Nascar's demise on the horizon?

[Fat Cat]

It was only a matter of time before the big money started driving the smaller temas out. Nascar racing sure isn't what it used to be. I was watching a race from the late 80's on ESPN Classic a while back and found that I enjoyed the racing more even thought I saw less of it.

Today I read this on Jayski.com

Only 38 Entires for the Rock? After getting only 38 entry forms for next week's race at Rockingham, N.C., NASCAR and speedway officials worked the telephones this week trying to get part-time teams to show up. A lack of sponsorship has reduced the number of full-time teams to 36, meaning a lot of fields in the future might include teams that show up just to collect last-place money.

I remember when there were 70 cars vying for 43 positions at Daytona in February and this year there is only 45. It is just sad in my mind that it has come down to dollars rather than racing.

[btrc]

I read somewhere a comparison between the winning purse for a Busch race and last place money for a cup race at the same venue and it paid more to be last place in the cup race.  I think last year several Busch teams switched over for that reason.  I know even last years there were some races they had to bring in field fillers to.

[BarryM]

Absaloutely, and the bushwhackers are also depressing that series. Stock car racing is going to turn into a rediculous farce as F1 is, owners telling drivers whitch car, whitch red car, will win.
The best time I had was Bush-Arca-Craftsman at Watkins Glenn. Better prices, access, not crowded, fun.  I wouldn't go out there with a free ticket to a nextel race and have the last 2 season's lousy experience to prove it.
I didn't watch the bush at Daytona last year and it turned out as predicted. DEI start, run and finish 123, nothing different to see this year either. The media manipulates it and obviously are selling DEI and #8 especially hard this year, I like Mike but would bet the farm he  has orders to keep #8 in front of him.
Ken Schrader commented during practice how heartbreaking it is to put all the eggs in one basket and fail to qualify agianst the money teams. The subject was quickly changed. I love the trucks and hate to see  combined venue races, Harvick or Stewart  money stomping on the little guy with no sponsor.  There need's to be separation of venues or driver restriction to save these series from also becoming pathetically eletist.
I wonder how many racers have been wiped out during speed weeks because corporations throwing money at Bush or Craftsman just because they can.  My wife's company sponsors #12 and we will attend at least the Michigan race, but I'll watch more Hooters, and other speed channel broadcasts. We also have Lake Erie Speedway and  will attend more of those events this year. Time for me to go back to the roots as a fan. :cry:

[enjenjo]

There was a good article by Brock Yates in Car and Driver that addressed this topic. I think eventually they will both go the way of CART. The more the price goes up, the fewer sponsors can afford it. And with the rules so restrictive there is no innovation. Can you imagine Lotus being able to field a competitive car today?

[Bob Paulin]

There's an old saying amongst us old racers....

"Get out your checkbooks, boys, NASCAR is going to 'save' us some money."

Bob Paulin

[Fift4fe]

At an average of $15,000,000.00 to campaign a competitive race car in the 2004 NEXTEL cup series the "good ole boys" cannot afford it anymore.  Junior Johnson bailed out a few years ago when crew chiefs and crew members started going to the highest bidders (the american way), and you had to kiss sponsors * to keep them.  Although the payouts are higher than ever the costs are running the little guy out of the sport, at least the NEXTEL cup series, the busch series and the truck series.  The restrictor plates are a joke.  If you want to see good racing go out to your local "bull ring" on friday and saturday nights, spend a few bucks, drink a few beers and enjoy.  Its the same thing at a much lower cost, and watch the rabid fans root for their favorites, thats half the show.

The Daytona 500 is Sunday.  What will be the controversy of the race this year?

[nzsimon]

I watched it tonight it almost put me to sleep wide open throttle round in a circle pretty boring really they might as well be RC cars

[jaybee]

I predicted before the economy turned down that it would be hard to get sponsors when that happened.  True enough with some excellent teams still unsponsored.

The new tire/aero package represents at least a step in the right direction with the cars slightly less aero-dependent, but it may be too little too late.

Count me among the HUGE majority of fans to believe the new "playoff" format is a huge mistake.  There are about a hundred things that can go wrong from a fan standpoint, but the thing that will turn it into a disaster will be team sponsorships.  33 teams will get virtually no media attention during the last 1/3 of the season.  That means there's no reason to sponsor them.  If I were a sponsor I'd write my contract in such a way that a big chunk of my money isn't at risk until the "playoff" stretch.  Your car is in the top 10 or I don't write that final check.  Sorry Bud, it's just business.

[slocrow]

And with the rules so restrictive there is no innovation.
Boy is that a mouth full Frank. I went to my first and probably last NASCAR race in Martinsville a couple of years ago. I found it mildly entertaining. What really surprised me, in my opinion, was the root reason for it's popularity; they bring in coolers. Yupper, coolers loaded with suds. I was dumbfounded and of course that explained the later antics in the stands. The individual radios to listen in was a novel idea whether owned or rented. Hey, too each his own.
What really grinds me though is the fiddling around that NASCAR does in the name of safety or parity. Ristristor plates, templates and spoilers all in an effort to get the train going at the same speed.
Yeah I'm ranting but I used to enjoy hearing that some team had gas filler pipes that held an extra 10 gallons of petrol or that the roof was shaved to cut wind resistance. You know, innovation! They should change the S from stock to specialty as that would make more sense. I think they should take actual stock cars and make those low power, front drive, V6 factory cars run against each other and they wouldn't need to worry about 200+ MPH on the back stretch.
Of course I wasn't happy when NHRA left the cubes into weight for separation of classes either. I felt this also favored consistency and reliability too.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not in favor of cheating, just good old American ingenuity.
Remember it's just my feelings and opinion I'm stating and your entitled to yours. If you enjoy NASCAR's striving towards parity then Sunday will be a good one. I'll probably also be watching with a brew, or two.........Frank

[GaryR]

I agree with jaybee about the way the playoff approach will work out.  I think NASCAR's biggest problem, however, is keeping interest up during the off season.  I've come up with a few ideas for off-season TV shows that might help NASCAR solve this problem.

My Big Fat Obnoxious Crew Chief – If the car owner can convince his crew that some SOB that knows nothing about the sport is their new crew chief (maybe he can tell him that he's the sponsor's son-in-law or something), he'll win a season's sponsorship.

Fear Factor: NASCAR Edition – Crews compete against each other to see who can ... well, I think you get the idea.  (Could also have team owners or drivers compete in this to win sponsorships.  Can you picture Jeff Gordon doing some of the things those people do!)

Who Wants to Marry Dale Junior? – 'nuff said.

Any other suggestions?

I don't watch these show's, only seen the commercials - honest!

Gary

[unklian]

NASCAR is becoming a victim of their own success.
Corporate Motorsports is proof that enough money can ruin anything.
The cars all look the same,
the tracks are starting to all look the same,
and the drivers all sound the same.
Why bother ?

If they wanted to put on a show of talent,
the International Race of Champions should
do half their series in Winged Sprint Cars on dirt.