FORT WORTH, Texas – Texas Motor Speedway is lowering the price on approximately 15,400 frontstretch tickets for the Sprint Cup race this year.
The ticket-price drop was just part of the Fan-Fueled Evolution initiative unveiled by the track Monday.
While the track will also add perks for season ticket holders, enhance the backstretch race experience, make the grandstands non-smoking and institute a code of conduct text response system, it's the ticket prices that stand out.
About 8,000 seats in 42 sections on the frontstretch cost between $86 and $120 last year but will now be sold for $49. Another 7,400 seats that cost $92 last year will cost $79 in 2013.
"There's a reason why we're drawing big crowds and it's reasons like this," Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said. "You've got to combat the trends in the industry and this is a way for us to stay up there and be the leaders."
Last April's race at TMS drew approximately 152,000 fans, which was a highest-attended race on the NASCAR circuit last year (Daytona 500 rained out). Despite that big number, Gossage knows the numbers can be better.
Selling seats in the frontstretch sections that normally aren't full for lower prices is a step in that direction.
"The last few races they haven't been as full as we'd like," Gossage said. "They (the sections) are sprinkled throughout. We want to try and pump that up. We want to give the fans an alternative. We've been going through an economic downturn the last four years or five years. It's better for us to keep fans engages at $49 bucks than lose them at $55. When the economy comes back around and they're still with us, we can creep those ticket prices back up."
In addition to the change in the adult prices, the track has also instituted children's prices (12-under) for every seat at the track during Sprint Cup weekends. Prices for children's tickets now start at $10 on the backstretch and $25 on the frontstretch.
The track is also changing its rainout policy, upgrading its web site and working with fans on transportation at the track.
