Empty seats at Bristol Motor Speedway raises questions

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Since 1982, Bristol Motor Speedway has served as a powerful beacon for both traditional and new-wave NASCAR fans.
Judging from the many empty seats at BMS this weekend, the power of that beacon appears to have dimmed.

According to figures provided by NASCAR, an estimated total of 138,000 attended Sunday’s Food City 500 Sprint Cup race. Unofficial estimates placed the figure closer to 120,000 on the overcast and chilly afternoon.
Entering the weekend, the 160,000-seat facility had been sold out for 55 straight Sprint Cup events.

The NASCAR attendance estimate for Saturday’s Scotts Turf Builder 300 Nationwide Series race was 85,000. Crowds of over 100,000 have attended the Nationwide races at BMS in recent years.
Many fans have complained that the excitement level of BMS events has been diminished since the .533-concrete oval underwent an extensive 2007 resurfacing project which gave competitors more room to maneuver.

That sentiment remerged Monday morning on various NASCAR message boards and talk shows, even though Sunday’s Food City 500 featured 29 lead changes, 10 caution periods and a 10-lap dash to the finish.

According to BMS Vice President of Public Affairs Kevin Triplett, the biggest hurdle facing BMS the past two years has been the slumping national economy. Triplett feels that the thousands of empty seats this past weekend were emblematic of the financial challenges in NASCAR hotbeds around the Midwest and Northeast.

“As far as winning back fans, more than 60 percent of the ones we surveyed who did not renew their tickets said it was for economic reasons,” Triplett said.

The August Sprint Cup race at BMS remains one of the most popular events in motorsports. Speedway officials have attempted to generate renewed interest for their March race program by holding the Food City Race Night program on track property and by introducing a 35-lap charity event for retired NASCAR drivers on Saturday night.

“There are other things – lodging costs, people out of work – that are factors that are out of our hands,” Triplett said.

While fans have embraced the opportunity to watch NASCAR greats compete on the BMS high banks, Saturday’s Scott EZ Showdown was marred by one of the most horrifying crashes in recent BMS memory involving 56-year-old Larry Pearson and 71-year-old Charlie Glotzbach.

Pearson, a two-time champion on the formerly named Busch Series, spun his car in Turn 2. As his car rolled back down the track, Pearson was slammed at full-speed in the driver’s side by Glotzbach.
Pearson suffered a broken pelvis, a fractured left ankle and a broken right hand. Glotzbach was able to limp away from his mangled car.

According to a press release from BMS officials, Pearson was released from Bristol Regional Medical Center late Monday afternoon and will be admitted into Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Glotzbach remained hospitalized Monday at BRMC, where he was listed in good condition.

The future of the old-timers event was another heavily-debated topic of discussion by fans and media Monday morning. But Triplett said no decision will be made until BMS officials have an opportunity to examine the matter from all angles.

“One of the biggest factors that we have to examine is whether [the Showdown] is doing what it was designed to do – which is to be a fun, added-value-at-no-extra cost event to our fans that they want to hang around and see,” Triplett said. “If it is not doing that, then it’s something we have to take into account.”

The old-timers race is not sanctioned by NASCAR. The 12 drivers competed in United States Auto Racing Association Pro Cup, or former Hooters Pro Cup, cars which have the same basic safety features of NASCAR Sprint Cup cars.

Rick Wilson, who once drove for the Abingdon-based Food Country USA team, won Saturday’s Showdown in a car featuring a replica paint scheme of his No. 75 Food Country Oldsmobile.
The other big news from the weekend involved the continued success of four-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.

With a patented large-race charge, Johnson won for the third time in five Sprint Cup races this season. It was the 50th career victory for Johnson, but his first at Bristol.

Despite his success, Johnson has been unable to spark the type of adoration that other NASCAR championship winners have enjoyed.
Some skeptics place part of the blame for the current lackluster interest among spectators and television viewers to the dominance of Johnson and his powerful Hendrick Motorsports team.
Triplett, who formerly worked in public relations with seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, attributes Johnson’s historic run to a mix of hunger and chemistry.

“Johnson’s dominance right now is not much different than periods through history when other drivers did the same,” Triplett said. “One of the things that makes that team so good is Chad Knaus and his absolute misery with anything less than success and winning races and championships. Little to nothing else matters.”

The next NASCAR race at BMS will be the Camping World Truck Series O’Reilly 200 on Aug. 18. The Food City 250 Nationwide race is set for Aug. 20, followed by the Irwin Tools Night Race on Aug. 21.

agregory@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2544