Attendance up at Talladega Race

Officials from Talladega Superspeedway reported an increase in fan attendance following Sundays running of the Geico 500.

Speedway chairman Grant Lynch, said one of the key contributors to a near sell-out of the track was the cooperation of Mother Nature, who hadn’t been kind to the spring race in recent years.

According to figures provided by Director of Public Relations Russell Branham, fans from all 50 states and 24 countries around the world made their own pilgrimage to the Mecca of NASCAR tracks — a fact Lynch attributed to each fan’s love for and loyalty to the sport..

Lynch said other factors contributing to the 11 percent increase in fan attendance over last year's spring race included improved features to the track, such as widened seats, improved video boards and renovated restrooms, plus the variety of events offered to the fans leading up to the Sunday race, most notably the “Big One on the Boulevard” celebration.

Lynch said The in-field was completely sold out of RV spots nearly four to five weeks out.

Branham said more than 70 percent of race fans travel from outside the state, generating more than $380 million annually for Alabama tourism.