Running 2023 Motorsports thread

The drivers no longer have personalities.

The sponsors are so busy whoring themselves out, thinking it maximizes their precious return on investment, that drivers are - now more than ever - nothing more than billboards. It's not about driving ability, it's about a new paint scheme (OK, they're vinyl wraps but the larger point stands). The drivers are being led around by the nose by PR teams, many of which are too stupid for words and cannot keep their word (I worked with a guy who needed to talk with a driver at a track, went through all the proper PR channels and got blown off, anyway. One of nicest, most decent people anyone will ever know and it bothered him. As it should).

Tony Stewart might have been the last driver with any semblance of personality. Yes, I know a few media members who didn't like dealing with him a lot of the time - and at least one I know had numerous good reasons - but he could actually ... wait for it ... drive. A stock car. A sprint car. He'd probably find a way to get his Radio Flyer around the track quicker than you.

Now it's the sponsors - because they struggle with finding numerous sponsors to fund their ever-larger and more expensive teams - some sled put together so as not to give one manufacturer any sort of advantage, some stupid gimmick put in by NASCAR because it "will excite fans."

Big Bill France was wrong ... it was always about a race, not a show. Now it's a show more than ever. Is it better?

No.

 

I don’t know a way to stuff this genie back in the bottle, but I think the general decline of car culture and ability for the common man to wrench on his daily driver has left people disconnected from the sport.

 

This is a very important point. Smokey Yunicks aren't walking through that door.

 

What made NASCAR appeal to me was the drivers. Hell, do any have facial hair any more?

 

Who are y'all's favorite NASCAR drivers today, if any? Why them? Who is the most skilled among them?

 

I think there's some good points being made across the board here.

From personal experience, the No. 1 reason I don't watch NASCAR much anymore is because Jeff Gordon retired and no one compelling replaced him. I know William Byron has largely taken over that legacy but I'll be damned if I wish anything positive on anything associated with Liberty University. Dale Jr. retired and I'd argue no one compelling really replaced him either. So I think the "all the drivers are lame now" thing holds some water, and I think NASCAR tacitly acknowledged that with the whole, "Boys, have at it!" farce.

Agree that the COT, from launch to mothballs, was a major net negative but I'm not sure what you do unless you knew ahead of time that the car raced poorly and then put it off until you could fix the aeropush situation.

We haven't really talked about the race lengths all that much. You'd think TV would want a tighter product but I guess they probably want all the ad slots they can get too.

Another contributing factor is probably expense - seems like no one can get a full-season sponsorship and have a consistent looking car, besides the way the cost of being competitive has affected the quality of the field.

 

Kyle Larson can sling it as good as anybody in any era. The rest are relatives of somebody who made a name in the sport or brought a helmetful of cash. And that's not to say Brad Keslowski or Chase Elliott aren't good drivers. They just aren't Petty-Pearson-Earnhardt-Million Dollar Bill-Gordon-Jimmie Johnson-Stewart great. More like the Geoff Bodine-Ricky Rudd-Dale Jarrett decent scale. Even Rowdy never dominated Cup like everybody imagined.

NASCAR was at its best when there were two or more superstars battling every week. Right now, it's poor man's parity because there's no innovation allowed.

The drivers who have more courage than talent is overwhelming right now. Most of these guys would be hospitalized or dead if they were in the sport 50 years ago, the way they drive with the red mist. Daytona and Talladega are amateur hour.

 

That's a playoff beard, though. And the ones with all-the-time facial hair, including Austin Dillon's Hitler-style look, mostly look clownish.

We need some more Dale Earnhardt-like mustaches.

 

My NASCAR fandom died with a helicopter crash in the Talladega infield July 1993. I can't pinpoint when my interest in the sport began to wane, but it's been steady over the last 10-15 years.
No driver can go on forever, and everything changes. I get that. It's just that none of today's competitors can fill the void of the guys I admired on the track and drank beer/fished/grilled burgers with off it.
That's not to say today's drivers aren't talented or are bad people. I don't view it through the eyes of someone getting older and pining for the good old days. I just don't feel that bond to really care if they succeed or not.
With stick and ball sports, let's face it, you cheer for laundry; it doesn't matter who wears it. With motorsports, you're pulling for the guy. There needs to be some kind of connection.

 

Outing alert: I am not Deb Williams, but she illustrates most of my points right here with Geoffrey. And if Deb Williams happens to read SJ, it's a really good take on the issue.

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/nascar/a46187367/geoff-bodine-parity-nascar-ruined-racing/