Sunday, March 19, 2000
Earnhardt invigorates NASCAR fans
AUTO RACING INSIDER
BY TOM GROESCHEN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Dale Earnhardt: The man who saved NASCAR.
From its slow 2000 start, anyway.
Earnhardt's two-foot victory over onrushing Bobby Labonte last week was one of Winston Cup's greatest finishes in some time, and was much needed. NASCAR TV ratings and race attendance are both down, with the first three races rather ordinary (Daytona, Rockingham) or rained out (Las Vegas).
Waning interest has not, however, been a problem in Cincinnati.
Bill “Seg” Dennison, host of 700-WLW radio's “Shur-Good Racing Report” each Sunday from 7-8 p.m., said his NASCAR callers are as enthusiastic as ever.
“I think the popularity is still there,” Dennison said. “It shows this week, because apparently they're going to pack the joint in Darlington.”
Today's race, the Mall.com 400 at Darlington, S.C., finds NASCAR Nation in a much better mood.
Darlington officials said their ticket office averaged 900 calls a day since Monday, about 200-to-300 more than normal.
Following the usual sellout crowd last month at Daytona, the race at Rockingham the next week had lots of empty seats. That was followed by less-than-capacity crowds at Las Vegas and Atlanta. TV ratings are down more than 10 percent.
Dennison said that trend has not been reflected in Cincinnati, where his show never lacks for callers. And Dennison said local fans can't wait for Jerry Carroll's new Kentucky Speedway to open in June.
“The race fans are out there, that's for sure,” Dennison said. “I think some were maybe frustrated earlier in the season, but last week rejuvenated everyone.”
SPEEDWAY UPDATE: Kentucky Speedway vice president Mark Cassis said that nearly 22,000 seats have been sold for the track's featured opener, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race June 17.
Also, Cassis said that about 16,000 seats have been sold for the Indy Racing League event Aug. 27.
The track will seat 66,000. Construction is about 80 percent complete, Cassis said.
Cassis said Winston Cup drivers Darrell Waltrip, Michael Waltrip and Jeremy Mayfield will participate in the speedway's opening ceremonies. The three Owensboro, Ky., natives had agreed to drive in the inaugural Craftsman Truck race, but logistical problems — there is a Winston race in Pocono, Pa., that weekend — will prevent it.
More from the Speedway:
• Cassis said the track is close to announcing “a major concert” for sometime in July, possibly a country or rock act.
• Track officials seem convinced they will land a NASCAR Busch race (one tier below the major-league Winston Cup) for 2001. “I'd say the odds are extremely good,” Cassis said.
• The Speedway telephone line for ticket sales (1-888-652-RACE) has been running normally again, after crashing twice two weeks ago. Heavy demand for individual-event tickets caused the malfunction.
HEAVYWEIGHT CLASS: If you think the Reds' Tony-Sparky-Marty Hall of Fame class is cool, check out the 2000 inductees for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame: Indy stars Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt, three-time Formula One champions Nelson Piquet and the late Ayrton Senna, land-speed king Craig Breedlove, and drag racing legend Don “The Snake” Prudhomme.
NOTES: Tri-State Dragway (State Rt. 128, Ross Township) offers a program of sanctioned IHRA Bracket Racing. Time trials start at 10 a.m. and eliminations at 1 p.m. ... Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway boss Greg Staab said he's putting the finishing touches on his 2000 schedule.
Tom Groeschen welcomes your e-mail at tgroeschen@enquirer.com.
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