Not every fan occupied a seat during the race at California. Credit: Autostock

Empty seats at Califonia not as it appears to be

Many fans were underneath the grandstand, track president says

FONTANA, Calif. -- Gillian Zucker, the president of California Speedway, had her own take as to why there appeared to be 10,000 or more empty seats during Sunday's Nextel Cup race.

"I was underneath the midway area during the event,'' she said. "It was packed. When I came around to this side of the grandstands I thought, 'Oh, wow! They're going think that there's a lot fewer people here that are here.'

TRACK PAGE •   California Speedway

"Underneath that grandstand there were [fans] that were shopping during the race.''

California has struggled to fill its 92,000 seats since NASCAR gave it a second date in 2004, taking one of Darlington's traditional dates on Labor Day weekend.

Zucker said the track is doing everything to attract a new audience, utilizing entertainment stars such as Jewel and Fantasia for pre-race festivities.

"We're 40 miles from the entertainment capital of the world, and that's something we're really looking to maximize on,'' she said.

Zucker said the track also may look at progressive banking as the track at Homestead-Miami did to improve the quality of racing. Greg Biffle led 168 of the 250 laps before blowing an engine with 21 laps remaining.

Only three other drivers led more than three laps.

"Certainly in Miami, it's completely changed the show,'' Zucker said. "If that's what the fans are telling us that they need to see ... we always hoped to have some of the spectacle that brings so many people to the track.''