Is Nascar scheduling race's later for a reason???????????????????????????????

Is Nascar scheduling race's later for a reason?

It seems like the races so far this year are starting later then the past, (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

1) Is this to let more people get to the race tracks after doing family things on Sundays?

2) To make the races more interesting, (In Nascar's mind.) by letting the tracks cool down.

3) Or do they feel they get more of a TV audience by starting later.

Just firgured I would see what the planet thought.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by dkam7 on February 22, 2009 at 3:17pm

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

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Permalink Reply by Ryan Plowman on February 22, 2009 at 5:46pm

3;16 PM local time, green flag start is ridiculous. I feel for you east coast guys.

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Permalink Reply by Lance on February 23, 2009 at 12:11am

It's freaking ridiculous. Why can they not start at 3:30 EST/12:30 PST. Why does it have to be an all nighter? Plus there was no Family Guy or King of the Hill due to this. BOOOOO

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Permalink Reply by Trooper Blue on February 23, 2009 at 12:43am

As a general rule, viewership/ratings are higher during prime time hours than during the afternoon. Commercials and advertising is sold using those numbers. So it's purely a financial game for the networks to try and move the races later into the day.

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Permalink Reply by Miffles on February 23, 2009 at 3:08pm

Partly its in response to fans from the Mountain and Pacific time zones. When the start times were noonish, that meant the races started earlier Sunday morning.

Therein comes the $$$$$$ part ... more tune in to the later start times.

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Permalink Reply by Mario on February 23, 2009 at 3:42pm

And let me add a couple thoughts here.

1. If you wanted a decent parking space (in other words, not walk a mile just to get to the gates), you still had to get to the track no later than about 10am (I got there about 8:45am and got a good spot).

2. In my opinion, it really does not make that much difference in the quality of racing.

3. With the race ending around 7pm-ish (I didn't look at my watch when Matt crossed the start/finish line), I waited to leave the stands until most of the people had left, hit the head, and got down to the Opportunity Fan Zone area and found a spot to sit while I watched the hoards of people going over the two cross-over bridges by turn 4. When that cleared out (about 30-40 minutes), I headed to the car, pulled out my chair and sat until 9pm while I watched the lines of traffic exiting the track. Now, at Auto Club Speedway, if you are parked in the Green Section (or exit by that section), the cops divert you south to the 15 Freeway (and they send you past the 10 Freeway). Which is fine if you live down in that area. But if you live North, Northwest, or Northeast of the track, that sends you out of the way. If I remember right, if you are parked in the Orange Section, you have the opportunity to go north towards the 210 Freeway. When all was said and done, I was home just after 10pm.

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Permalink Reply by Mario on February 23, 2009 at 3:53pm

When we (I take my parents to the races) couldn't get on the 10 freeway because the cops had it blocked, I told my dad to just go down to the 60 instead of taking the 15 (we did that one year after a Labor Day weekend race and traffic was just as bad as rush hour). In October, I may try driving around to the Cherry Avenue exit and see if we can go north to the 210. If not, I am changing my parking section from Green to Orange.

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Permalink Reply by Michael T. on February 24, 2009 at 7:03am

Back before Bruton Smith owned Sears Point and made all the improvements, it used to take about four hours to get out of the parking lot. One year my dad and I were sitting in line and had moved about five feet in 30 minutes, we noticed behind us a line of cars started pouring out very quickly. We thought maybe they opened another gate so we got out of our line and rushed over there. 45 minutes later we circled around and ended up back where we started. We felt pretty stupid.

It is so much better now. Even though it's a trek to get to your car, you are on the main highways in less than an hour now.

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Permalink Reply by wilks7 on February 24, 2009 at 8:16am

thats why after the race its best just to sit back fire up the grill and kill a bunch of beers....

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Permalink Reply by Jim on February 23, 2009 at 9:29pm

Just to let you know the far right lane coming out of the green parking lot went north on Etiwanda and you could have gone north. If you had to go left on Etiwanda you still could have gone north on the fifteen by taking 4th st. off of Etiwanda.

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Permalink Reply by Mario on February 24, 2009 at 1:14am

When we left at 9pm, we got in the far left lane on Napa Street (Green Gate 5) and they had the northbound lanes of Etiwanda blocked and told us to go left. And I stay off I-15 after the race. The one time we took it, it took us an hour and half + to get home because of the traffic. That is why we took the 60 to the 605 to the 210.

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Permalink Reply by NigletUK on February 23, 2009 at 4:47pm

I wish they wouldn't make them so late. I have to add another 5hrs on the start time, living in the UK! The Satureday night ones i don't mind so much, as i don't have to get up so early on a Sunday. But the late ones Sunday!!!!! Was about 4am when it finished this morning, work for 9! YEAH, so much fun!!!