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NASCAR still doesn't get it about summer in Florida

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by hondo, Jul 5, 2015.

  1. doctorquant

    doctorquant Well-Known Member

    Only time I've ever been to a Daytona race was the '88 500, which I covered. But I would think a day race there in the summer is UNBELIEVABLY hot. Nevertheless, I am sure the move was for summer TV ratings.

    However, is the fact that qualifying has been affected really an issue? How often has the race itself been affected?
     
  2. Captain_Kirk

    Captain_Kirk Well-Known Member

    Count me among those who were going why not run Saturday night and leave Sunday as a rain day. Guessing they felt too many people out doing firework festivities perhaps, and not counting on the USWNT going head to head.

    As many have mentioned, why not leave yourself a plan B for FLA weather when you can do exactly that?
     
  3. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    This would be like the local bro country FM station worrying about the new indie rock station cutting into its listenership.

    I cannot imagine there was a big overlap in viewers.
     
  4. Captain_Kirk

    Captain_Kirk Well-Known Member

    Overlap, no. But a World Cup final with the US is going to suck viewers away from everything.
     
  5. Riptide

    Riptide Well-Known Member

    Golly, can't they put up a retractable roof? And dump the bill on the taxpayers?
     
  6. Out on a limb here ...
    I'm thinking women's soccer watchers and NASCAR fans are prolly two waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay different demographics.

    I read somewhere ...
    NBC requested the move to Sunday for a bigger ratings ... we see how that worked out.
     
  7. murphyc

    murphyc Well-Known Member

    Funny thing about the race being moved to Sunday night this year? The race used to always be on the 4th of July, no matter what day of the week that was. I think it was moved to the first Saturday of July probably around 1987 or so, run at 10 a.m. ET for years so everyone could be out of there before it got unbearably hot. I remember for years getting up at 7 a.m. PT to catch the race on ESPN. I didn't like the early start, but it made sense. I don't recall many rain delays during those daytime Saturday races. I believe 1996 had one or two rain delays. I can't recall another.
    The truly bizarre thing to me about moving the race to Sunday is not only do you lose the connection to the historic date of the race, you also hurt the gate due to people needing to be back at work Monday, which wouldn't be a problem with the race on Saturday night. Plus you lose your built-in rain date.
     
  8. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    Here's the funny part: I was in the infield. At every one of those portable bars they set up, the TVs were turned onto soccer during the race delay. And NASCAR fans were getting into it.
     
  9. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    What else were they going to watch now with the Duke boys off the air?
     
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