Charlotte bar he co-owns) and I'm going to go on vacation around Easter and take it easy man," he said.
Briefly
The Nationwide series races Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway.
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NASCAR is chasing their fans away.
I've almost lost interest in it completly and know several people that feel the same as me. Start by the "car of tomorrow", what a joke that is! It's not a car that is on the market that we can go to a showroom and buy and it's certainly not the "car of tomorrow". Then there is the closing down of the core fan tracks and having more races up north or on the west coast. Add on the silly rules that seem to favor certain drivers and the penalties on other drivers for donig the same as NACARs favored drivers. Of course the cars are so far away from "STOCK" cars now that the name NASCAR doesn't fit. I'd love to see a new league start that is pulling cars off the showroom floor and putting a roll cage in them and racing. If a car could make it through a 500 mile race, think of how good that would look on the manufacturers. Maybe if a domestic car can proove itself on the race track it could sell in the showroom. But then again, Honda and Toyota would probably be the only cars finishing.