Posted on 07/29/2013 5:32:58 PM PDT by B4Ranch
Ryan Newman won only $423,033 for his victory at the Brickyard 400. That would seem to be a low number since it is considered the second major race on the NASCAR circuit, behind the Daytona 500.
What happened to NASCAR? Attendance in general at NASCAR events is down. A recent article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported “The numbers don’t lie. Speedway Motorsports Inc. — the parent company of Las Vegas Motor Speedway — has watched total revenues, including ticket sales, drop annually for the past five years.
It may be that fans tend to come from areas of the country which have been hit harder by the recession and have suffered higher unemployment. But that doesn’t explain TV ratings, which seem to be flat to down as well.
Race event-related revenue at Speedway Motorsports’ eight NASCAR tracks has also dropped each year for the past five years except 2011.
Ryan Newman is in the wrong business, but it’s too late to become a professional golfer or football player now.
(Excerpt) Read more at 247wallst.com ...
I think part of the problem with NASCAR is that today’s drivers don’t have the charisma of guys like Earnhardt and Richard Petty. Jimmy Johnson doesn’t really excite anybody, no matter how good he is.
I was never much of a NASCAR fan but I stopped watching for good when they refused to acknowledge the sponsor of the NRA 500.
I have no desire to watch endless left turns, I see enough of that in Republican party.
(1) Our country is in a depression, but ‘info-tainment’ has the ability to mask the economic crater.
(2) Our Constitution is above all, a peace treaty ... that is completely ignored by nationalizing socialist leaders who masquerade under various banners, yet they *are* fascists.
(3) Police officers are ignorant of the law and principles of the law and limitations of their authority by law; and many judges are now, too.
(4) The U.S. Military is promoting homosexuality.
(5) U.S. Government agents, agencies, and officials all claim now to have rights, but none have rights; indeed, only individual people and the States have rights; and government only has authority that is authorized to it, via legislative-made law that is produced by a duly-elected legislative body that sits as a result of the election process that is democratic-republican - *not* “a democracy.”
The United States of America is *not* a democracy, it is a democratic-republic.
These and many more problems and truths, weigh heavily on the minds of most people whom I know, are faithful, patriotic, determined to be free, Americans.
The fact that the U.S. Government is now - under the Obama Administration - hell bent on establishing itself as a quasi-totalitarian control center over all human action and rights -— displacing self-determination -— does not set well.
The problem *that* presents, makes the chatter about *”SPORTS!”* a waste of time, a distraction, and for some, near-total meaning-less-ness.
When there is work to be done, to survive and preserve liberty.
Excellent post.
Here’s the payouts:
the $423k is the total
http://www.jayski.com/stats/2013/pdfs/20indy2013results.pdf
“Nobody knows who the drivers are anymore.”
Yes, because most of the drivers are foreigners. They started bringing in foreigners in the 60s to appeal to the world as opposed to only Americans.
Certainly not the case at Indy.
Kids under 12 were free.
And if you spent $150 at Kroger you got two freebie adult tix
The typical primary sponsor funding per car is currently in the $12-15m range.
Thanks. So Ryan’s pay is actually quite a bit lower than that.
If you got a rich family, or similar backer, and you can’t hack it in Formula 1, Indycar is the next stop.
Yes, but it’s a good living.
The top 10 drivers are > $10m yearly.
Anybody running in Cup is making good money.
What was once all American racing and individual and team ingenuity, became progressively totalitarian, like the GuvCo schools, and until NASCAR ultimately demanded absolute uniformity and conformity.
Didn't IROC teach them anything? Apparently not.
While its driver safety is remarkable, the Car Of Tomorrow was a ratings disaster that stayed way too long.
NASCAR(?) or some PTB actually had to be talked into letting the manufacturers have some brand identity beyond different stickers on the same body. That wing? Really??
Whatever made stock car racing fun and entertaining died at the heavy, totalitarian hand of NASCAR, for all of the reasons you mentioned...and then, Dale Earnhardt died.
People I know who literally grew up at Charlotte Motor Speedway stopped watching racing, especially since Dale died. No interest whatsoever. I tell them it's gotten better...still not interested.
Ryan’s salary is towards the bottom of the list since he took a big paycut, not to mention losing his team, so SHR could afford to pay Danica. He still probably makes a million or two per year not including endorsements or winnings.
I have no idea how all that works. One has to assume a good chunk of both the sponsor money and winnings goes to the guy in the car. For sponsors, Lowes could’t care much about Rick Hendrick...they are buying visibility on JJ’s car and racing suit. At the same time, Hendrick is spending millions upon millions on the car, the HQ in Charlotte and all the support staff. In golf, it is the golfer and the caddie getting a percentage. Racing is more of a team effort across dozens and dozens of people.
Here’s the little mud hut he lives in LOL
http://www.celebrityhousepictures.com/ryan-newman.php
You got that right. I loved all the old tracks in the south. Darlington, Rockingham, etc. The sport is definitely feeling the impact of the economy and the loss of the casual fans, as you mentioned. Personally, I've paid a lot less attention the past few years. Not sure exactly why. My interest faded around the time of this 'car of tomorrow' intro a few years ago where everyone is driving essentially the same car. I liked it when the Fords and Chevys looked a little different. Not sure how that's changed the racing, but it doesn't come across nearly as interesting now.
“a little bit of anger and passion from the drivers would be appreciated now and then without worrying about penalties...”
Cale Yarborough and the Allisons showed them that. NASCAR is becoming too PC.
You got it right. They don’t race any more, they just ride around and try to “save the car”, or “get some points for the chase”. After the first 2 laps from a green flag it’s just a parade, and wait for the next pit stop and hope you can win with “pit strategy” or fuel mileage.
I’ve supported Charlotte, Martinsville, Darlington, even Rockingham and Wilksboro when they were active, but this is the last year. The cable falling across the track was all the excitement we had for a $400 weekend at charlotte.
Actually that was really fun to see, since it was Kyle Busch’s car that got the worst of it.
I saw his house on an episode of American Pickers. They sold him a big ole Mobil sign. He also owns a barnfull of cars. Not just any old cars either.
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