Gluckometer: Crowd Noise Rankings During Driver Introductions

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins 2011 Gluckometer Season Championship

Which makes more noise: Loud cheers or loud boos?

The tidal wave of cheers each week for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the avalanche of boos for Kyle Busch can both sound incredibly loud, but more often than not, Earnhardt Jr.’s noise was greater this season.

According to a handheld decibel meter used at NASCAR’s pre-race driver introductions, Earnhardt Jr. got the most noise from race fans in 2011 – though Busch wasn’t far behind.

The “points system” was simple: Each driver was assigned a point total (from 1-10) based on where he ranked in the weekly standings. If a driver got the most noise during a given week, he earned 10 points; the second-most noise was worth nine points, etc.

There were two surprises in the top 10 below. First, I was stunned Trevor Bayne had enough points to make the top 10. It seemed like Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya and even Brad Keselowski appeared on the ratings far more often than Bayne.

But Bayne’s early-season momentum after his Daytona 500 win (particularly his first time back at Bristol after winning the 500) was enough to get him a spot in the season top 10.

Here are the 10 drivers who received the most noise during pre-race driver introductions at NASCAR races this season:

Just missed: Juan Pablo Montoya (24), Kasey Kahne (22), Brad Keselowski (22).

Tony Stewart Wins NASCAR Championship, Race And Tops Homestead Gluckometer Rankings

Booming bass music from DJ Irie and gusty winds prevented an accurate reading from my decibel meter for the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, forcing me to rely on the old-fashioned method: Ears.

One thing was for certain, though: Tony Stewart had the most noise in pre-race introductions, even more than Dale Earnhardt Jr.

At the time, I remember thinking I'd be writing this final Gluckometer post with the headline: "Tony Stewart Tops Noise Rankings But Loses Title."

Like many others, I guessed wrong.

The fans who contributed to the last Gluckometer ratings of the season were treated to one of the great championship races in NASCAR history. Here's how the drivers ranked:

Kyle Busch Gets Hostile Reception From Phoenix International Raceway Crowd

You knew this was going to happen: When Kyle Busch was introduced during the pre-race ceremonies at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, the fans greeted him with a throaty, angry reception.

Following Busch's actions at Texas one week earlier, that was to be expected.

The reaction, though, wasn't quite as loud as anticipated. While Busch did get the most noise of anyone, the volume of cheers for championship contender Tony Stewart was within one decibel of Busch.

Here are the top 10 drivers who got the most noise at Phoenix (ranked by decibels):

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Martinsville Crowd Reaction Indicator Of Another Most Popular Driver Win?

In one month, the NMPA/Wheaties Fuel Most Popular Driver Award will be presented at a ceremony in Las Vegas.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won the last eight MPD awards and is going for his ninth straight (the record is 10 in a row). So does his recent success in the Gluckometer Ratings bode well for another MPD award?

Junior Nation was the loudest once again on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, where the cheers for Earnhardt Jr. got more noise than the boos for Kyle Busch.

Earnhardt Jr. and Busch have gotten the most noise in the vast majority of weeks this season (we measure the crowd reaction before most races with a handheld decibel meter).

Here are the Martinsville ratings:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Back On Top Of Crowd Noise Rankings At Talladega

It's Talladega. It's Dale Earnhardt Jr. Of course NASCAR's most popular driver was on top of the crowd noise rankings yet again at the Alabama superspeedway where his family has seen so much success.

But according to our decibel meter, Kyle Busch gave Earnhardt Jr. a challenge. The boos for Busch nearly earned him the top spot in overal noise, but he came up just short.

Here's a look at the Gluckometer Ratings from 'Dega:

Charlotte: Family Members Add Twist To NASCAR Pre-Race Driver Introductions

Typically, the "Gluckometer Ratings" are a measure of how NASCAR's biggest names are received by the fans during pre-race driver introductions.

But Charlotte Motor Speedway added a unique twist: The drivers were introduced by family members (if they chose to do so).

Overall, 31 of the 43 Sprint Cup drivers had a family member or friend announce their spot in the starting lineup to the fans before the Bank of America 500.

As a result, there are some unusual names in the top 10 this week. For example: JJ Yeley's daughter, Faith, charmed the crowd with an adorable introduction of her dad.

Likewise, David Reutimann's daughter and Jeff Burton's son were also a hit with the crowd.

The Busch Brothers – Kurt and Kyle – introduced each other, which gave the crowd an extra opportunity to make their opinion of the drivers heard.

Some more drivers not typically in the top 10 who barely missed the cut thanks to inspired intros by family members: Dave Blaney (daughters), Travis Kvapil (children), Brian Vickers (dad), Bobby Labonte (kids) and Trevor Bayne (parents).

Check out the Family Edition of the Gluckometer ratings this week (measured with a handheld decibel meter from the front row of the grandstands).

Richmond: Snooki Fails To Crack Top 10 In NASCAR Driver Introductions

All eyes were on Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi during Saturday's pre-race driver introductions at Richmond International Raceway. After all, how could they not be?

The Jersey Shore star showed up wearing a most unusual outfit – which was apparently meant to accentuate her cleavage – and sported checkered flag boots.

Anyway, when Snooki was introduced to the crowd as a co-honorary starter (she eventually passed the flag-waving duties), NASCAR fans reacted with a mixture of cheers and an odd sound that can only be described as "upset confusion."

It was the sound someone makes when they're given an unpleasant surprise and they don't know what they did to deserve it. Like: Whaaaaaat???

Snooki's noise out-rated many of the drivers on the Gluckometer (she got 84.5 decibels, which was even more than Kasey Kahne's 84.3). But it wasn't quite enough to crack the top 10.

Here are the drivers who did:

Bristol Driver Introductions: Who Got The Most Cheers And Boos?

As you've probably heard, driver introductions at Bristol Motor Speedway are unique. Each driver chooses a song to be played as they walk out, and then the driver gets on the microphone to greet the fans.

The result is some unusual names in the top 10 of the Gluckometer this week. Brad Keselowski, AJ Allmendinger and Joey Logano all made the top 10 after their comments to the fans sparked a reaction (you can see why below).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the night and proved once again that cheers are louder than boos despite what it sounds like in person.

Without my decibel meter, I would have been sure the negative reaction for Kyle Busch was the loudest of the night. But loud boos actually don't measure as many decibels as loud cheers – a pattern consistent with what I've seen before.

Anyway, the funniest moment of the pre-race festivities was when Busch and Earnhardt Jr. were introduced back-to-back (to very different reactions) but were then both driven around the track in the same pickup truck.

One note: Tony Stewart didn't make the top 10 because he was too early in the lineup and the crowd wasn't warmed up yet. Despite telling fans that "I don't plan to be back here for long," his reaction measured just 82.3 decibels.

Here's the top 10 from Bristol:

Kyle Busch Tops New Hampshire Noise Ratings; Tony Stewart Challenges For Top Spot

The reception for Kyle Busch is always loud, but it was particularly noisy at New Hampshire’s pre-race driver introductions on Sunday.

Busch heard an avalanche of boos, which earned him the top spot in this week’s Gluckometer ratings. Of course, the New Hampshire fans had just seen Busch win his 100th NASCAR victory the day prior to the Cup race, which may have contributed to the extra boost of boos.

Tony Stewart was the only driver to challenge Busch for the top spot this week. The fans had plenty of love as the public address announcer introduced an all-Stewart-Haas Racing front row for the first time in history.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was third, followed by Connecticut native Joey Logano.

Tony Stewart Gets Loud, Positive Fan Reaction At Daytona International Speedway

Tony Stewart's anti-blocking actions and comments at Infineon Raceway did nothing to detract from his image with NASCAR fans. In fact, it may have enhanced it.

Stewart received the second-most crowd noise in this week's Gluckometer, the highest rating since he topped the ratings at Texas. The ratings are based on decibel readings from a handheld decibel meter used when drivers are introduced to the crowd before the race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. got the most noise of any driver – it is Daytona, after all – and Kyle Busch dropped to fourth this week. The crowd wasn't as vocal as usual for Busch, likely because his qualifying position was so far back (the fans get louder as drivers closer to the pole position are introduced).

One of the biggest surprises: The fans had a very subdued reaction for five-time champ Jimmie Johnson. We're not sure why that was the case.

Here are the full noise ratings from Daytona International Speedway:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Duels With Coach Lloyd Carr At Michigan International Speedway

University of Michigan fans nearly let their love for former football coach Lloyd Carr beat out their passion for Dale Earnhardt Jr. during Michigan International Speedway's pre-race driver introductions on Sunday.

But Earnhardt Jr. ultimately got enough noise – as measured by our handheld decibel meter – to win by the equivalent of a last-second field goal.

Carr, who was the grand marshal for the Heluva Good! 400, was introduced to the crowd along with the drivers and other dignitaries. While it was no surprise Carr received the most noise of the celebrities, it was a bit surprising to hear Miss Sprint Cup (75.3 dB) get more cheers than NASCAR Hall of Famer and World War II veteran Bud Moore (72.4 dB).

Other surprises included a reception of mostly cheers for the typically-booed Jimmie Johnson and a similar reaction for pole-sitter Kurt Busch (who didn't make the top 10 but got 76.1 dB).

We're not sure why the oft-booed Busch got more cheers than usual, though one theory is he was the flagship driver for Dodge at that company's hometown track.

Here's the complete top 10, with Carr included:

Larry The Cable Guy Cheered Loudly At Coca-Cola 600; Was It Enough To Beat Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

As you know, many of the celebrities who attend NASCAR events aren't actually NASCAR fans. Nor do some of them know a thing about racing.

Accordingly, when those celebs are introduced to the crowd, the fans often don't give much of a reaction.

Larry the Cable Guy, naturally, is different. NASCAR fans see him as one of their own, so when the Cars 2 co-star was introduced as an honorary pace car driver prior to the Coca-Cola 600, he earned a massive cheer.

Was it enough to win this week's Gluckometer ratings? Close, but Larry wasn't quite able to git 'er done.

Kyle Busch, in the aftermath of his speeding ticket, was greeted with a 98.3-decibel roar of negativity from the fans of Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was next at 96.6, followed by Mater himself.

Here are the top 10 drivers in the Gluckometer noise ratings this week:

Kyle Busch Gets Most Noise At Dover, But Kevin Harvick Hears More Cheers

With the way NASCAR fans react to Kyle Busch, this was somewhat predictable.

Busch received the most noise during driver introductions at Dover International Speedway, as measured by our handheld decibel meter – but only boos could be heard. Many fans apparently sided with Kevin Harvick in the drivers' incident at Darlington Raceway, which ended with both on probation.

It seems that when Busch stays out of the spotlight for a few weeks, Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets the most noise when drivers are introduced to the crowd. But if Busch does anything controversial, he riles up the fans like no other driver.

Worth noting: The noise was quieter than other tracks because Dover has the drivers announce themselves to the crowd. This doesn't make for much of a pre-race atmosphere, since many drivers just walk up to the microphone, flatly state their name and move on.

Here are the noise ratings this week, ranked in order of which driver's crowd noise measured the most decibels:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gets Most Noise At Darlington; Will Kyle Busch Claim Dover?

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s recent run atop the Gluckometer may come to an end this weekend at Dover.

With Kyle Busch having stayed out of controversy for most of the season, his noise level hasn't quite been enough to challenge Earnhardt Jr. for the top spot. But after the post-race incident with Kevin Harvick at Darlington, Busch may hear the most noise at Dover.

At Darlington, though, it was all Earnhardt Jr.

Here are the Gluckometer ratings (measured with a handheld decibel meter) from pre-race driver introductions at the track "Too Tough To Tame."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins Richmond Crowd Noise Ranking In Cheesy Fashion

When the number popped up on the screen, I thought, "Oh no!"

As I stared at my handheld decibel meter to get Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s noise level during Richmond International Raceway's pre-race introductions, the sport's most popular driver peaked at – wait for it – exactly 88.0.

It's so cheesy, isn't it? Driver No. 88 gets exactly 88 decibels to win the weekly noise contest. At first, I wasn't even sure anyone would believe me.

Fortunately, Sprint public relations man Chris Madigan was standing with me and watching the noise meter as well. He confirmed that he saw the 88.0 pop up as the peak reading and said I could use him as a witness.

So there you go. Sometimes, the cheesy is reality. And Dale Jr. really won the Richmond noise contest with an 88.

The full rankings for this week:

Who Got More Noise At Talladega: Auburn Coach Gene Chizik Or Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

There's plenty of passion in Alabama for both football and NASCAR – but which was king at Talladega Superspeedway?

The two sports went head-to-head in driver introductions when Auburn head coach Gene Chizik was introduced to the crowd as the grand marshal for the Aaron's 499.

Chizik, whose team won the national championship last season, received a ton of noise – boos from Alabama fans, cheers from Auburn fans. In consulting with a couple of others, we determined it was about a 50-50 mix.

But the passion worked up for Chizik's intro still wasn't anything close to the noise level for the top two NASCAR drivers: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon ruled the day. Considering it was Talladega, that's ultimately no surprise.

Another football-related reaction was for Michael Waltrip. Typically a fan favorite and always cheered, Waltrip actually heard a decent amount of boos. Why? Because he was driving the Auburn car, so Crimson Tide fans didn't feel like showing him any love.

One notable drop on this week's list: Kyle Busch didn't get as much noise as usual. This holds with our theory that when a driver has a poor qualifying effort, the crowd isn't quite prepared or warmed up when he's introduced (it's happened several times with Earnhardt Jr.).

Here are the results for this week (ranked in order of decibels measured by our handheld noise meter):

Does Kyle Busch Really Get All Boos? Not At Texas Motor Speedway

After last week's Gluckometer ratings, which had Kyle Busch ranked No. 1 – with all boos – Busch's lovely bride, Samantha, questioned the Gluckometer's accuracy.

She tweeted:

@samantha_busch: time 4 a hearin check up, there were cheers!

Could it be? Could the Gluckometer have messed up?

Well, sure. It's possible. After all, it's just a combination of my ears and a handheld decibel meter that probably isn't the most scientific tool.

Still, I'm pretty sure the Martinsville fans booed the crap out of Kyle Busch. But Samantha's tweet certainly made me pay more attention to the Texas fans to ensure I was giving an accurate reading.

Sure enough, Busch didn't get all boos at Texas. He just got mostly boos.

So, score one for Sam (who has always been nice to SB Nation) – and also for Tony Stewart, who got the most noise of any driver in the Lone Star State.

Here are the complete rankings for this week:

Kyle Busch Gets Rude Reception At Martinsville

Martinsville fans must not have gotten the message that Kyle Busch is making a conscious effort to be a better sport this year – either that, or they don't care.

Busch, who has increased his likability this season through his poise and maturity, was showered with the most noise at Martinsville – and it sounded like all boos.

Jeff Gordon got the second-most noise, leading the contingent of Hendrick Motorsports drivers in spots 2-5.

Also, Richard Childress Racing's Jeff Burton – a Virginia native – made a rare appearance in the top 10.

Here's who got the most noise in driver introductions at Martinsville, measured with a handheld decibel meter:

Trevor Bayne Showered With Cheers At Bristol; Kyle Busch Extends Olive Branch To Fans

When it comes down to it, we all just want to be entertained.

A few of the drivers who understand the entertainment value of NASCAR were rewarded with cheers from the approximately 80,000 fans at Bristol when putting the microphone in their hand to good use during driver introductions.

As many fans know, drivers select a song to be played at Bristol when they walk out before the race; but they also introduce themselves to the crowd via the public address system – and some of them add a comment.

Our handheld decibel meter recorded higher-than-normal ratings for Brad Keselowski, AJ Allmendinger and Landon Cassill – all of whom made rare appearances in the top 10.

Trevor Bayne – a Tennessee native – got the most noise after he told fans it was "good to be back here in Tennessee!"

But Keselowski, Allmendinger and Cassill were among the few drivers to try and either fire up the Bristol crowd or say something that would draw a reaction (you can see their comments below).

It's somewhat surprising that more drivers don't make some sort of funny comment or remark with the microphone in hand – since that's a chance to speak directly to the fans.

Of course, making a funny comment won't necessarily change any preconceived notions about a driver. Kyle Busch attempted to make peace with the fans – who heartily booed him as he came out – and asked, "Can't we all just be friends?"

The fans booed in response.

Here are the top 10 in noise at Bristol, ranked by decibels:

Kyle Busch Jeered By 'Hometown' Fans In Las Vegas

Kyle Busch may know better than anyone that many Las Vegas Motor Speedway fans aren't locals. If they were, they might cheer for Busch, Las Vegas native, instead of loudly booing.

Instead, Busch received a noisy, negative reception when he was introduced to the crowd by an Elvis impersonator during Las Vegas driver introductions – just one week after Busch heard many cheers from a friendly crowd at Phoenix.

Busch's noise level ranked third on this week's Gluckometer ratings, which are taken at pre-race intros using a handheld decibel meter.

Jeff Gordon got the most noise, riding the momentum of his Phoenix win, and he barely beat out Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was sixth on the list, but don't fret, Junior Nation – it's typical that the crowd takes a bit to get warmed up, and Earnhardt Jr. had a low starting spot.

The crowd gets louder as driver intros go on, which almost always puts the pole-sitter in the top 10 – even if they usually aren't. That was the case for Matt Kenseth this week, who showed up at No. 8 despite usually getting a quiet reaction.

Here is the full list:

Gluckometer: Crowd Noise Rankings During Driver Introductions

Each week, SB Nation brings you the "Gluckometer" rankings: A semi-scientific measurement of NASCAR driver popularity.

Typically, I use a decibel meter (sound-measuring device) to rank the crowd noise during driver introductions. The higher the decibels, the higher the ranking.

At Phoenix, however, the decibel meter couldn't overcome the loud bass music being played as drivers were being introduced. So I had to use the old-fashioned decibel meter: My ears.

Something strange happened, though – for the most part, all I heard was cheers. Jimmie Johnson – who typically gets booed – got mostly cheers. Even Kyle Busch, who is usually the most booed of them all, got a 50/50 mix of cheers and boos.

The explanation for this? All I can say is that everyone in Phoenix was in a great mood.

On a 1-10 scale (10 being the loudest), here's how the top 10 drivers in noise ranked at Phoenix:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gets Most Crowd Noise Before 2011 Daytona 500

New season, same Dale Earnhardt Jr. Prior to the 2011 Daytona 500, the "Gluckometer" (a fan measurement of crowd noise using a decibel meter) recorded the sport's most popular driver getting the most overall cheers today.

Kyle Busch was second – he received all boos, as usual – but there was a huge gap between Busch and third-place Jimmie Johnson (somewhat surprising).

Johnson and the rest of the top 10 drivers were relatively closely bunched together. For some reason, the crowd wasn't quite as loud as we expected.

Maybe they just needed to get warmed up for the start of the season.

Gluckometer, Indianapolis: Interesting receptions for Edwards, Keselowski

Jeff Gordon's late spike on the Gluckometer was enough to top Dale Earnhardt Jr. in this week's ratings.

Gordon's crowd noise was in the low 86 decibel range, but suddenly it spiked to 87.4 dB for a split second. I wasn't sure if I should count it, but after a little research, I decided the reading was legit.

Tony Stewart likely would have passed Earnhardt Jr. too, but he only had a so-so qualifying effort. Crowd noise always builds as the pole-sitter gets closer to being introduced (it's louder in the top 10 than for drivers 20-11, for example).

The most interesting note of the week is that Brad Keselowski got slightly more noise than Carl Edwards. It seems both made the top 10 (keeping drivers like Kasey Kahne and Kevin Harvick out) as a result of their Gateway incident.