Through the Gears: Four things we learned in the Food City 500 at Bristol.
Thereâs nothing about a rough start to the NASCAR season a short track canât fix. During a thrilling weekend in Bristol, the sport had a near-photo finish in Saturdayâs Nationwide race (remember this name: Kyle Larson) and several thrilling moments during Sundayâs big show. After plenty of criticism â from a driverâs $25,000 fine to fans railing about Daytonaâs single-file 500 â itâs hard to find anyone complaining about the action in Thunder Valley. But honestly, whenâs the last time fans left a short track feeling they threw their hard-earned money down the toilet?
It certainly wasnât last spring at Martinsville, when the Clint Bowyer â Jeff Gordon feud officially began. Or last fall at Richmond, where Gordonâs epic charge to second knocked Kyle Busch out of the Chase. My point? These three speedways, even in the worst of times, make fans flock to them faster than this Sundayâs two-mile tedium, otherwise known as Auto Club Speedway ever will.
With all that said â¦
FIRST GEAR: Bristolâs back. So why is the attendance still awful?
The number of empty seats at Bristol, one year after Bruton Smithâs latest reconfiguration recommended by the fans themselves, was an eye-opener. A track which once sold out for 55 consecutive Cup races, from 1982-2009, had chasms full of unsold tickets noticeable both at the track and on television. (NASCAR no longer releases official attendance). Considering Bristol has over 160,000 seats, even 50 percent capacity is more than a sellout at Martinsville, Darlington or other facilities which donât even have that much room in the stands. But itâs also highly disturbing considering its âcrown jewelâ reputation as one of the sportâs must-see events.
Itâs a shame, considering Sunday offered the perfect mix of Bristolâs magic elixir: unpredictability. 110 laps before the finish, leader Jeff Gordon blew a tire and took out himself and second-place Matt Kenseth, changing the complexion of the race. The personal fireworks were also there, in the form of a budding rivalry between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano (see below). Record speeds combined with a healthy 17 lead changes mixed side-by-side action with the on-track rubbing still needed at times to get by other competitors.
Two theories abound here. One: fans, skeptical of the sport and the Gen-6 car chose to stay home, sending a message that both drivers and track need to be worthy of their cash. (The night race, in August and closer to NASCARâs Chase, draws better.) But the more likely scenario surrounds a disturbing amount of price gouging still prevalent within the region. Lodging that typically would be $100 or less a night during a typical weekend went for four-, five-, even six-times that.
No amount of ticket price discount can fix that hit to a blue-collar fanâs wallet. Thatâs especially true considering the trackâs location, so close to many other fine facilities. If youâre a fan from Charleston, S.C., for example, why spend $1,000 on lodging, plus mileage when youâve got Talladega, Atlanta and Charlotte within a similar driving distance â for half the price.
The economy always makes an argument here; in smaller markets, the races are the only major event hitting the region, meaning hotels have to maximize profits in order to survive. But the TriCities unemployment rate, along with job creation, has generally been stronger than the national average. Add in Smithâs billions and thereâs no excuse to get this problem fixed, even though heâs powerful enough (see: getting the state of Kentucky to custom build roads for his speedway in Sparta).
Looks like its time for Smith to flex some muscle again. Otherwise, itâll be years (if ever) before his most prized possession fills up to capacity.
SECOND GEAR: Hendrickâs third wheel pushing for first-rate attention
Kasey Kahneâs Bristol success, while continuing a sizzling 2013 start, was a bit of a shock. Even after Sunday, his highest career average finish at any short track is Richmond, with a mediocre 18.0. Thatâs also the location of his last win at an oval this small, scoring his first Cup victory there in May 2005 before bookending his victory total with a 1.7-second, cruise-control performance down the stretch on Sunday.
âThis is a big race for me,â he said Sunday after scooting ahead of Brad Keselowski on the final restart. âBristolâs one of those tracks that as a driver, you really feel like you need to win at. Itâs a big confidence builder.â
So is his habit of qualifying up front â a 3.5-place average start leads all drivers, along with 223 laps led in 2013. But most importantly, heâs not digging the type of 2012 hole that expended almost all this teamâs energy simply to make last yearâs Chase. Instead, heâs showcasing the type of versatility (second at Las Vegas, first at Bristol, one of the favorites at Daytona before wrecking out) that one needs to take home a title in this sport.
To do it, Kahne would have to leapfrog Johnson within the organization, a feat once thought impossible. But keep in mind, head wrench Kenny Francis â not from the Hendrick mold â can step outside the box of Chad Knaus. Those at HMS were impressed with the ideas he brought to the table in â12 and many credit them for the organizationâs resurgence. Francis, working out of a different shop, wonât have to play nice as consistently this fall and has the better pit crew, Johnsonâs Achilles Heel, in each of the last two seasons.
Will it happen? Iâll still believe it when I see it. But four races in, Kahne has started making a case.
Â