Bristol Motor Speedway officials work to extend sellout streak

BYALLEN GREGORY
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Kyle Busch created headlines and highlights last season by sweeping the two NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Bristol Motor Speedway. The dominance of Busch was not the big story from the motorsports temple, however.

For the first time since 1982, BMS officials were forced to scramble to sell all 160,000 seats for a Sprint Cup event.
Less than 24 hours before the start of the Food City 500 on March 22, track general manager Jeff Byrd announced that the sellout streak had reached 54.

The iconic Sharpie 500 night race on Aug. 22 was an easier bargain but it appears that the drive for 56 at BMS might be steep, according to BMS vice president of public affairs Kevin Triplett.
The Food City 500 is scheduled for March 21. Plenty of tickets remain.

“We’re a little behind where we were at this point last year, and that’s not really a surprise,” said Triplett, referring to ticket sales. “Last year, we were about three months into this [economic] downturn. Now we’re 15 months into it, and more people have lost their jobs.”

States such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, traditional hotbeds for BMS fans, have been especially hard hit.

The mission

In the weeks leading up to the 2009 Food City, BMS employees embarked on a ticket-selling blitz at Food City outlets across several states. This year, operation sellout includes a mix of analysis, creativity and promotion.

For example, BMS officials are offering a $199 season ticket deal that includes nine events over the March and August race weekends. A radio campaign created by an Atlanta-based firm debuted this week, while a new television advertisement will air soon. The radio ad stresses both the history of BMS and the unique nature of racing at the concrete-bowl.

“We’re doing more promotions and trying to refine our marketing strategy,” Triplett said. “We sell tickets in all 50 states and 12 countries.”

BMS officials, along with representatives of other professional sports, have been forced to consider some big-picture questions.

“Is it still feasible to promote and buy advertising in places like Nevada?” Triplett said.
“Do we kind of bring our circle in and concentrate on a five-hour radius? We’re looking at all kinds of things that we haven’t had to think about before.”

Feedback from fans has long played a key role in the planning process at BMS. That process intensified following the 2009 season.

“We’ve actually called people who didn’t renew their tickets to try to get an understanding of why,” Triplett said. “A big percentage of it is just due to economics. We had several people say that they still had the job but the buddy that they used to come to the race with had lost their job. We didn’t have a whole lot of people talk about the cost of tickets. It was just the overall cost of everything else.”

The biggest hit in terms of sales came from corporations who opted not to renew their purchase of ticket blocks.

“You have to sell those tickets to individuals, and we were very fortunate to be able to do that last year,” Triplett said. 

Triplett admitted that a “small percentage” of fans were disgruntled by the new and wider configuration of the concrete track. Instead of beating and banging their way past slower cars, drivers are now able to utilize multiple grooves.

“And some people said they were an [Dale] Earnhardt fan and they just haven’t had any body to pull for in recent years,” Earnhardt said. “There were all kinds of different concerns, but the overwhelming majority was economics.”

The unemployment figures and roller-coaster stock market have impacted a variety of sports and entertainment entities. Due to the larger number of seats, BMS is in a unique position.

“We have one of the five largest stadiums in the world here in terms of permanent seats,” Triplett said. “We can sell 110,000 tickets and still be pretty short of a sellout. Go to any sporting event in the country, including the Super Bowl, and I would say that most folks would take 110,000.”

Some NASCAR followers purchased BMS race tickets as Christmas presents. There is also an annual rush to the ticket counter around the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 14.
“We do sell tickets this time of the year, but there have been years where we’ve only had handful of tickets to sell at this point in the year,” Triplett said.

There was little traffic at the BMS ticket office during a recent rainy Tuesday afternoon. However, BMS senior director of fan relations Ben Trout has noticed an increased level of excitement among NASCAR followers.

“You can tell that racing season is approaching,” Trout said. “With Daytona coming up, we’ve noticed a lot more fans calling us, sending e-mails and even taking the time to stop here in our office and purchase tickets.”

BMS diehard

Lou Urschel counts himself among the legions of Bristol fans. The 62-year-old resident of Marietta, Ohio, has attended both the spring and fall races at BMS for the past 16 years, and he plans to continue his personal streak this year.

“Bristol is the best racing on the NASCAR circuit…it’s just tremendous,” said Urschel, in a phone interview. “I respect what track officials have done to provide a full two days, and even a week, of entertainment.”

Urschel said he understands the economic hardships that have forced many NASCAR fans to curtail their travel schedules. He’s also heard the grumbling over the progressive banking at the .533-mile concrete oval. Despite the naysayers from the traditionalists, Urschel plans to be in Bristol for the March 21 Food City 500 with his son and wife.

“It’s interesting to hear people say good and bad things about the changes, but I think it [the new track alignment] probably plays better in person,” Urschel said. “Having the ability for drivers to race three-wide is just unbelievable. When you are at the track, you can see the cars slipping and sliding and watch how the drivers set up their moves.”

The BMS experience equates to a good time for Urschel, who doesn’t mind the 300-mile journey to the mountains of Tennessee.

“This is a chance for folks to let go of their lives and let down their hair for a while,” Urschel said.

Attendance was lackluster at NASCAR tracks throughout the circuit last year. Eight superspeedways, including Daytona International Speedway, have trimmed their grandstand capacities in the off-season. Other tracks have widened their grandstand seats or reduced ticket prices.
While BMS does offer some obstructed view seats, Triplett said reducing the seating capacity would be a “tough proposition” at BMS.

The bottom line

While they wait for NASCAR fans to regain the hunger and replenish their pocketbooks, Triplett said BMS officials will simply work harder in hopes of extending their sellout streak. A large red sign outside the grandstands features the slogan “Do It Again in 2010.”

“The economy is something we can’t control, but I do know that we’re putting in more hours and doing more things than ever to continue to try and give people more for their money,” Triplett said.

One of the highlights for the March race weekend will be the revised version of the Scott EZ Speed Showdown. Twelve NASCAR greats, including Dave Marcis, Cale Yarborough and Tommy Houston, will compete in a 35-lap race. The Food City Race Night will also return to the track hospitality area at BMS.

According to Marcis, the appeal of Bristol Motor Speedway remains strong no matter the configuration.

“I enjoyed running the high groove at the old race track,” said Marcis, during a recent press conference at BMS. “I don’t know if that high groove still exists, but I’m sure the racing will still be good. It’s Bristol.”

Single-day tickets for the Food City 500 start at $93.

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