Grandstands continue to shrink at NASCAR's Monster Mile in Delaware

Karl Baker | The News Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Pit road at Dover's Monster Mile Reporter Jerry Smith walks Pit Road before the NASCAR playoff race at Dover's Monster Mile on Sunday, Oct. 7.

Delaware's only NASCAR racetrack continues to shrink.

Reflecting waning attendance nationwide for the popular motor sport, Dover International Speedway, known also as the Monster Mile, will reduce seating at its grandstands to 54,000 from 83,000.

It is at least the third time that track owner, Dover Motorsports, has removed thousands of seats at the facility during the past decade. Prior to 2009, capacity stood at 135,000.

"After analyzing current demand versus current grandstand capacity, we've elected to reduce our current seating capacity, Dover Motorsports CEO Dennis McGlynn said during his company's third quarter investor call last week.

Rebuilding the grandstand with fewer seats will cost the publicly traded company $1.5 million. The project is underway and is scheduled to be complete before the racetrack's spring NASCAR event.

It is one of two major construction projects at the track this year, as the company also built a new $5.5 million race car garage.

In a statement, Dover Motorsports spokesman Gary Camp said similar grandstand reductions have occurred at various NASCAR tracks, as well as other sporting venues, such as the Oakland Coliseum.

While McGlynn cited "demand" as the reason for the project, Camp said the Dover facility is being remodeled to improve "the fan experience." Those comments echoed others made in 2016, the last time Dover Motorsports shrunk its grandstands.

At that time, Dover Motor Sports Chief Operating Officer Michael Tatoian said "fans like a more intimate feel in all major sports facilities."

“New stadiums are being built with this in mind,” he said, then.

In August, the Delaware company reported second quarter sales at $25 million, occurring mostly during the previous spring races. Revenue from admissions was down 12% from the same period the previous year.

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Opened in 1969, the Dover racetrack held its first race, the Mason-Dixon 300, in front of 22,000 fans – even though there were only 17,500 seats. Popular demand for races swelled in subsequent decades and Dover's grandstands grew with it.

By 2001, NASCAR's soaring popularity prompted Dover Motor Sports to top out its racetrack capacity at 135,000, making it the largest sports venue in the Mid-Atlantic.

But declining attendance in later years prompted track owners to reverse course.

By NASCAR's Monster Energy Cup Series on Oct. 6, grandstand capacity stood at a little over 80,000. Though it is unclear how many people filled those seats as Dover Motor Sports hasn't reported attendance for the event.

The race marked the last time for the foreseeable future that Delaware's racetrack will be part of the final 10 races that constitute NASCAR’s championship playoffs.

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With fewer fans in attendance, Dover Motor Sports' officials have pointed to sports betting as a way to make up for lost revenue.

The company has enjoyed a boost from television. It took in $19 million in broadcasting revenue from networks, via NASCAR, during races last spring – accounting for a majority of total sales.

Financial results from October's race haven't yet been disclosed because they fall within the company's fourth quarter operations, which should be reported in January.

On Thursday, a company executive gave investors a glimpse, saying the October "races and activities were well received and operationally successful."

Contact Karl Baker at kbaker@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2329. Follow him on Twitter @kbaker6.