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Nascar Article

Discussion in 'Sports Forum' started by ccrobinson, Aug 10, 2008.

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  1. ccrobinson

    ccrobinson Active Member

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    This article was linked to in another thread, and I think it's good enough to deserve it's own thread. I'm going to write out some of what I think about the ideas in the article and we can discuss why I'm wrong. ;)

    1. Brand Recognition

    Nascar responded by saying that the Nationwide series would be the best option, but I don't think these factions want any part of that. The Nationwide series doesn't get near the ratings that the Cup series does, so Detroit's certainly not putting them there. I also think there's a better chance of Brad Daugherty becoming a racing expert than there is of Nascar doing anything about this until such time as a manufacturer threatens to pull out and then leave the series. BTW, if any manufacturer does this, my money's on Chevrolet being the one. They're already cutting back on their commitment to Nascar.

    I know at least one lurker (you know who you are :) ) doesn't get the manufacturer vs. manufacturer battles, but that was one of the reasons cited for Nascar's popularity is that they were racing cars you could drive on the street. It's been about 10 years or so since that was true. The Ford v. Chevy battle has been irrelevant for years and Nascar is poorer for it.

    2. Elevate the technology.

    I'm still surprised that Toyota's in Nascar considering the 60s technology still in place. Engine technology is one of the places where Nascar is reactive and not proactive.

    Right. Because the COT was so cheap for the teams to implement. I don't quite understand the "save teams money" argument. Ever since I joined the workforce in 1992, I have yet to see one single business cut its budget from one year to the next. It's Business 101, isn't it, that if you're not growing, you're dying? I don't get why Nascar thinks the "saving teams money" argument is fooling anybody.

    As a fan, I don't think it matters to me whether the engines use pushrods and carburetors or fuel-injection (and I'm showing my ignorance because I don't know if fuel-injection uses a carb or not), but it does make sense that Nascar gets out of the 60s and into at least the 80s or 90s with engine technology.

    3. A total reevaluation of the road racing program.

    #1, this will never happen. #2, I don't think I want to see it happen. I think tracks like Road Atlanta, or Lime Rock, or Elkhart Lake, are fine tracks, but I'd be shocked if more road courses are added to the schedule. I don't think the racing is really very good at road courses, because they tend to become strategic, fuel-mileage races, which I suppose can be interesting, but it's not exactly compelling racing.

    4. Cut the schedule.

    This, of course, is why the "saving teams money" argument is complete nonsense. Also, cutting the schedule isn't likely to happen. The only way the schedule is getting cut is if a race date doesn't make money anymore. Nascar isn't about to give up a revenue stream.

    I'm onboard with the removal of double visits to certain tracks. I think the following things should happen.

    Not only eliminate 1 race at Dover, but eliminate both of them.
    2 races at Loudon are 2 too many. Get rid of both of them.
    Eliminate one race at Pocono and make it 400 miles, not 500.
    Eliminate one race at Phoenix.
    Eliminate one race at Atlanta.
    Eliminate both races at California.
    Bring back the Southern 500. If they want to have just one date at Darlington, I don't have a big problem with that as long as it's on Labor Day weekend.
    I'd be in favor of eliminating Indy as well. The race is usually bad and the hype surrounding it is annoying. In case you wondered, yes, it's all about me. ;)

    5. Eliminate the truck series.

    You'll get no argument from me on this one. I've tried to watch the truck series and get interested in it, but I can't. I keep saying this phrase when I hear about the trucks: "They're racing trucks." Is there anything less suited to racing than racing a truck? Racing a truck is like racing a school bus.

    Anyway, if no title sponsor is found, this one seems likely to happen, which is just fine with me.

    6. Make the Nationwide Series a true driver development series.

    The only way this happens is if the Cup drivers can't make money racing a Nationwide car. I talked about this in one of my race reviews recently, but we're starting to get past the charade that the Cup drivers are racing in the Nationwide series so they can "learn more for Sunday." That's never been the reason that Cup drivers are in Nationwide cars. They're in Nationwide cars primarily for the paycheck.

    Regardless, I don't watch the Nationwide series as it is, so if this happens, it's not like I'm going to watch it less than I already do.

    What do you think about these ideas?
     
    #1 ccrobinson, Aug 10, 2008
  2. swaimj

    swaimj <img src=/swaimj.gif>

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    Brand Recognition
    I think going to the pony cars would be great, but I can understand that NASCAR cannot police the series with the technology available today with fewer restrictions on the car. This would raise the cost of the sport at a time when the manufacturers want to cut their expenses.

    Elevate Technology
    Again, how can you say "cut expenses" because we (the Detroit manufacturers) cannot afford, but unlease expensive technology. Makes no sense

    Re-evaluate Road Racing
    NASCAR is oval racing. Always has been. Always will be. Spectators cannot see around a road course and it has less appeal.

    Cut the Schedule
    Attendance is down because of the economy, but with gas dropping in price, attendance may start climbing. If NASCAR can fill the stands at the races, why lose the money they are making?

    Eliminate the Truck Series
    With gas prices where they are, trucks are no longer liesure vehicles like they have been, so I can see where this series might end. It's a shame. This series provides some great comptetition and THE BEST racing on restrictor plate tracks. In fact, the trucks are the template for how NASCAR wants the COT to perform on restrictor plate tracks.

    Nationwide Development Series
    Oh good grief! People were complaining about this 33 years ago when I first started watching, er, uh, listening to NASCAR races. Sprint Cup drivers put fannies in the stands on Saturday so that the series can afford to exist. In return, some of these stars operate NW teams to do what? Develop future drivers and give them experience in the cars on the tracks. This series is ALREADY developing drivers! These new drivers don't win every week, but they are still getting the opportunity to gain experience so that they can move up.

    Other Thoughts
    Detroit is not in the position to dictate to NASCAR how to run NASCAR. All three companies COULD, under certain scenarios, be out of business or taken over by foreign companies IN THE NEXT 24 MONTHS! Detroit is telling someone else how to run a business and succeed? There is irony!

    NASCAR, long, long ago in the 1960s saw that allowing Detroit to dictate the cars in NASCAR was detrimental to NASCAR. NASCAR has developed the COT which is not a product of Detroit and I think NASCAR, while they like the money Detroit brings, has a plan to survive successfully without them.

    Racing is one of two things: It can be a sport with tight rules and limited technology where competition is equal and the attraction of the sport is the close competition. Or, it can be a manufacturer driven sport where technological development is king. However, this model often creates dominant cars that are technical marvels, but put on lousy shows. Think F-1. NASCAR is definitely the former. Think if NASCAR had allowed themselves to be a test-bed for Detroit in the 1960s. Think of the years from,say, 1963 to 1969 in NASCAR. Think how the power of the engines increased. Think how the aerodynamics changed on the cars during those years. If Detroit had been allowed to advance their technology over the years in NASCAR, they might not have the engineering deficiency to foreign makes that they have today! But, that is not what NASCAR wanted to be then or now.
     
    #2 swaimj, Aug 11, 2008
  3. ccrobinson

    ccrobinson Active Member

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    I think all of us Nascar fans should just stop listening everytime somebody, whether it be Nascar or Detroit, says they're looking to "cut costs". I'm not privy to the budgets that the teams have, but I don't believe for a second that they ever really cut costs.

    Excellent point.
     
    #3 ccrobinson, Aug 14, 2008
  4. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

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    Well said.

    I'd love to comment on this....someday I'll get time. But you've stolen one clap of my thunder already :)
     
    #4 TomVols, Aug 14, 2008
  5. Bob Alkire

    Bob Alkire New Member

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    I have to agree with you. Keep in mind the fan base is always changing. When I started as a child, NASCAR was like week end racing at most small tracks across this country, filled with mostly race fans. Then in the 90's it became the big in thing to do and many corporations were sending their workers to the races. The last few Daytona 500's and 400's I went to there wasn't a person around me who had ever been to a race, they got in due to who they worked for. They have built tracks to meed the need of these folks and some have worked out better than others. Look at the Ca. track, they can't fill it.

    NASCAR has changed to bring in new fan and Madison Ave., it isn't the same as I grew up with and come to think of it, I not either. I gave up my Daytona tickets a few years ago, which I had for about 30 years, I stopped going to Darlington about 5 years ago and Atlanta about 10 years ago. I still enjoy reading about it and while driving I'll have it on the radio but at home I don't watch it on TV. I guess it has passed me by, but I still enjoy it but for short amount or time, like pro football, I don't watch it anymore but do watch the Sports center highlights.

    I think NASCAR is going through a turn over in its fan base, fans always turn over in all sports but the base stays, well their base is gone or changing.
     
    #5 Bob Alkire, Aug 16, 2008
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