If it ain't broke, fix it anyway: NASCAR 2017 Thread

NASCAR could run the same chassis for another 25 years and they'll still get 50,000 a race in Charlotte, Darlington, wherever. That's not the issue. It's the constant messing with the rules, specifically the Chase, and the raping of tracks in the south. Some of that started under Brian's dad, granted.

 

I don't know where various new or old drivers land on the "Junior" scale - but drivers with personalities made NASCAR what it was. The boys from brazil behind the wheel today bring nothing to the table. Being an arrogant punk is NOT a positive thing.

 

Jimmy Johnson is a genuinely interesting guy, but he's so far from the NASCAR stereotype fans just didn't get behind him when he was utterly dominant. That's on the fuckin' fans by the way, not Johnson. The "Jeff Gordon is a fag" segment of the fan base deserves a nice slice of the blame pie for the sport's collapse.

 

Watching the Martinsville race last week, the announcers were trying to pump up Chase Elliott as the next big star when Denny Hamlin punted him near the end. It almost sounded like wrestling announcers trying to talk up a mid-carder to get him over.

 

It really doesn't matter who the top teams put behind the wheel, they immediately become the "next big thing" - they have had success on lower tiers, but the PR people drain all unique-ness out of them. If I were a sponsor of course I wouldn't want my driver to make the brand look bad, but I'd also want the driver to stand out and differentiate himself from the pack. Follow grooming tips from Justin Turner, be a registered Dem, appear in a rap video, be a vegan and support PETA, be a Scientologist or Zen Buddhist, adopt some multi-racial kids, be an opera fan. Seriously, Mick Foley would be a hell of an addition to NASCAR.

 

Mark Martin might as well have been in a rap video.

NASCAR had a colorful personality: Tony Stewart. He decided he was done with the bullshit.

 

If for no other reason than to see him try and wriggle in and out of a race car window every week, I could definitely get on board with NASCAR-driving Mick Foley.
Pit road fights would also be a lot more interesting.

 

Bring in celebrities who want to do something dangerous like Paul Newman.

 

"I'm going to go out there, and I'm going to win the Eat More Chick'N 500. And I'm gonna do it ... RIGHT HERE In Talladega, Alabama! Bang-bang! Have a nice day!"

 

I'm sure this is heresy, but with Truex's success - maybe NASCAR could expand its fan interest if more teams located outside of North Carolina. Penske repping Detroit, Ganassi in Pittsburg, Roush to Boston, Stewart-Haas to Indianapolis, Gibbs to Northern Virginia. One of the things that made NASCAR great was the tribalism generated by the drivers personalities - without the tribalism though - it's a really tough sell. Imagine some guy buying a team repping the LA market, or the Dallas market, Nashville, Atlanta. Soccer teams seem to be able to marry corporate sponsorship with geographic loyalty, no reason NASCAR couldn't do it as well.