Michigan saw decline in attendance

Tony Stewart gets service in Michigan

While NASCAR no longer releases attendance numbers, MIS President Roger Curtis said there was a slight decrease in ticket sales for the June 10-12 FireKeepers Casino 400 race weekend. The numbers were what MIS expected, Curtis said, given the rain last June and the lack of action in the August race.

Meanwhile, local business owners said they saw no decrease in sales, with some saying sales were slightly higher than during the 2015 June race weekend. This includes JR's Hometown Grill and Pub and Buddy's gas station and convenience store, both in Brooklyn.

Curtis said opening the infield early was a big success, with an estimated 40 to 45 percent of the infield full by the time it's normally opened Thursday. The suites were sold out and camping numbers were strong, he added. "A lot of our June guests, even if they weren't there (in August), were reluctant to purchase a ticket until they saw a good race," Curtis said. "We've already had a lot of folks call or email about tickets for August. I'm confident that next year's FireKeepers Casino 400 will be ahead of where it was this year." MLive