Region counting on big race weekend

Sep 12, 2009 (Richmond Times-Dispatch - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- ISCA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- As drivers and crews scramble for top spots going into the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the Richmond region is scrambling to cash in on race weekend when its economic boost is more important than ever.

International Speedway Corp. officials announced in July that the Indy Racing League event won't return to Richmond International Raceway next year, putting more pressure on this weekend's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 to bring in big bucks in the face of a still-slumping economy.

Aimee Turner, director of public relations for RIR, said sales are up from the Sprint Cup race in May.

"We won't sell out, which is OK with us," she said. "But our sales are up. Because of the Chase, it's definitely looking better than we originally anticipated, which is great for us."

Turner said RIR didn't release specific information on ticket sales.

A study released this year by The Washington Economics Group Inc. showed the IRL race represented $53 million of the track's $467 million annual economic impact on the area.

The two NASCAR race weekends account for $168.5 million apiece, according to the study.

Last fall, RIR failed to sell out its Sprint Cup event for the first time in 34 races -- partly because the race was delayed a day because of Tropical Storm Hanna.

The last sellout was the Sprint Cup race in May 2008.

To bolster ticket sales, RIR this year lowered prices by 25 percent to 50 percent for more than 18,000 seats -- including $40 for Rows 1 through 5 for backstretch grandstand tickets, which were $60 last year.

Jack Berry, president and CEO of the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the two NASCAR races are enormously important for the area's economy.

"It's two weekends out of 52 that we don't have to worry about marketing," he said, noting the impact on restaurants, retail and particularly hotels, as 60 percent of race fans typically come from out of town.

Berry said the Richmond area has added about 1,000 hotel rooms to its inventory since this time last year, bringing the total to 17,402.

"No one will have trouble finding a room this weekend," he said, noting that hotels are filling up quickly for tonight. "Saturday night is a good night for our economy."

Some hotels are doing their part by lowering prices.

Lori Darling, vice president of sales and marketing for Shamin Hotels, which owns two hotels in Mechanicsville near the track and seven near the airport, said the company has eliminated extra charges for race weekend.

"This year, we're not putting any rate premiums on. We're just offering our best, lowest weekend rates to help stimulate the economy and get people in to enjoy the races," she said.

Darling said nearly all nine hotels were full for tonight.

"We're actually doing pretty well. May was a little bit more of a challenge for us, but I think this is a bigger race and the last one prior to the big race," she said.

Sara Carter, office administrator for Bass Pro Shops in Hanover County, said the event is big for the store. It held a NASCAR tournament last weekend on its simulators, with the winner earning two race tickets.

"Our business today has spiked dramatically, and over the three days, we expect to put 15,000 people through the store," she said. That's up 5,000 from a typical Friday through Sunday.

David Jones, manager of the Church's Chicken restaurant near the raceway, said revenue picks up by 25 percent most race weekends.

"It's been fair so far," he said yesterday afternoon, noting that he hoped things would pick up to help make up for a slow year.

According to the Washington Economics Group study, RIR directly or indirectly supports about 7,765 jobs, including more than 6,500 in retail, tourism and professional services. It also found that RIR generates $84.7 million in tax revenue.

The raceway in eastern Henrico County seats about 112,000 fans.

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Contact Wesley P. Hester at (804) 649-6976 or whester@timesdispatch.com.

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