Anybody still watch NASCAR?

[sygazelle]

I used to be a big fan. Not so much the last few years. There is still something special about going to a race over watching on TV. I suppose that's true of all sporting events.

Today I decided to watch the Sprint Cup race at Indy. Kyle Busch won it easily. He also won the xfinity race yesterday, sweeping the weekend. Turns out he swept the weekend at Indy last year too. I know he is not a very popular driver, but this guy knows how to win.

Fire away

[08njSTEP]

I was a die hard fan......the Dale died and it wasn't the same. Then it became a soap opera(WWE style) and lost more interest. Then all the cars were exactly the same just different sticker packages and everything that was exciting was gone. Haven't watched a race in maybe 8 years.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by 08njSTEP

I was a die hard fan......the Dale died and it wasn't the same. Then it became a soap opera(WWE style) and lost more interest. Then all the cars were exactly the same just different sticker packages and everything that was exciting was gone. Haven't watched a race in maybe 8 years.

The death of Earnhardt did change things. He had a huge following. I was a Gordon fan but I had a lot of respect for Earnhardt winning record. I just watched the video of the crash again and it sure looks to me like Sterling Martin got a bad rap on that one. Nevertheless, a legend is gone.

Getting back to today. While the sport has changed and Brian France and company have fukked up NASCAR as much as they can, there are still some great drivers out there. Kyle Busch is one of them. He races to win in trucks, xfinity, and sprint. He has 37 Sprint victories and has been in the Top 10 in over 50% of the races. He's only 31. After watching him dominate today I'll give NASCAR another look. DVR makes it easier. Fast forward and look for the smoke!

[08njSTEP]

The other thing that turned me away from watching was the incredible amount of time in commercials. I listen to the races occasionally on radio. Another fail was that Roush reality show. They really showed how driving ability is not as important as being a spokesperson for the sponsors.

There are some good drivers today but they're racing against cover models and that makes it easier to stack wins. And if you aren't with a big team you have WAY less chance. Back in the day Alan Kulwicky(sp) won races driving for himself.

[08njSTEP]

If Sr., swervin Irvin, Bobby Alison, Kulwicky, Rusty Wallace, and young Gordon were around Jimmy Johnson wouldn't have won 5 consecutive championships. Granted it was a different game, but those fields were full of talented drivers, and loose regulations.

[RABAUKE]

....turn left!

[Fundguy1]

No more Gordon. Next.

[Haywood]

If they made every race like 40 or 50 laps, I'd probably watch. But, 250+? Zzzzzzzzz. It only gets exciting at the end when they all take risks.

[wdb]

NASCAR. Spec racing with heavy WWF marketing veneer. I was a fan, once. But that was a long long time ago. I ended up seeing a few minutes of the race today after the TdF ended. The stands were abandoned. I can't say why because I haven't paid attention in a long time, but I don't see the money hanging around all that much longer based on what I saw today.

[cmyx6go]

Just stumbled upon this thread while looking for something else. So yes, I know it's a few years old. I was a mad NASCAR fan, and Earnhardt was my guy. Not the same since he died. I tried watching a few races after his death but it wasn't the same, it was like switching teams. I just couldn't. I was supposed to be at Daytona the day Dale died, but at the last minute I couldn't make it. I'm glad.

That was also the first year the race went from TNN to network TV. It just wasn't the same with the network guys broadcasting the race. They didn't get the nuances. They weren't excited, they weren't NASCAR fans.

I've been to Daytona a handful of times, Dover and Talladega. It was a great spectator sport. As far as go fast turn left, I used to say the same thing. Then one Sunday I was flipping through the TV stations and happened upon that moment. The race was at one of the super speedways, and the cars were 4 wide on the straightaway doing 200 mph. I was hooked.

[UncleWede]

The hum of the engines constantly whining around the speedway, no better way to get a nap on Sunday. Then you wake up for the replay of the crash!!

Heck, I was even watching trucks racing waiting for my wife to get ready for breakfast yesterday. When I got to her sister's house, her husband had been watching that same truck just sorta float out of the pack and into the wall.

[rb10475]

Used to be a huge fan a couple years ago. But became disinterested when NASCAR neutered the race with all their regulations. Sadly, NFL went down same road and I find myself not watching it that much either. Thankful I still have college football.

[King Rudi]

We used to get in the private suites with the corporate guys when I worked for Heilig-Meyers. I was never really a big NASCAR fan but it was always enjoyable to get to watch the races in the boxes. A/C, snacks and free drinks, while waiting on Dick Trickle to wreck himself or anyone else in proximity to him was always a good time.

[Poiseuille]

"Blessed are they who race in circles, for they shall be known as Big Wheels."
Old F1 Proverb.

[Conissah]

The Roval is an incredibly interesting race to watch. The speedways, not so much.

[jimbobiggens]

My dad worked for Bud Moore when I was a kid. '65, '66. I remember the roar of those big blocks, the smell of the racing fuel and the muddy grounds. Oh, yeah, and the fights, all the time, Lord have mercy, them boys would throw down over anything. This was waaay before TV got interested. No drivers arriving in helicopters, no extravagant semi trailers loaded with anything and everything. We would drive to the races in our own cars, sleep in the cars, bring everything we needed (food, water, etc.) with us. The tracks were barely paved and winning meant you got a trophy and maybe a paycheck if you were lucky. One step above your local dirt track today. The rules were simple. It had to have the same type of engine that came in that car from the factory, and not much more than that.

The cars were real production cars, heavily modified for racing. Part of daddy's job was to turn the cars Ford would send to Bud Moore into race cars. Sometimes he would sneak one out of the shop and take us boys for a ride. They were 2 door, bench seat, 4 speed, no carpet, no heater, no radio, 2-4v 427 Galaxies. One of my favorite memories is the roar of open headers at full throttle in a stripped down big 'ol car. And the torque! My little six year old arms would be stretched out, pinned to the back of the seat, I couldn't move, when daddy let out the clutch.

TV totally transformed Nascar. Some of the changes TV brought were not all bad. Watching Ned Jarrett announcing his son just won the Daytona 500 was epic. So was watching Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt duke it out during the early 90's. By the 90's the cars were getting sanitized and scrutinized. The death of the Intimidator was, in my opinion, the end of Nascar and the arrival of Toyota was just confirmation of a transformation into another series. They ought to rename it. International made-to-the-same-template-so-we-all-look-alike racing. Something like that.

[ny325]

No.

[Conissah]

I think this would make things WAY more interesting, do what Formula D does in terms of chassis modifications.

Car has to be factory stock between the front strut towers and the rear struts. Obviously a cage can be added, but the cars can't be full custom chassis cars. Then add a target weight that all cars have to hit, and a HP target, and be done. Imagine how cool it would be to see an ACTUAL Camaro, an ACTUAL Challenger, an ACTUAL Supra, and an ACTUAL Mustang out there battling it out. The only real advantage would be aero, but it would be very interesting IMO. "Win on Sunday, buy on Monday" doesn't really apply any more, because the custom chassis and bodywork look nothing like the actual cars.

There's no need for the cars to go 200+ mph, which why I feel they are so regulated, for safety. This might be why the new stock cars are all going to have to same chassis and same body panels, to try and keep the advantages to a minimum. I'm unsure if this will help the sport or hurt it, but there is way too much regulation nowadays.

[MADBMWX5MC]

What's that?

[kamaaina1]

Use to be religious. Big party at the house, but now, not so much. Enthusiasm seems to be fading. The new race format seems to help diminish the excitement. A buddy and I did go to Texas Motor Speedway several years ago. Now, that's an experience. Hard to beat live racing...

[hubbahubba]

NA-NA-NA-NA-NASCAR!!!! Daytona baby!

Will watch the start, get in about an hour nap, then watch the finish. Awesome Sunday!

[vreihen16]

Hit the snooze button for an extra hour. They red-flagged for a few rain sprinkles right after Trump's parade laps in front of the pace car.....