To some traditionalists, loyalty goes only so far (cont'd)

In the final analysis, Rockingham died not because of location or corporate greed or some sort of NASCAR manifest destiny, but because fans didn't show up. Even in the track's final days, when it became evident that only big turnstile numbers could save it, there were too many empty seats. Darlington lost the Southern 500 because the track didn't sell out until it was too late. Standalone Busch races are moving out of the country because they can draw 50,000 in Mexico or Montreal instead of 5,000 at Martinsville or Myrtle Beach.

And this week we have the conundrum that is Atlanta, a track that consistently produces some of the best finishes on the circuit, but doesn't fill up despite an official seating capacity nearly 20,000 less than Las Vegas. If so many fans love the sport's traditional tracks so much, why don't they buy tickets to see events there? It's almost like the old adage about politics -- if you don't vote, you don't have a right to complain about the election result.

Meanwhile, in many non-traditional markets where NASCAR has been a presence for only a decade or less, promoters can't sell tickets fast enough. Maybe there's a novelty factor at work. Maybe the cities hosting those races are more enjoyable places to be. Or just maybe those fans don't take NASCAR for granted, assuming it will always be there whether they show up or not.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.