Large attendances at motor sport

I'm not a motor sport follower but I must admit that the attendance figures for the Clipsal 500 Touring Car races are most impressive. According to Adelaide Now 276,900 spectators attended over the four days: 42,800 on Thursday, 66,700 on Friday (when the temperature reached almost 40 degrees), 80,800 on Saturday and 86,600 today. This puts even last December's widely acclaimed Adelaide Test Match, where just under 140,000 attended over five days, into perspective as well as reiterating how important spectator sport remains to so many Australians.