Track discounts NASCAR tickets to fill stands

By Ron Kantowski

Friday, Sept. 4, 2009 | 2 a.m.

I had planned to write this column in February, when Las Vegas Motor Speedway officials quietly confirmed that ticket sales for the most recent NASCAR weekend were down 15 to 20 percent. As I said then, that quietly meant 25 to 30 percent.

I brought a Wiffle bat and ball to the track, thinking I’d find some guys from Kannapolis and choose up sides for a game in the nearly empty Earnhardt Terrace in Turn 4.

Lo and behold, on race day everybody from Kannapolis unexpectedly showed up. And they brought most of Level Cross with them. There were a few patches of empty seats down low on the back side of the track, but the speedway announced a sellout. The speedway always announces a sellout on NASCAR race weekend.

There would be no Wiffleball game in the Turn 4 grandstand.

“We’re recession proof!” track officials cried.

“Where’s our second race?” Mayor Oscar Goodman demanded.

“Hey, Earl, toss me another one of them Bud Lights,” said most everybody else in the packed grandstands.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t win, but race weekend was still a major success. The money rolled in like Jimmie Johnson to victory lane. Speedway officials were happy. Mayor Goodman was happy. Anheuser-Busch was over the moon.

Like Sam Hornish Jr. in traffic, I backtracked on the doom-and-gloom column.

“The recent surge in interest for Sunday’s race is a testament to the strength of NASCAR and the true passion of NASCAR fans,” speedway President Chris Powell had said during race weekend.

The surge appeared to be working. At least out here.

In retrospect, it can be said the spike in interest for that Sunday’s race was more attributable to the speedway’s printing up a bunch of $50 general admission tickets when it appeared the race would not sell out.

Next year, the cheap seats will be $1 less expensive than those GA passes of a year ago. In the manner of Michael Waltrip, the economy has been slow to come around. Cheap seats on NASCAR weekend usually cost $85. For next year’s race, they’ll cost $49.

The speedway has reduced the price of all weekend package and single-day tickets. Neon Garage passes also have been reduced. There’s a new Family Four Pack that starts at $199. Preferred parking and driver introduction passes are available.

If you’re real nice, they might even let you take the National Guard/Amp Energy Chevy for a spin around the track when Little E is signing autographs.

Supply has lapped demand on the backstretch. Good seats remain. Lots of ’em. And you don’t have to a be a “lucky dog” to afford one.

I wish I wasn’t so prescient, but I saw this coming. So did many others. The object in the mirror that was closer than it appeared was the fallout from this recession we’re still in.

This is what was written the day after last year’s race:

“A lot of the economist types say the rubber won’t really hit the road in NASCAR until next year, because race fans, like race teams, plan their budgets a year in advance.”

Well, the rubber has hit the road like a socket wrench on pit road. Attendance is down at virtually every place NASCAR runs. Why should Las Vegas be different?

These $49 tickets should help offset the absence of race fans from Kannapolis and Level Cross who won’t be attending next year. For once, locals will be able to afford to go racing. Like the return of Happy Hour and the realization that meatloaf and Jenga can be better than reservations and box seats, this is one of the good things to come from a free-falling economy.

The speedway will probably clear only a bazillion dollars on next year’s race, instead of the usual two bazillion. But I don’t think there’s much chance you’ll see track owner Bruton Smith strolling around the infield with a monkey and a tin cup.

There’s still going to be a huge crowd. There’s still going to be a lot of Bud Light downed, drained, gulped, guzzled, imbibed, indulged in, put away, partaken of, sipped, sloshed, slurped, sopped and soaked up — especially considering tickets cost only about half as much as last year.

Come race day, there could be a hiccup of seismic proportions.