In recent blog posts, I have been very outspoken in my criticism of NASCAR's practices of recent years and finally had my fill when NASCAR successfully engineered Jimmie Johnson's fifth consecutive championship.
In addition to NASCAR's blatant favoritism of driver Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief,Chad Knaus,there are other factors that I and many other fans are increasingly disgusted with. The Chase is another factor that has given us the train wreck that is NASCAR. NASCAR CEO Brian France wants to expand the Chase to 15 drivers with some sort of "eliminate as you go" scenario,sort of like the playoffs in stick and ball sports. This is the most absurd idea that Mr.France has come up with and that speaks volumes considering the lunacy of his other ideas,including the Chase itself. Mr.France is expected to unveil his folly next month. Apparently,he does not get the message that fans are fed up with the Chase and want it abolished. Either that or Mr.France is in denial. Under the old points system,the same driver would not have won the Cup championship the past five seasons. Eliminating the so called Car Of Tomorrow,or COT,would be another way of bringing back exciting and more competitive racing.
NASCAR claims to be a fan-driven sport and says they are fan-friendly but if they truly listened to the fans,the sport would not be in serious trouble as it is now with declining attendance at races and falling TV ratings. These factors came into play long before the economy tanked. If NASCAR was actually receptive to the fans,they would not show mockery of and contempt toward the fans and not force things on us that we do not want and are obviously not good for the sport. But NASCAR has been overcome by arrogance and condescension toward the fans,undoubtedly contributing to its eventual demise.
Other things that might win back lost fans include returning the Nationwide series to its original purpose,which is preparing up and coming talent for the Cup series. NASCAR should restrict participation by Cup drivers in the Nationwide series. NASCAR should restrict how many Cup drivers can race in a Nationwide race and how many Nationwide races per season a Cup driver can race in. Cup drivers should not be eligible for driver or championship points,only team owner points.
While women and minorities should obviously be allowed to race in NASCAR, affirmative action programs such as the Drive For Diversity are not the way of doing it. Just like their white male counterparts,female and minority drivers should have to earn their positions in races,not have it given to them. NASCAR is exercising the same sort of reverse discrimination that has discriminated against white males in society for many years. Like the Apostle Peter denying the Lord Jesus Christ, Brian France wants NASCAR denying its Southern roots and betraying the working class Southern fans who made the sport popular. Like Judas Iscariot,Brian France has shown himself as a sellout. Not allowing drivers to speak their minds,after drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin were essentially censored by NASCAR earlier this year after merely stating their opinions,has been to NASCAR's detriment. Drivers are no longer allowed to speak from their hearts by NASCAR. Gone are the fist fights of days gone by,such as the Allison brothers/Yarborough brawl at the 1979 Daytona 500. As is evidenced by the decline in race attendance and plummeting TV ratings,political correctness is killing NASCAR.
This brings us to the question,should fans boycott NASCAR? Well,I would say a boycott would send a message but at this point,NASCAR is destroying itself,as is evidenced by declining race attendance and falling TV ratings. A boycott would certainly add to NASCAR's woes. If millions of fans organized a boycott, NASCAR would probably cave,though not necessarily out of devotion to the fans,but as a means of saving themselves from bankruptcy and obliteration. I support whatever works to get NASCAR back to being the exciting,competitive,and all-American sport it originally was. There is still hope for NASCAR, but unfortunately time is running out.
Showing posts with label Nationwide Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nationwide Series. Show all posts
Friday, December 3, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
An Open Letter To Brian France
Dear Mr.France,
I am disturbed and disheartened by the direction NASCAR has taken in recent years.
To begin with,I have never liked the Chase. I knew it was a stupid idea from the beginning. I am even more convinced of that now than I was in 2004 when you,Mr.France,introduced it. It is not a fair system. In fact,five of its first seven years,the Chase has been won by the same driver and team. The Car of Tomorrow has also reduced competition and fighting for wins in NASCAR races. The COT has taken the excitement out of NASCAR and reinforces the arguments of those who consider watching cars circle a track a waste of time. If the Chase is an attempt to get TV viewers away from the NFL,it has failed in a big way. The NFL maintains its viewership while NASCAR ratings have declined. The idea of a playoff system in racing is ridiculous. No amount of "tweaking" will convince anybody the Chase is a good thing. Neither will it win over NFL fans. The Chase should be scrapped completely.
Also,there are many suspicious "debris cautions" that seem to favor the number 48 team. The crew chief of the number 48 team has repeatedly gotten away with cheating,while teams that have committed lesser infractions have been harshly penalized. NASCAR preaches consistency yet does not really practice it. NASCAR's top priorities nowadays are pleasing sponsors and team owners but not necessarily the fans. This shows in declining race attendance and falling TV ratings that will only fall farther unless NASCAR does something to win back the fans they have lost.
NASCAR today lacks the excitement of days gone by,when drivers could really "have at it",including bare knuckle confrontations on Pit Road (the 1979 Daytona 500 and the Allison brothers/Yarborough fight for example). Drivers said and did things from their hearts. Today,it is mostly scripted,politically correct pretty boys not allowed to speak their minds. Like a dictatorship, NASCAR punishes those who speak out,especially earlier this year when drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin received monetary fines for merely stating their opinions.
Why is the Nationwide series championship repeatedly won by Cup drivers? The purpose of the Nationwide series is developing up and coming talent for the Cup series. While I am not against having some Cup drivers in Nationwide races,it is still not right that nearly half the field in most Nationwide races are Cup drivers. That makes it much more difficult on new talent finding its way into NASCAR. NASCAR should limit how often Cup drivers race in the Nationwide series and how many per Nationwide race. Also, Cup drivers in Nationwide should not receive driver points,only team owner points.
All these factors,Mr.France,have made me essentially give up on NASCAR. NASCAR might have "crossed the rubicon" now and might never again be the great sport it was,the sport your father and grandfather worked so hard building and you are destroying. I will still watch as an outsider looking in and be a more casual observer,much like I was before becoming a die hard fan in 2003. I did not leave NASCAR,it left me.
I hope I am wrong. I hope NASCAR will again be the no holds barred gutsy sport it once was but unfortunately, I am not holding my breath.
Sincerely,
A Disgusted NASCAR Fan
I am disturbed and disheartened by the direction NASCAR has taken in recent years.
To begin with,I have never liked the Chase. I knew it was a stupid idea from the beginning. I am even more convinced of that now than I was in 2004 when you,Mr.France,introduced it. It is not a fair system. In fact,five of its first seven years,the Chase has been won by the same driver and team. The Car of Tomorrow has also reduced competition and fighting for wins in NASCAR races. The COT has taken the excitement out of NASCAR and reinforces the arguments of those who consider watching cars circle a track a waste of time. If the Chase is an attempt to get TV viewers away from the NFL,it has failed in a big way. The NFL maintains its viewership while NASCAR ratings have declined. The idea of a playoff system in racing is ridiculous. No amount of "tweaking" will convince anybody the Chase is a good thing. Neither will it win over NFL fans. The Chase should be scrapped completely.
Also,there are many suspicious "debris cautions" that seem to favor the number 48 team. The crew chief of the number 48 team has repeatedly gotten away with cheating,while teams that have committed lesser infractions have been harshly penalized. NASCAR preaches consistency yet does not really practice it. NASCAR's top priorities nowadays are pleasing sponsors and team owners but not necessarily the fans. This shows in declining race attendance and falling TV ratings that will only fall farther unless NASCAR does something to win back the fans they have lost.
NASCAR today lacks the excitement of days gone by,when drivers could really "have at it",including bare knuckle confrontations on Pit Road (the 1979 Daytona 500 and the Allison brothers/Yarborough fight for example). Drivers said and did things from their hearts. Today,it is mostly scripted,politically correct pretty boys not allowed to speak their minds. Like a dictatorship, NASCAR punishes those who speak out,especially earlier this year when drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin received monetary fines for merely stating their opinions.
Why is the Nationwide series championship repeatedly won by Cup drivers? The purpose of the Nationwide series is developing up and coming talent for the Cup series. While I am not against having some Cup drivers in Nationwide races,it is still not right that nearly half the field in most Nationwide races are Cup drivers. That makes it much more difficult on new talent finding its way into NASCAR. NASCAR should limit how often Cup drivers race in the Nationwide series and how many per Nationwide race. Also, Cup drivers in Nationwide should not receive driver points,only team owner points.
All these factors,Mr.France,have made me essentially give up on NASCAR. NASCAR might have "crossed the rubicon" now and might never again be the great sport it was,the sport your father and grandfather worked so hard building and you are destroying. I will still watch as an outsider looking in and be a more casual observer,much like I was before becoming a die hard fan in 2003. I did not leave NASCAR,it left me.
I hope I am wrong. I hope NASCAR will again be the no holds barred gutsy sport it once was but unfortunately, I am not holding my breath.
Sincerely,
A Disgusted NASCAR Fan
Friday, October 15, 2010
More Reasons To Ditch NASCAR
I am amazed at how at how good NASCAR drivers are at pretending to be ignorant when it comes to NASCAR's declining race attendance and falling TV viewership, along with Jimmie Johnson living in denial as to why his predictable dominance is without a doubt a factor in declining TV ratings and falling race attendance.
NASCAR drivers know just like everybody else exactly why NASCAR's TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined. The races lack excitement anymore. The same driver wins the championship every year. NASCAR plays favorites with the #48 team by throwing alleged "debris" cautions and not penalizing crew chief Chad Knaus for his blatant cheating,as they did with driver Clint Bowyer and his Richard Childress Racing team. It should be noted that earlier this year,drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin were fined for just speaking their minds about NASCAR's questionable practices and blatant favoritism toward the #48 team so it could be the drivers are feigning ignorance to please Brian France,Mike Helton,Ramsey Poston,John Darby,and others. Since the Newman and Hamlin incidents, NASCAR has essentially placed a gag order on their drivers.
Jimmie Johnson's dominance of the NASCAR Cup series since 2006 is one reason,but not the only reason,why fans are losing interest in NASCAR and why TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined. Fans figure why bother spending their hard-earned money when they already know the outcome of the races and the championship? Few races NASCAR runs today even come close to the bumper-to-bumper,side-by-side,fight to the finish races of days gone by. Even tracks that traditionally have had exciting races,such as Bristol,are not as exciting now and do not sell out anymore. The Chase is a big turn-off and should be scrapped. The NFL will always dominate the ratings on Sunday afternoons in the fall and NASCAR cannot and will not change it. The fact that TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined since the inception of the Chase in 2004 should tell NASCAR something but like Jimmie Johnson,NASCAR refuses to look at the facts.
Another factor is NASCAR's refusal to listen the fans. They pretend to listen but they do not listen. If they did listen,the seats at race tracks would not be increasingly empty as they have been in recent years. The races would not be predictable and boring as most of them are now. TV ratings would not be declining every week. The problem is not with the fans. The problem is with NASCAR and those who run it. The excitement has also gone out of the Nationwide series,especially since its domination by Cup drivers.
Abandonment of heritage: It was hard working blue collar Southerners who put NASCAR on the map and spurred its phenomenal rise. Now NASCAR has abandoned and betrayed their Southern following and fans south of the Mason/Dixon line are letting their displeasure be known. The damage was only worsened with the dropping of a race at historic Atlanta Motor Speedway. When Brian France made disparaging remarks about the Confederate flag and started trying to lecture fans about diversity and multiculturalism,it sealed the sport's fate for the worse. Brian's Southern grandfather, William France Sr, was probably expressing outrage from beyond the grave at his grandson's treasonous statements.
In the old days,NASCAR races were often followed by knock down,drag out brawls in the pits. Nowadays,such activity would result in fines and suspensions but back in the day,it was the rule instead of the exception. Earlier this year,NASCAR decided to let drivers police themselves on the track and it has brought back some excitement to NASCAR races but not enough to reverse the decline of recent years.
Unless NASCAR,those who run it,and some of the drivers,get their heads out of the sand and put the emphasis on real racing again,NASCAR's future is no future at all.
NASCAR drivers know just like everybody else exactly why NASCAR's TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined. The races lack excitement anymore. The same driver wins the championship every year. NASCAR plays favorites with the #48 team by throwing alleged "debris" cautions and not penalizing crew chief Chad Knaus for his blatant cheating,as they did with driver Clint Bowyer and his Richard Childress Racing team. It should be noted that earlier this year,drivers Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin were fined for just speaking their minds about NASCAR's questionable practices and blatant favoritism toward the #48 team so it could be the drivers are feigning ignorance to please Brian France,Mike Helton,Ramsey Poston,John Darby,and others. Since the Newman and Hamlin incidents, NASCAR has essentially placed a gag order on their drivers.
Jimmie Johnson's dominance of the NASCAR Cup series since 2006 is one reason,but not the only reason,why fans are losing interest in NASCAR and why TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined. Fans figure why bother spending their hard-earned money when they already know the outcome of the races and the championship? Few races NASCAR runs today even come close to the bumper-to-bumper,side-by-side,fight to the finish races of days gone by. Even tracks that traditionally have had exciting races,such as Bristol,are not as exciting now and do not sell out anymore. The Chase is a big turn-off and should be scrapped. The NFL will always dominate the ratings on Sunday afternoons in the fall and NASCAR cannot and will not change it. The fact that TV ratings have fallen and race attendance has declined since the inception of the Chase in 2004 should tell NASCAR something but like Jimmie Johnson,NASCAR refuses to look at the facts.
Another factor is NASCAR's refusal to listen the fans. They pretend to listen but they do not listen. If they did listen,the seats at race tracks would not be increasingly empty as they have been in recent years. The races would not be predictable and boring as most of them are now. TV ratings would not be declining every week. The problem is not with the fans. The problem is with NASCAR and those who run it. The excitement has also gone out of the Nationwide series,especially since its domination by Cup drivers.
Abandonment of heritage: It was hard working blue collar Southerners who put NASCAR on the map and spurred its phenomenal rise. Now NASCAR has abandoned and betrayed their Southern following and fans south of the Mason/Dixon line are letting their displeasure be known. The damage was only worsened with the dropping of a race at historic Atlanta Motor Speedway. When Brian France made disparaging remarks about the Confederate flag and started trying to lecture fans about diversity and multiculturalism,it sealed the sport's fate for the worse. Brian's Southern grandfather, William France Sr, was probably expressing outrage from beyond the grave at his grandson's treasonous statements.
In the old days,NASCAR races were often followed by knock down,drag out brawls in the pits. Nowadays,such activity would result in fines and suspensions but back in the day,it was the rule instead of the exception. Earlier this year,NASCAR decided to let drivers police themselves on the track and it has brought back some excitement to NASCAR races but not enough to reverse the decline of recent years.
Unless NASCAR,those who run it,and some of the drivers,get their heads out of the sand and put the emphasis on real racing again,NASCAR's future is no future at all.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski
Last Saturday,at Gateway International Raceway,in the closing laps of the NASCAR Nationwide series race, Carl Edwards punted Brad Keselowski off the track for the win. Defenders of the move by Edwards say it was just a racing deal or something Dale Earnhardt Sr might have done.
Edwards admitted wrecking Keselowski for the win. He admitted wrecking Keselowski in the Atlanta Cup race as well. Edwards intended to wreck Keselowski for the win and admitted it. That was just plain dirty driving on Edwards' part. When Dale Sr raced anybody,he would give them a tap just to "rattle their cage" and meant no harm to anybody and if they wrecked,it was purely an accident. It seems Edwards has every intention of wrecking his rivals if they do not let him by. Never mind that the driver in front of him wants to win also and is not obligated to move aside for Carl Edwards or any other racer. Unlike Edwards, Earnhardt Sr earned and deserved the respect of other drivers and millions of fans. Edwards' good-guy,always smiling image is questionable in my opinion. Why he acts like he does on the track sometimes,I have no idea.
The "penalty" dealt by NASCAR is a joke. Edwards was given a 60-point deduction,a $25,000 fine,and placed on probation the rest of the year. Keselowski was also placed on probation the rest of the year. Why should Keselowski be penalized? Keselowski did nothing wrong. Keselowski was the victim. At the very least, Edwards should have been suspended the rest of the season.
Something tragic could happen on the track before NASCAR actually does something about Edwards. I cannot speak for other NASCAR fans,but I would not be surprised if the numbers are growing. I am fed up with NASCAR and their slap on the wrist "penalties" and blatant favoritism. NASCAR has again contributed to its own demise.
Edwards admitted wrecking Keselowski for the win. He admitted wrecking Keselowski in the Atlanta Cup race as well. Edwards intended to wreck Keselowski for the win and admitted it. That was just plain dirty driving on Edwards' part. When Dale Sr raced anybody,he would give them a tap just to "rattle their cage" and meant no harm to anybody and if they wrecked,it was purely an accident. It seems Edwards has every intention of wrecking his rivals if they do not let him by. Never mind that the driver in front of him wants to win also and is not obligated to move aside for Carl Edwards or any other racer. Unlike Edwards, Earnhardt Sr earned and deserved the respect of other drivers and millions of fans. Edwards' good-guy,always smiling image is questionable in my opinion. Why he acts like he does on the track sometimes,I have no idea.
The "penalty" dealt by NASCAR is a joke. Edwards was given a 60-point deduction,a $25,000 fine,and placed on probation the rest of the year. Keselowski was also placed on probation the rest of the year. Why should Keselowski be penalized? Keselowski did nothing wrong. Keselowski was the victim. At the very least, Edwards should have been suspended the rest of the season.
Something tragic could happen on the track before NASCAR actually does something about Edwards. I cannot speak for other NASCAR fans,but I would not be surprised if the numbers are growing. I am fed up with NASCAR and their slap on the wrist "penalties" and blatant favoritism. NASCAR has again contributed to its own demise.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Dispelling The Danica Hype
So the media's new darling,Danica Patrick,races again in the Nationwide series. This was her second Nationwide race,and as in the first,Danica has failed to impress. She finished the New England 200 in 35th position and five laps down. The only IRL win Danica has ever had was a non-points Indy Racing League race in Japan. The closest she has since come to a win was a second place IRL finish at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year. Most of Danica's finishes are mid-pack at best.
So why all the media hype about such a mediocre driver? I think we all know that answer,because Danica is female and racing in the Nationwide series,so this makes her a cash cow for NASCAR. Also,the fact that she drives for Dale Earnhardt Jr,another media favorite,is another reason along with the media fixation on open-wheelers in NASCAR even though the only open-wheelers to truly succeed in NASCAR are Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. It escapes me why some people think Danica is one of the greatest racers of all time when her career statistics do not bear that out. Danica is a token female used by NASCAR to earn their politically correct points.
Somebody says,"Danica causes more ticket sales",proving my point that NASCAR does not care about Danica as a driver,but how much money they can get out of her. Also,if Danica is driving in a race,it might make some people boycott the Nationwide series(along with there being excessively many Cup drivers,but that's another story), NOT because she's a woman but because of her classless,arrogant,prima donna attitude. Danica is notorious for not taking the blame for accidents she clearly causes. She slams her own pit crew and wrongly blames other drivers for her own mistakes by charging into their pit areas and making a jackass of herself. Sorry but until Danica has the guts to take responsibility for her actions,she has not earned my respect.
I have absolutely NOTHING against women or minorities racing in NASCAR but only if they are actually talented and are not being used by NASCAR as promotional gimmicks. There are women racers I admire such as Milka Duno,Sarah Fisher,and Ashley Force Hood. I also admire and respect Janet Guthrie.
If Danica wants to make it in NASCAR and I hope she does,she must make an attitude adjustment.
So why all the media hype about such a mediocre driver? I think we all know that answer,because Danica is female and racing in the Nationwide series,so this makes her a cash cow for NASCAR. Also,the fact that she drives for Dale Earnhardt Jr,another media favorite,is another reason along with the media fixation on open-wheelers in NASCAR even though the only open-wheelers to truly succeed in NASCAR are Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. It escapes me why some people think Danica is one of the greatest racers of all time when her career statistics do not bear that out. Danica is a token female used by NASCAR to earn their politically correct points.
Somebody says,"Danica causes more ticket sales",proving my point that NASCAR does not care about Danica as a driver,but how much money they can get out of her. Also,if Danica is driving in a race,it might make some people boycott the Nationwide series(along with there being excessively many Cup drivers,but that's another story), NOT because she's a woman but because of her classless,arrogant,prima donna attitude. Danica is notorious for not taking the blame for accidents she clearly causes. She slams her own pit crew and wrongly blames other drivers for her own mistakes by charging into their pit areas and making a jackass of herself. Sorry but until Danica has the guts to take responsibility for her actions,she has not earned my respect.
I have absolutely NOTHING against women or minorities racing in NASCAR but only if they are actually talented and are not being used by NASCAR as promotional gimmicks. There are women racers I admire such as Milka Duno,Sarah Fisher,and Ashley Force Hood. I also admire and respect Janet Guthrie.
If Danica wants to make it in NASCAR and I hope she does,she must make an attitude adjustment.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Justin Allgaier-Class Act All The Way
Congratulations to Justin Allgaier,who won Saturday's Nationwide race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Allgaier's win proves that nice guys do finish first.
Aside from the fact that a non-Cup Nationwide regular won the race,it was also refreshing that Allgaier raced clean with his Nationwide teammate Brad Keselowski to an exciting finish. Also,this is Allgaier's first NASCAR win. First wins are always exciting but even more so when it's a driver who's as well-liked as Allgaier.
I believe this is the first of many wins in the Nationwide series for Allgaier. Also,whenever Allgaier moves to the Cup series,he will be a force to be reckoned with there as well. Allgaier has just the right combination of being a determined and fierce racer but he races clean and has rightly earned the admiration and respect of his fellow drivers and many fans. He is a humble and likable person. Allgaier is one of the most fan-friendly drivers.
Enjoy your win,Justin. You deserve it.
Aside from the fact that a non-Cup Nationwide regular won the race,it was also refreshing that Allgaier raced clean with his Nationwide teammate Brad Keselowski to an exciting finish. Also,this is Allgaier's first NASCAR win. First wins are always exciting but even more so when it's a driver who's as well-liked as Allgaier.
I believe this is the first of many wins in the Nationwide series for Allgaier. Also,whenever Allgaier moves to the Cup series,he will be a force to be reckoned with there as well. Allgaier has just the right combination of being a determined and fierce racer but he races clean and has rightly earned the admiration and respect of his fellow drivers and many fans. He is a humble and likable person. Allgaier is one of the most fan-friendly drivers.
Enjoy your win,Justin. You deserve it.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Nationwide Series Being Invaded And What NASCAR Should-And Must-Do
I know this topic has been discussed on NASCAR radio and TV talk shows, Internet message boards,and in NASCAR-related blogs, but I feel it is worthy of being mentioned again.
The stats for the first three races of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide series should be most disturbing. All three Nationwide races run so far this season have been won by Cup series regulars. The last several Nationwide championships have been won by Cup drivers. Almost every Nationwide race is won by a Cup driver. Why should NASCAR fans be bothered by it?
The main purpose of the Nationwide series,since its inception as the Busch series in 1982,has been to nurture up and coming talent and prepare drivers for the Cup series but the privilege of Cup drivers racing in the Nationwide series has been abused in recent years. This keeps out potential talent that will be needed in the Cup series in the future. Some argue that the presence of Cup drivers makes full-time non-Cup Nationwide regulars more competitive. That might be true up to a point but if too many Cup drivers are in the same Nationwide race,it does not make it very competitive for upstart drivers who are supposed to compete against each other for wins and open doors for themselves in the Cup series in the future.
Another argument is that Cup drivers help boost attendance at Nationwide series races. While NASCAR is a business and they obviously want to make as much money as possible,it's still unfair to up and coming drivers who have dreams of being the next Richard Petty,Tony Stewart,or Jeff Gordon. I have no objections to the presence of a few Cup drivers in each Nationwide series race but NASCAR should place restrictions on how many races a season Cup drivers race in the Nationwide series. NASCAR should make it restrictive enough to the point that they do not take too many points or too much money away from the full-time non-Cup Nationwide regulars.
Cup drivers must be reminded that it is the Nationwide series,not a practice session for Cup races. Also,the arrogant,condescending attitudes of some Cup drivers in the Nationwide series is very disturbing. How soon they forget that they were once seeking to fulfill a dream like the Nationwide regulars they belittle. Whether NASCAR is too timid or too greedy to do anything about it is a matter of debate. What's not debatable is that it is a problem and an issue NASCAR must do something about now if the Nationwide series,and perhaps NASCAR itself,is to have a future.
The stats for the first three races of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide series should be most disturbing. All three Nationwide races run so far this season have been won by Cup series regulars. The last several Nationwide championships have been won by Cup drivers. Almost every Nationwide race is won by a Cup driver. Why should NASCAR fans be bothered by it?
The main purpose of the Nationwide series,since its inception as the Busch series in 1982,has been to nurture up and coming talent and prepare drivers for the Cup series but the privilege of Cup drivers racing in the Nationwide series has been abused in recent years. This keeps out potential talent that will be needed in the Cup series in the future. Some argue that the presence of Cup drivers makes full-time non-Cup Nationwide regulars more competitive. That might be true up to a point but if too many Cup drivers are in the same Nationwide race,it does not make it very competitive for upstart drivers who are supposed to compete against each other for wins and open doors for themselves in the Cup series in the future.
Another argument is that Cup drivers help boost attendance at Nationwide series races. While NASCAR is a business and they obviously want to make as much money as possible,it's still unfair to up and coming drivers who have dreams of being the next Richard Petty,Tony Stewart,or Jeff Gordon. I have no objections to the presence of a few Cup drivers in each Nationwide series race but NASCAR should place restrictions on how many races a season Cup drivers race in the Nationwide series. NASCAR should make it restrictive enough to the point that they do not take too many points or too much money away from the full-time non-Cup Nationwide regulars.
Cup drivers must be reminded that it is the Nationwide series,not a practice session for Cup races. Also,the arrogant,condescending attitudes of some Cup drivers in the Nationwide series is very disturbing. How soon they forget that they were once seeking to fulfill a dream like the Nationwide regulars they belittle. Whether NASCAR is too timid or too greedy to do anything about it is a matter of debate. What's not debatable is that it is a problem and an issue NASCAR must do something about now if the Nationwide series,and perhaps NASCAR itself,is to have a future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)