2020 NASCAR Thread

Daytona a week away.
Saw a clip of "the big one" at the ENASCAR Coke Clash and watched it yesterday. It was from a video game contest.
The sad part? The video game version actually has better sponsorship than the actual Clash which is now sponsored by "BlueGreen Vacations."
Seven drivers racing for three or four spots in the final line-up over the next week.
Don't know if the sport has ever entered a year with more apathy.

 

And just imagine, it's Jimmie Johnson's final season. Wake me up when Kyle Busch wins his 300th NASCAR race. Couple of guys from the RV park are going across the state to Daytona for the Twins. I just don't care that badly to spend money on the Frances.

 

Good for you, maumann. Until they learn to cut prices to something more reasonable - and stop trying to fix racing formats that were never broken - stay away.

As soon as their television deal money runs out, I think that organization is in serious long-term trouble - at least until it learns to align expectations with its reality.

 

ESPN got burned (twice), Turner got burned and now NBC got burned. Whether FOX still considers its deal worthwhile, I don't know. NASCAR's somehow printed money from four lopsided TV deals, but that gravy train may have reached the station.

 

Auto racing as many of us know, love, and have covered may very well be dead.
Brian France has facilitated the death of NASCAR.
NHRA has its season opener this weekend, but Top Fuel might not even have full field.

 

The difference is the NHRA seems to understand where it stands. Drivers and teams are media-friendly, the pits are about as open as realistically possible while maintaining some level of safety according to what is reported and some of the things said - including here on the board - and the sponsors have not dried up.

NASCAR seems to be oblivious. Seems as if they've made no attempt to adjust ticket prices to dwindling interest. Wiping out backstretch seating sections at Daytona and Concord (er, Charlotte) in an attempt to create a scarcity has backfired. But, by all means, continue to tinker with race formats ... last I checked, it's still about who crosses the start-finish line at the end of the race, no matter what the France family tries in a piss-poor attempt at manipulation.

Motorsports is fine and dandy. Look at Formula 1. It's not the media's fault that this corner of the world thinks that motorsports is nothing but NASCAR.

 

Some of my greatest childhood memories are spilling into the infield at Bristol, Wilkesboro, Rockingham, Darlington, Charlotte, and Atlanta after a race where drivers interacted with the facs. That's a thing of the past. NHRA does the best at that.

Instead of crossing the start/finish line first, NASCAR races have become NBA games. The first 490 laps/miles don't matter. They will throw a caution and make it a 10-lap or 3-2-1 lap finish at every race.

Formula 1 isn't racing anymore. It's about qualifying and a sprint to turn 1.
One of my favorite things is watching Youtube videos F1 races from 88-94. That was racing.

 

Agreed with much of that, Driftwood. Thing is, at least F1 races actually mean more from start to finish than NASCAR ... for precisely the reason you listed. I've said something about that not too long ago.

Two of my best memories with my stepfather involved going to NASCAR races. Went to Rockingham once when it was the race after the Daytona 500. He was hot-natured ... and it was still so chilly that he bought a Bill Elliott sweatshirt to put under his coat because he was freezing (since my thermostat probably started broken and got worse in a hurry, I was fine). Went to the Southern 500 ... won tickets from a Pepsi promotional and it happened to be my 16th birthday. He made me drive to and from Darlington - save the last handful of miles near the track because of heavy traffic - to make sure I was ready to acquire a driver's license.

A different man ... not too many cross-sections of people who love tractor pulls, NASCAR ... and classical music.

 

I'm posting this here because it's somewhat NASCAR related, and I figured it would make everyone think.

When I was a kid, there was a group of four dads and four sons who went to races. We'd load up in a typical 70s van and go to Bristol, Wilkesboro, or various Saturday night tracks. I remember once after a race at Kingsport, Brad Teague loading all us kids inside the race car and taking us a few laps around the track.

I was third in line in terms of age. The youngest of us was killed in a car wreck many years ago. The oldest got sick and died about six years back; I was a pallbearer in his funeral. I got a call this evening that the other guy left from the group hanged himself today. We weren't close, and I hadn't spoken to him in years, so it's not like I'm grieving a major loss. I hate it for his mom as much as anything.

I do have vivid memories of all three dudes attending races together. To be the last of group of guys you were boys with is messed up.

 

I hear your story, Driftwood, and can only hope a bunch of us are thanking you for sharing.

But your story also made me think. Can you imagine either Kurt or Kyle Busch taking a group of kids on a few laps around the track ... or anyone else now, especially that someone like Tony Stewart has hung up his helmet and Nomex? Can you picture too many of today's drivers showing kids and fans around their shop the way Richard Petty took literally anyone who showed up around their shop in Level Cross?

Some will say times have changed, and that's true. Some will say the sport got bigger and change was inevitable. But a part of me believes that NASCAR has forgotten about what Brad Teague did for Driftwood and his friends, and that too few - if anyone - associated with today's teams has heard or experienced something like what kids/fans did with Petty Enterprises. Yes, I know the teams will offer fans some semblance of a tour, but do you remember the tour guide? Bet those fans back in the day remember Petty's personal touch.

IMO, that's a big problem that NASCAR has refused to address.

 

Somewhere at my folks' house is a picture of Richard Petty holding me in his arms in the infield at Darlington in 77 or 78. My mom had made me my own replica driver's suit to wear to the race.
I also remember visiting the Petty race shop, but for some reason, my biggest recollection is Lee hitting golf balls out in the yard and stopping to talk to him.
I also have a memory of being in Bobby Allison's pit after a race at Wilkesboro in probably 80 or 81. I was a Waltrip fan at the time. Bobby had turned him during the race. I was a kid chewing him out and shaking my finger at him. Everyone had a big laugh about that ... everyone except my mom.