NASCAR - Bristol: Johnson notches first win, attendance down

In a milestone race Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson -- the last driver third-place finisher Kurt Busch wanted to see win the race -- took the checkered flag for the 50th time in his Cup Series career in the Food City 500. Image Credit: NASCAR.com

NASCAR - Bristol: Johnson notches first win, attendance down

With all of the winning Jimmie Johnson has been doing over these last four years, with consecutive national championships and now three wins in five races to begin a fifth year with few challenges from the forty car plus field ... in his 17 career races at the famed short-track at Bristol, Tennessee, Johnson has nine top-10 finishes but yesterday marked his first victory at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Further, with this victory, Jimmie Johnson became one of just 12 drivers to score 50 or more career victories and now there are only five active tracks Johnson has not won on: Michigan, Infineon, Watkins Glen, Chicagoland and Homestead.

With all of this winning the #48 car has had over these last four PLUS years, it is hard to find anything wrong except for this one troubling fact, after 55 sellout NASCAR Cup events at the Bristol track, the attendance was down at the Food City 500. The Bristol Motor Speedway can accommodate 160,000 and yesterday's attendance was NASCAR estimated to be 138,000.

The speedway’s record streak of 55 sellouts began back in August 1982 – when the track could accommodate a mere 30,000 fans.

Many seats in the grandstands at Bristol Motor Speedway were empty at the start of Sunday’s Food City 500. Image Credit: Andre Teague

This excerpted and edited from Bleacher Report -

NASCAR: Empty Seat Syndrome Even at Bristol
By Sandra MacWatters - 3-21-2010

The contagion of empty seats at racing venues appears to have migrated from California to Bristol, Tennessee.

NASCAR depends on fans. Sponsors suffer when fans don't attend races and television viewership drops.

The average NASCAR fan must budget for attending a race. Going to an event might equate to a mortgage payment for the family home.
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Lowered attendance cause the dominoes to fall with local businesses suffering due to reduced influx of fans.
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During the Sprint Cup race at Bristol, Darrell Waltrip commented on air about the weather keeping fans away from the track. Weather was an unlikely suspect in the low attendance. Most people come to the track for the Nationwide race and the Sprint Cup race. It was bright and sunny for the Saturday race.

The stands were probably only sixty percent filled for the Nationwide race at Bristol.
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There are those who say the COT [Car Of Tomorrow standardization] has dampened attendance. The wing will be gone in Martinsville making the Cup cars look more normalized.

The "let the boys have at it" will continue to play out. Hopefully it will bring about the anticipated fan attention.

Another camp of people believe Jimmie Johnson's winning ways have been a downer for the supporters of other drivers. He has won three out of the five races this season so far.

It just may take the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. to competitive, perhaps winning ways to offset the Johnson tedium and get the fans back in the stands.
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We can hope the economy and employment levels will rebound to improve the situation at hand.

One still has to wonder if all the people who stay away from the races will be watching on television.

For the sake of all concerned, hopefully the spread of empty seat syndrome won't become epidemic.
Reference Here>>

... notes from The EDJESource URL: http://allnewfordcar.blogspot.com/search/label/Jimmie%20Johnson
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Steps Out, And Steps Up!

After smoking the Shootout field, Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrates in a suitable fashion at Daytona International Speedway. Image Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Steps Out, And Steps Up!
(UPDATED With YouTube Video)

In the very first professional stock car race of the season, the race that acts as the opening act to a gathering of racing enthusiast on the East coast of Florida, Daytona Speed Weeks 2008, Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins pulling away from rival Tony Stewart.

The race known as the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway, does not count in the 2008 points championship, allows the top NASCAR teams to tune up for the infamous season opening Daytona 500 (50th year) to be staged this next weekend, February 17, 2008.

Even though the Budweiser Shootout does not award points, it carries a sizeable purse and bragging rights. The bragging rights for Dale Earnhardt Jr. become even greater given the fact that this is the first race he has competed in after leaving the team his late father and stepmother (Teresa Earnhardt) formed and the team where he had his greatest successes – Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI). Dale left when he could not secure an agreement with DEI to participate in the management of the future of the team to a greater level.

“Junior” won the race with the drafting help of teammate Jimmie Johnson … after the race's fourth and final caution, set up the green-and-white-checkered finish.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a new look in victory lane after winning the Budweiser Shootout all-star race on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Image Credit: The Kansas City Star/Production Affiliate

This excerpted from The Boston Globe –

Earnhardt wins with help from new friends
By Michael Vega - Globe Staff / February 10, 2008

Looking to make a favorable first impression with his new Hendrick Motorsports team, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won last night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway, kicking off Speedweeks 2008 in rousing fashion by holding off runner-up Tony Stewart in a green-and-white-checkered finish.

"What a race. Good job, guys," Earnhardt hollered to his crew over the radio after he crossed the finish line to record his second Shootout triumph. "What a great racecar. This might be a [Daytona] 500 winner and you might not know it."

Car owner Rick Hendrick chimed in, "What a way to start the deal, baby."

Earnhardt made headlines in May when he announced his decision to defect from Dale Earnhardt Inc.,
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But he made an even bigger splash in June when he joined forces with the sport's most dominant team.

Last night, that union paid huge dividends for Earnhardt, who received timely drafting help from his Hendrick teammates, most notably Jimmie Johnson in the final three laps.

"I had a blast," said Earnhardt, who ended a 62-race drought that dated to his victory at Richmond two years ago. "The last few laps, I got some great help from my teammates, but I wouldn't have won the race without Jimmie pushing me. So thanks to him and [crew chief Chad Knaus] for working so hard to get [Johnson's] backup ready."
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Nine laps into the race, Earnhardt powered his way to the front with a bold inside move on the backstretch and went on to lead the remaining 11 laps before pitting for a scheduled 10-minute intermission before the resumption of racing in a final 50-lap segment.
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When racing resumed on Lap 28, Toyota driver Dave Blaney, who delivered his car manufacturer its first Cup pole victory last July at New Hampshire, went to the front. Blaney's lead was short-lived when Earnhardt moved back in front on Lap 35.

Earnhardt proceeded to joust with Stewart for the lead, but the driver of the No. 88 car got some timely help in building a commanding lead from Hendrick teammates Gordon and Mears. (Mears's car failed postrace inspection for being too low, the Associated Press reported, and NASCAR planned to look more closely at the car today.)
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Kurt Busch's brilliant save of his spinning car in Turn 3 brought out the race's fourth and final caution, setting up a green-and-white-checkered finish. After racing Stewart side-by-side, Earnhardt, with Johnson's draft support, took the lead on Lap 69.

"It's hard to beat Dale Jr.," Stewart said. "I mean, he's one of the best restrictor-plate drivers that's ever been, so he learned a lot from his dad. I'm not sure he's not better than his dad now, in all honesty. To run with him and the Hendrick guys, I thought we fought a good fight tonight."
Reference Here>>

2008 Budweiser Shootout - Finish Part 1



2008 Budweiser Shootout - Finish Part 2



... notes from The EDJE
Source URL: http://allnewfordcar.blogspot.com/search/label/Jimmie%20Johnson
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