Massive Marlboro free ticket giveaway
A dismal crowd turned out for Sunday's IRL race with estimates at 28,000, the lowest since the IRL started to race at Chicagoland. The ticket giveaway failed.
09/09/06 For the sixth consecutive year, Chicagoland Speedway has sold out of its Track Pack Season tickets, the only way you can buy a ticket is to purchase these. Of course the giveaways for the IRL race confuse us somewhat – How did Marlboro give away tickets that NASCAR fans bought as part of the season package?
In addition to the sold-out grandstands, suites and hospitality chalets, Chicagoland Speedway also filled up its expanded campground areas, including the new Keep You Cool Campground and Spice Things Up Campground. Rick Schenk reporting from Chicagoland
09/08/06 More than 100,000 fans are expected Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet for the Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 (12:30 p.m., Ch. 7), and there will be plenty of story lines, with four drivers — Helio Castroneves, Sam Hornish Jr., Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon — within 21 points of each other in the season standings. Chicago Sun-Times
[Editor's Note: The Nextel Cup race had 80K. The place seats 75K plus suites and infield. That must have been one heck of a Marlboro giveaway to exceed NASCAR and to exceed 100K.]
09/07/06 As reported by WJOL Radio in Joliet, IL Saturday, there has been a massive free ticket giveaway for Sunday's IRL finale at Chicagoland by Marlboro. They plastered the town the radio station reported. Both Marlboro drivers, Castroneves and Hornish, are separated by a single point and one of them should win the title on Sunday barring any major catastrophe. The giveaway included the standard free red Marlboro hats and free tickets. Marlboro would hate to have barren grandstands for the photo op of their cars crossing the finish line.
Will this be Marlboro's last hurrah? According to the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, all tobacco sponsorship was to cease after 2006, so unless Marlboro found a loophole, they appear to be going out with a bang.