Well George Bruggenthies is happy

[Spicoli]

Posted August 13, 2007

RA officials ecstatic about weekend attendance
By Dave Lubach
Sheboygan Press staff

ELKHART LAKE — It looks like Road America's gamble paid off.


The decision to pair two of the track's weekends, the American Le Mans Series and Champ Car World Series, into one enjoyed a rousing response.


"In my 10 years here it was the biggest I've ever seen," said Road America president and general manager George Bruggenthies Sunday.


Attendance figures for the Generac Power Weekend, featuring the ALMS series race Saturday and the Champ Car Grand Prix on Sunday weren't available at the end of the race weekend.


But when the numbers are added up, Bruggenthies hopes attendance figures surpass 100,000 for the four days, a figure the track routinely used to pass in the early 1990s for CART (Champ Car's former name) weekends.



http://www.sheboygan-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070813/SHE02/708130554/1882

:)

[Redwing]

I think the record for the largest crowd in Wisconsin sports history is for a CART race at RA, between 80-90,000, in 1996. By reference, I came to the '94 race through Gate 1. The field directly across from there (where they ran the drive in movie this year) was COMPLETELY full when I got there at 930am. I'd never seen anything like it.

The crowd at RA this past weekend less than that, but all of the parking areas were crowded. The media spilled over from the VIP building lot onto the grass field below. Turn 2 was packed, as was T8. The pre grid walk for ALMS was a waste of time, because there were so many people I couldn't move. RA should be happy. It wasn't the best ever, but it was a lot closer to the good old days than it's been in a while. People like road racing, imagine that...

[Chief]

I can't remember the last time Bruggenthies WAS happy. Amid "hardcard-gate" it's good to see. Maybe the IRL will race there next year...:p

[TravelGal]

I just wish I could stop seeing it as GERIATRIC Power Weekend. :shakehead

I have to admit the GENERAC ads were good though. Living in earthquake country, I'm about to go out and find out how much one of those generators will set me back.

[cameraman]

Living in earthquake country, I'm about to go out and find out how much one of those generators will set me back.

More than you would like...

[Ray Scar]

I just wish I could stop seeing it as GERIATRIC Power Weekend. :shakehead

I have to admit the GENERAC ads were good though. Living in earthquake country, I'm about to go out and find out how much one of those generators will set me back.

Thanks for clarifying that. I thought it was the GENERIC Power Weekend.

Great, whereas I thought "How clever, they can keep using the same signs until they get a real sponsor", now I find out they will have to spend more to upgrade all the sound systems and hand out drool cups at the gate.

[pchall]

Any promoter -- except Michelle Gajoch -- would be delighted to have a nice little title sponsorship and a big enough crowd to bust the nut on the weekend. At least George is willing to do a bit of work to make a good race event. Michelle just wants something like Honda ¥ to do it all for her.

[Chief]

At least George is willing to do a bit of work to make a good race event
George had his hand out...remember? Somehow he's made amends though...

[TravelGal]

More than you would like...

Yeah, I'm guessing $5 grand up. If it's $50 K up, I'd wonder why they advertised to the general public.

[G.]

Yeah, I'm guessing $5 grand up. If it's $50 K up, I'd wonder why they advertised to the general public.starting at $3k, big enough to start a 3 ton AC unit.

http://www.generac.com/Products/Residential/AirCooled/10KW.aspx

[Wally]

Web site claims 2100 for entry level 7kw air cooled unit......not bad when you look at some of the high end portables. Me wants one.....:thumbup: