NASCAR: No help here

Believe it or not, typical NASCAR race attendance is 100,000+, although some races, such as the Daytona 500 host twice that many.


There are typically forty (40) cars in each race.


Let's assume that the average race distance is 300 miles ... they range from 150 miles to 500 miles. If 40 cars drive 300 miles, that is a total travelled distance of 12,000 miles (40 x 300).


If each car averages three miles per gallon (a very realistic number: I know, I've been there and done that), the race will turn 4,000 gallons of fuel into polluting exhaust fumes.


If 100,000 fans drive to the race with an average of two people to a car, that means 50,000 cars drive to each race. Let's also make a WAG that their average driving distance TO the race is twenty-five miles. Since most chose to drive back home after the race, that's another twenty-five miles. This means that 50,000 cars drive 50 miles to see the race and return home. That is a total distance travelled for all cars of 2,500,000 miles - TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES! (50,000 x 50)


If those 50,000 cars average 25 MPG (Somewhat optimistic) they will consume 100,000 gallons of fuel!


Bottom Line:

Forty race cars burn 4,000 gallons of fuel in order to attract 100,000+ fans who, in turn, burn 100,000 gallons of fuel to see the race.


Seems pretty dumb, to me ... and this is just for ONE race! There are dozens of NASCAR races each year.


Gas shortage - Smash shortage!