2020 NASCAR Thread

When Kurt Busch went to the Cup series, Jack Roush funded the car out of his own pocket for a couple months before they landed a sponsor. So they had JR’s Garage or whatever it was called on the hood.



I wouldn’t be surprised to see a bunch of (early?) races sponsored by HendrickAuto.com or something like that.

 

Really have been surprised that hasn't been more the rule than the exception. For all the abuse I heap on NASCAR for its terrible mangement and option to choose "entertainment over racing," its handling of the virus has been outstanding.

 

Management has gotten better since somebody left.

 

NASCAR needs to take this opportunity to reset itself to something resembling what the sport was before the big boom. I know as humans we let nostalgia cloud our vision of the past, but I truly believe in my heart NASCAR was far better 25 years ago. I know we aren't going back to Wilkesboro, but at least make the sport about who can build and race the best car on a given Sunday. Today's NASCAR is more about fabricating results than race cars.

 

There's no excuse why NASCAR can't figure out a set of rules based on the existing GT3 category that allows for actual modified street legal chassis and engines, but with spoilers instead of wings. Dodge, Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota all have GT3 approval, and it shouldn't be rocket science to dumb them down enough for close competition without letting costs go crazy.

The days of V8 engines on a 1960 Ford Fairline chassis have been over much longer than NASCAR cares to admit. (Probably well before they tried to fake a four-door Ford Taurus sedan as a race car.)

Who wouldn't want to see actual Viper vs. Mustang vs. Corvette vs. Lexus vs. Camaro vs. Cadillac vehicles going at it at 'Dega or the COTA? Those are cars fans might actually pay to see, instead of 40 rollcages in a box.

 

I would think more fans would buy the diecasts too?

 

That was the whole idea behind being a Mopar fan, or a follower of FoMoCo or GM. You rooted for the guys driving the Chargers with the hemis, or the Ford fastbacks or Pontiac Grands Prix or Chevy Luminas, just as much as Petty, Pearson, Yarborough or Waltrip. And nobody rooted for Waltrip.

 

And here I thought I was a Lone Ranger on this topic ...

Gotta agree with this one. The odd positive has emerged, but no out-of-control outbreaks. For once, responsibility and accountability ...

 

I don't doubt that today's drivers can drive, but I also think the importance of "sponsorfriendliness" has morphed into vanilla personalities - which probably helps because one week they are driving for Cheetos, the next week AC Delco and the week after that UPS since the season-long sponsorship is a rare thing these days.

 

I liked Richard Petty and Bobby Allison because they talked to kids.
I liked Harry Gant because I saw him at local short tracks before he hit it big.
I liked Tim Richmond because he was flashy when that wasn't the norm.
I liked Davey Allison and (begrudgingly) Earnhardt because they liked to do the things away from the track that I did.