I am curious though, what was the audience count like?
I went up to get a cup of coffee during the break between the last 2 races. Walked straight up to the window...no one in line. And at the end of the day, I walked out, got into my car, and drove unhindered to the road. That should tell you all you need to know.
Face it though, they seriously had mother nature working against them this past weekend. Plus there really wasn't much said in the paper or anywhere else I heard. No posters, no ads (that I saw) When I went to the Autorama in the spring, they had the pace car sitting there with schedules on top of it...and a banner. That was it. (maybe next year they should put a severely wrecked race car sitting there instead...which do you think would sell more tickets?)
I think part of the reason the events of the past were so well attended was not so much because it was a CASCAR race....Delaware was pulling in big crowds before the Super Series came along. I think it was because CASCAR had the ad dollars behind it to promote the hell out of the show.
We were talking in another thread about the days when they were having pit stop competitions in Victoria Park, and other such events. CASCAR was in your face for a week leading up to the big race.
Not so much now.
This was a real transitional year for Delaware. The dropping of NASCAR, CASCAR, all the crap around the WWS...and a pile of rainouts...they were behind the 8 ball from day 1 this season. I think management has performed admirably despite the setbacks.
The weekly divisions are stronger now than ever from what I can see. The trucks are solid, as are the Streets, and the Modifieds were better this year than they ever were (if the chatter I hear has any truth, the Modified numbers are going to boom next year) The late models are down a bit, but that could change too as some guys return to the fold.
Anyway, the program is in place, and its a good program. Now they need to promote it. And I think that'll happen.
It's not like the Free Press or the A-Channel really go looking for news anymore, is it? Unless you've got some sort of release ready for them, they don't really go looking for news nowadays...
I went up to get a cup of coffee during the break between the last 2 races. Walked straight up to the window...no one in line.
I bet you never got your coffee??? I was their all weekend and the sign read "No Hot Drinks "
Man, most of those fans were there since 11am.. and never left til 7pm. and all we got were 27 Wrecked race cars and one fight!
That kinda makes it sound like the show stunk. I don't think it did. I enjoyed the format. (was there actually a fight? I saw Kennedy's guys and Depuis guys looking like they were gonna, but nothing happened)
Personally, as fun as the CASCAR races were, there was some stuff there that'lI didn't care for. I like to see a support show. I thought putting the Streets in on Sunday was a great move. For CASCAR, you walk in (and you had to get there early, or else the race teams wives and hanger-rounders would go and claim the top 10 rows of the grandstands...then go back to the motorhome) .so you maybe go browse the racecars for an hour, then watch the crews playing roll-the-tire...(I'm sorry, that's just stupid) then wait for another hour for the race to start. Thats lots of time for some racing goodness from the streets, mods, or trucks. But CASCAR didn't do that.
This Sunday, al the qualifying was done in front of the crowd, and there was 4 races...a full day of racing. I liked that a lot. It brought me to mind of the first McKerlie Millen 200 when the pits were so full they had to park racecars in the middle of the pits as well as around the edges. Street Stocks (A and B!), Late Models, time trials, heats and non qualifier races. That was a festival of racing that didn't see us going home until well after dark. (still maybe the best time I ever had out there)
So, they're on the right track I think.
As I said, the weather scared a lot of folks away. Many of the 10,000 plus crowds in the past were casual fans that would have easily been scared away by the thought of rain. Fortunately, Labor Day at Delaware has a history of good weather. Just didn't happen this year.
For a first time event on a big weekend in Delaware the turnout was great! Now that the track knows the event was such a success, they'll be able to promote the hell out of it next year and get an even bigger crowd. Besides, CASCAR tends to inflate their numbers a little for the press so what you read in the paper isn't necessarily what was there...
Since CASCAR gave away their Delaware dates around Christmas I think the track has done an excellent job running their own shows and showing off their home and travelling series. After the success of this year (I heard numbers were up over last year) I hope they keep running without CASCAR and make Delaware Speedway better than it ever was!