“The Shortening of Races Is Getting Out of Hand”: NASCAR Fans Furious As Legendary Short Track Suffers Painful Fate As NASCAR Brings Unwelcome Changes

NASCAR’s short tracks have been in a bit of a rut lately, struggling to draw crowds and losing some of their luster in the eyes of fans. The introduction of next-gen cars hasn’t helped either, with many fans feeling that the heart-pounding excitement of short-track racing has dimmed. But the latest news from Iowa Speedway has really stirred the pot among the fanbase.

With grandstand seats and camping spots for the much-anticipated inaugural Cup race at Iowa Speedway all snapped up, as announced by the track, frustration among fans is reaching new heights. It seems like everyone wants a piece of the action at the Iowa Corn 350, Powered by Ethanol, set to rev up on June 16 and broadcast on USA Network. However, there’s a silver lining for those still looking to catch some live racing action: a limited number of tickets are still up for grabs for the June 15 Xfinity Series race and the June 14 ARCA Menards Series race, both of which will also light up the screens on USA Network.

NASCAR sells all 24k race tickets for Iowa Speedway event

Hot on the heels of the Daytona 500 announcing its own sellout, little Iowa Speedway has stepped into the limelight, quickly following suit. Instead of the usual drumroll for ticket sales, Iowa Speedway found itself announcing a full house.

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While there was chatter about possibly squeezing in more fans with temporary grandstands, Bob Pockrass, in his latest tweet, put those rumors to bed. He reported, “NASCAR announces its race at Iowa Speedway is sold out for grandstands and camping (my sources say grandstand capacity approx 24K). There are no plans to add any additional temporary grandstands there (nor at Daytona for Daytona 500) … race name for Iowa will be Iowa Corn 350.”

This turn of events puts NASCAR in the spotlight but casts a shadow on IndyCar’s ability to keep up. History has shown that when NASCAR’s Cup series rolls into town, IndyCar events tend to lose their shine. With NASCAR gobbling up all the seats, IndyCar races at the same venue might find themselves playing to a tougher crowd. Plus, NASCAR’s success could lead to bigger stands in the future, making the contrast with IndyCar’s attendance even more stark.

The full house for the 2024 NASCAR Cup race at Iowa Speedway is more than just a feather in NASCAR’s cap; it’s a wake-up call for IndyCar. It’s a vivid illustration of the uphill battle IndyCar faces against NASCAR’s popularity and marketing muscle. IndyCar needs to rev up its game to keep fans in the stands and drive up interest.

Yet, despite the sellout success, fans aren’t exactly jumping for joy.

Fans seething over sold-out tickets for short-track racing

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Critics of the current state of short-track racing are sounding off, “The shortening of races is getting out of hand. The top division in American motorsports should be running races that are long, not short. There’s several series that run shorter races, the Cup Series should not be one of them!” and “Small crowd for a short race. Short race just tells me NASCAR lacks confidence they’ve fixed the package.”

The absence of extra stands, unlike in Indycar, has some fans fuming. One remarked, “I think it’s time we bring back the backstretch grandstands @DAYTONA,” while another lamented, “Damn, no temporary terraces? That’s the only thing IndyCar does more confidently than NASCAR, considering IndyCar always seems scared to do something new. I would’ve thought at least something like that cuz they want to make a claim in that area. Oh, well.”

Some fingers are pointed directly at NASCAR, with fans raising eyebrows over the sell-out. They’re saying, “Pretty crazy they sold out when they never went on sale to the public.” and “I paid $1700 for 2 tickets from a reseller. They bought up all the tickets before we ever even had a chance.” Another frustrated fan added, “They didn’t even give us a chance! Who pays a reservation fee for an unknown ticket price? I need three tickets if anyone decides not to go! Father’s Day present……….”

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So, did you manage to snag a ticket for the Iowa Corn 350 race?