As Popularity Rises, NASCAR Needs To Be Careful
NASCAR has hit middle age. If sports, like people, can have a mid-life crisis then NASCAR is right in the middle of it. After years of being a grass roots sport, mostly popular in the south, stock car racing blew up in the 90’s becoming the 2nd most popular sport in the country behind the NFL. The death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001 only did more to bolster that popularity, and NASCAR continues to break attendance and viewership records every season.
That doesn’t mean the sports hasn’t gone through it’s share of growing pains, however. Eanrhardt’s pre-mature passing had a dual-edge effect on the sport, drawing popularity while at the same time spiraling NASCAR into a leadership abyss. Earnhardt was a leader on and off the track, and younger drivers respected him enough to follow his word and suggestion. If someone stepped out of line he was there to smack them back into line. He was the protector of the NASCAR “code” and people didn’t dare cross “The Intimidator”. Earnhardt and NASCAR were synonomous with each other.
Since his death, NASCAR has struggled to find a replacement. Drivers have become more and more reckless, with altercations seemingly happening every week. Issues that would have been resolved after a wekk or so have dragged on for months and many NASCAR races have taken a pro-wrestling tone with drivers throwing objects at other drivers and wrecking them on purpose. NASCAR diehards are becoming fed up.
The sport has also suffered a bit from all the popularity. Fans that were fiercely loyal to the sport in it’s infantcy are now becoming disinterested. Many of the old racetracks that were fan-friendly have been squeezed out of the schedule, replaced by mega-tracks with mega sponsers and mega-price tags for tickets. Instead of smaller towns in the south, NASCAR frequents Chicago, LA and Vegas. The fans that were the foundation that built NASCAR have seemingly been left behind, and the experience that was more burning rubber and motor oli has been replaced by pre-race concerts and clebrity appearances.
Major sponsership for it’s series changed from Winston to Nextel, further distancing itself from it ‘good ole boy’ roots. The ‘Chase’ format used to decide it’s champion has been a downer for traditionalists, though it has significantly increased interest in the sport, especially during the final 10 races of the season.
Now, on the cusp if it’s biggest race of the season, NASCAR has decided to drp the hammer on teams trying to gain a competitive advantage. Let’s face it, talk to any NASCAR fan and they’ll say cheating has been part of the the sport forever. Like baseball, an unofficial motto has always been “If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t tryin”. It’s always been a part of the sport that NASCAR publically spoke of removing, but whose actions said otherwise. Until this year.
Cheating has always been a part of NASCAR
Already before the race serveral drivers have been spanked for various rulles violations, including Michael Waltrip, whose three car-team is part of the initial entry for Toyota into the sport. Officials found an illegal substance in the intake manifold and levied the biggest fine ever, $100,000, plus indefinte suspensions of Waltrip’s Crew Chief and Competition Manager. Four other Crew Chiefs from other teams, including Ryan Newman, have also been suspended for various violations. Even Jeff Gordon got busted, for having quarter-panels that were too low after his qualifying race win yesterday, forcing the 4-time winner to start 42nd in the 43 car field.
I am all for enforcing the rules and keeping everyone on a level playing field, but NASCAR needs to be careful that the post-race inspection doesn’t become more of the story than the race itself. Think about it, the Daytona 500 is the Super Bowl of NASCAR, it’s biggest event. What if the NFL started calling holding penalties on every play during the Super Bowl. Or if umpires in baseball started enforcing pine tar rules during the World Series. Sure, they are the rules, but the Super Bowl, or World Series, are not the time to start becoming sticklers about the rules, especially when it has been overlooked for so long. What, you think these guys just started doing some of these things this year?
If NASCAR wants to clean up it’s sport, I am all for it. I have said many times that if NASCAR really wanted to send a message, and stop all the hijinks on and off the track, they would suspend the drivers. TOny Stewart wants to have road rage at 200 miles per hour? Fine, pull Stewart out of the #20 car for a few races and see what the fans, and more importantly Home Depot has to say about that.
NASCAR just needs to be careful. Growth is great, but like anything, too much too fast can make you forget how you got there and who helped ya do it. Let’s hope NASCAR remembers it’s roots, and stops trying to cater to the “next great thing” crowd, becuase when they find that next great thing NASCAR will need the core group they seem to be racing away from.
Technorati Tags: NASCAR, Michael Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Daytona 500
February 16th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
As for the cheating, beginning at Bristol and some other tracks, including Taladaga, the “Car of Tomorrow” will hit the track. The specs do not have the “gray areas” that the cars of today have. Fixed wing instead of the spoilers, front air dams, and rigid specs on the building of the frame, firewall location and many other Gray areas that exist today will not exist. The problem for the fans is that when the cars all become “equal”………we as fans will be watching an “IROC Race”. Racing was much better in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s without restrictor plates and all the regulations they have today. Drivers won races by laps…not 100ths of a second and the fans loved it! Yes the cheating happened….thats engineering!