NASCAR Forced to Use Unorthodox Methods After Controversial LA Coliseum Decision Triggers Ticket Sale Scare

With the off-season gradually drawing to a close, the hype around the season opener builds every day. As a fan, it is good to see that NASCAR, on their end, is doing everything to make the LA Memorial Coliseum race a runaway success. As per reports, the organization has added an exciting fixture to the Sunday extravaganza, the NASCAR Mexico Series race. But it seems they have a few more tricks up their sleeve.

Amid NASCAR’s willingness to go the extra mile to bring in bigger crowds, popular reporter Adam Stern shared an interesting tweet highlighting the promotion’s odd marketing strategy that is going around the city.

Insider calls out NASCAR’s LA Coliseum marketing gimmick

The whole racing community has been up in arms since 2022, the year NASCAR decided that the season-opener, Busch Light Clash, would be shifted from Daytona to Los Angeles. Most traditionalists and purists were outright against NASCAR’s decision to move the season’s first race to the smaller, more compact 0.25-mile track. But despite the backlash, NASCAR went ahead with its decision and will return to the venue in 2024.

Considering NASCAR isn’t too popular on the West Coast and has a “notoriously fickle market,” as per Adam Stern, his post essentially shed light on NASCAR’s antics. And what has it done? Deployed a marketing team in Los Angeles. Stern noted, “@NASCAR has started deploying a street marketing team around LA to promote ticket sales for next month’s Busch Light Clash, giving out merch like hats, sunglasses, towels, and hero cards.” But that’s not all NASCAR is doing.

To add extra oomph to the event, NASCAR will have their Mexico series kick off the all-important Cup event. Popular comedian Gabriel Iglesias is set to commence the NASCAR Mexico Series’ inaugural King Taco La Batalla en El Coliseo. But beyond all the hype and the organization’s strive to make the venue a constant, NASCAR’s bizarre marketing gimmick is what caught everyone’s scrutiny and criticism.

Even though the iconic venue is celebrating its 100th anniversary, marking a century of memorable moments, including two Summer Olympic Games, fans did not approve of this and let their displeasure be known in the comments section.

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NASCAR is “trying so hard” with the 2024 Busch Light Clash

“If the buzz isn’t there after 3 years maybe we stop going there???” asked one fan who was genuinely confused about the organization’s push. Ignoring the iconic venue’s 100th anniversary, fans bashed NASCAR, denouncing its efforts and commenting on their honest thoughts. They also mentioned how the sanctioning body is trying to push its idea on the community for ticket sales, disregarding their opinion and throwing them to the wind.

“If only they made this effort in other markets that actually are hungry for racing within a 6-hour drive at a facility that isn’t a gimmick…” pointed out another fan who highlighted the fundamental problem. Another fan resonated with this sentiment, claiming that the reception the LA Coliseum has gotten could be because of the unknowns surrounding the Auto Club Speedway’s revamp.

“If they have to push this hard to sell tickets, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate this event’s viability. I wonder if this continued lukewarm reception has anything to do with the lack of #NASCAR announcing formal plans for the “new” Auto Club Speedway yet?” The underlying sentiment among fans was that they want Daytona back as the season-opener. “Or they could do Daytona and sell out the joint, but whatever.”

“I’d rather go to California speedway… maybe in another life,” noted another fan, while another user mocked NASCAR unapologetically. “Awww, they’re trying so hard.” Amid all this uproar, do you have plans of attending the Busch Light Clash in person?READ MORE: Former NASCAR Driver Makes Audacious Claim for IROC as He Pits Them Against Tony Stewart’s SRX Series