Where Are The Nascar Guys?

[Trailer]

Daytona is fast approaching and I want you Cup guys to chime in. To all the F1, ALMS, and insert your racing series here guys: I know, your cars are fast and nimble. I watch your races too. But nothing gets me pumped up like the start of a new NASCAR season...and then we're all bored when Jimmie Johnson dominates late in the season and takes home yet another title. Not a 48 hater, just pointing it out. But this year we have a new "playoff" system and I'm really excited about the possible outcome at Homestead.

[Sam]

New qualifying procedures and the top contenders racing  for the Chase Championship in a playoff style (like the NCAA basketball tournament) will make NASCAR very interesting this year.

 

One wrong move and you are out of the running or you can take another drive out of the running for the championship.

 

What is interesting is that you can set a new course speed record when qualifying and still not get the pole.

 

Looking forward to watching qualifying and who makes the Chase and how it will work out.

[Trailer]

Absolutely! Think about the Chase format. I know I've seen guys like Marcos Ambrose win at the Glen and David Ragan win at 'Dega. Those guys would at least make it to the first round! And a lot of people will say "that's as far as they will get" but at least there is some excitement and some under-dogs to root for. I don't get excited when guys like Clint Bowyer are finishing 7th or 8th in the points while Jimmie gives everyone an education in consistency.

 

In my book, which is not worth much, this is one of the better moves that Brian France could put his name behind. No guarantees, gotta win. I understand the importance of consistency and leading in points, but everyone is playing by the same rules so there's no complaining at the end of the season. And if you're leading in points more times than not it's because you've at least won a race or two. So it's simple: WIN!

[clayton86]

Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks

I had to lol

[Trailer]

Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks

I had to lol

Hahahaha, wait...Watkins Glen, New York?

[00 mod]

OK, well I come from a racing background.  My handle is one that I created when I was very young on a racing forum that I have had since I was about 8 years old. Well it started as 00 kart before it became 00 mod.  I myself raced for 16 years. I lost most of my interest in NASCAR when Dale passed.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  I was sitting in the floor at my dad's house when I saw the crash.  Knew instantly it was bad.  Told everyone there he was hurt bad, maybe dead and no one believed me.  Started driving my girlfriend at the time home and started getting the phone calls.  I was a huge fan and hardly ever missed a race. I have been to 10 Talladegas.  I even went down to Daytona for the Dale Sr. memorial they had. 

 

That being said, I HATE the way NASCAR is run today.  Think about this.  Until the chase started, a driver could win the first 24 races and DNF the rest and still win the championship.  Why?  Because he/she earned the points to be champ.  Now, you could do the same and not even finish in the top 10.  It takes everything you do the entire year and throws it out the window.  Pretty much now it is a however many races "qualifying" for a 10 race season.  No meaning to consistency anymore.  Heck, race 1 race, win, and then only race the last 10.  Champion that only competed in 31% of the races.  When was the last time you could put forth 31% effort and WIN????

 

Rant over....

 

Jeff

[Brian Needham]

Nascar has fallen prey just like all other sports. and they are all ruined now, nothing is pure.

 

Golf is now a putting contest

College football you have to be in 1 of 3 conferences

College Basketball ESPN must love you

NBA is nothing but the big markets on parade

 

face it ESPN and the media has ruined every sport out there....... it is pump and dump scam.....pump the money in it, make people like it.... then pull out when you made your billion.

they do it with teams, cities, coaches, players, and entire sports.

[Trailer]

OK, well I come from a racing background.  My handle is one that I created when I was very young on a racing forum that I have had since I was about 8 years old. Well it started as 00 kart before it became 00 mod.  I myself raced for 16 years. I lost most of my interest in NASCAR when Dale passed.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  I was sitting in the floor at my dad's house when I saw the crash.  Knew instantly it was bad.  Told everyone there he was hurt bad, maybe dead and no one believed me.  Started driving my girlfriend at the time home and started getting the phone calls.  I was a huge fan and hardly ever missed a race. I have been to 10 Talladegas.  I even went down to Daytona for the Dale Sr. memorial they had. 

 

That being said, I HATE the way NASCAR is run today.  Think about this.  Until the chase started, a driver could win the first 24 races and DNF the rest and still win the championship.  Why?  Because he/she earned the points to be champ.  Now, you could do the same and not even finish in the top 10.  It takes everything you do the entire year and throws it out the window.  Pretty much now it is a however many races "qualifying" for a 10 race season.  No meaning to consistency anymore.  Heck, race 1 race, win, and then only race the last 10.  Champion that only competed in 31% of the races.  When was the last time you could put forth 31% effort and WIN????

 

Rant over....

 

Jeff

Rant or not you're still my favorite Hog fan! WPS!!!  I think NASCAR is taking an NFL approach. You can't choke in the playoffs. Regardless of your regular season record, much like the 24 race DNF driver, the emphasis is performance when the heat is on. I'm not soapboxing for NASCAR. Just glad to see some guys talk racing.

 

I also think many fans turn off the TV when Jimmie is knocking out 6 championships. I believe this is NASCAR's remedy for post season boredom.

[Trailer]

Nascar has fallen prey just like all other sports. and they are all ruined now, nothing is pure.

 

Golf is now a putting contest

College football you have to be in 1 of 3 conferences

College Basketball ESPN must love you

NBA is nothing but the big markets on parade

 

face it ESPN and the media has ruined every sport out there....... it is pump and dump scam.....pump the money in it, make people like it.... then pull out when you made your billion.

they do it with teams, cities, coaches, players, and entire sports.

So what do you think would make NASCAR better?

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Nascar has fallen prey just like all other sports. and they are all ruined now, nothing is pure.

 

Golf is now a putting contest

College football you have to be in 1 of 3 conferences

College Basketball ESPN must love you

NBA is nothing but the big markets on parade

 

face it ESPN and the media has ruined every sport out there....... it is pump and dump scam.....pump the money in it, make people like it.... then pull out when you made your billion.

they do it with teams, cities, coaches, players, and entire sports.

Barclay's Premiere League. ESPN ain't managed to ruin English Football yet.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Also NASCAR can't touch F1. Porsche beats Ford. Ferrari beats Chevy.

[Brian Needham]

I am not a "nascar fan" really but here is what I think.

 

 

1. take them d**n plates off..... let the boys run again

2. make it fan orientated, not sponsor driven....... you really think the average family of 3 or 4 can afford races

3. the best season wins....... win 10,  DNF10 who cares, if that is the best season it wins the cup.

4. go back to your roots............name it WINSTON again, drop the PC crap and have fun again, if your TV contract gets dropped, there are plenty of other networks that want millions of  folks watching on sunday afternoon.

 

you can do lots of things but these are a start, when it becomes more about the money and not the fans that are  spending the money, you got a problem........and Nascar has got some issues,IMO, and have had them for a while.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Let them make a right hand turn every now and then. Would make it more entertaining.

[roadwarrior]

NASCAR defines the phrase, "If you ain't cheatin' you ain't tryin".

The last straw for me was Junior taking out the field on the infield

grass while racing for the Lucky Dog a few years ago.. 17 cars as

I recall and no suspension, fine or any other retribution.  I'm done

with NASCAR.

[Fishing Rhino]

I am not a "nascar fan" really but here is what I think.

 

 

1. take them d**n plates off..... let the boys run again

2. make it fan orientated, not sponsor driven....... you really think the average family of 3 or 4 can afford races

3. the best season wins....... win 10,  DNF10 who cares, if that is the best season it wins the cup.

4. go back to your roots............name it WINSTON again, drop the PC crap and have fun again, if your TV contract gets dropped, there are plenty of other networks that want millions of  folks watching on sunday afternoon.

 

you can do lots of things but these are a start, when it becomes more about the money and not the fans that are  spending the money, you got a problem........and Nascar has got some issues,IMO, and have had them for a while.

 

The "plates" are only run at Daytona and Talladega.  NASCAR will never take the plates off at those tracks.  At the speeds they would run at those tracks cars would end up in the stands.  That happened last year at the Daytona 500.  While the car did not end up in the stands, a wheel assembly, including the spindle and A frames did.  Some pieces of size ended ended up in the Earnhardt tower. 

 

Remove the plates?  Not ever gonna happen unless they slow the cars by some other method.  They were turning laps of 205 this year, during the race.  Without plates, they'd be in the 230s or higher.  NASCAR is a lot of things, not all of them good, but the last thing they want is for fans to be injured or worse.

[Fishing Rhino]

OK, well I come from a racing background.  My handle is one that I created when I was very young on a racing forum that I have had since I was about 8 years old. Well it started as 00 kart before it became 00 mod.  I myself raced for 16 years. I lost most of my interest in NASCAR when Dale passed.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  I was sitting in the floor at my dad's house when I saw the crash.  Knew instantly it was bad.  Told everyone there he was hurt bad, maybe dead and no one believed me.  Started driving my girlfriend at the time home and started getting the phone calls.  I was a huge fan and hardly ever missed a race. I have been to 10 Talladegas.  I even went down to Daytona for the Dale Sr. memorial they had. 

 

That being said, I HATE the way NASCAR is run today.  Think about this.  Until the chase started, a driver could win the first 24 races and DNF the rest and still win the championship.  Why?  Because he/she earned the points to be champ.  Now, you could do the same and not even finish in the top 10.  It takes everything you do the entire year and throws it out the window.  Pretty much now it is a however many races "qualifying" for a 10 race season.  No meaning to consistency anymore.  Heck, race 1 race, win, and then only race the last 10.  Champion that only competed in 31% of the races.  When was the last time you could put forth 31% effort and WIN????

 

Rant over....

 

Jeff

 

I agree, for another reason.  Luck plays a much larger role.  It played a larger role when the chase format was adopted, and it plays an even larger role now.

 

Granted you did not win a championship with some luck along the way.  But you could not win a championship on luck alone.  Now, you can get lucky and win a race without being competitive week in and week out, and you're in the chase.  With a little more luck, you can survive to the final race which determines the champion. 

[BryanBrown]

I've been a huge NASCAR fan since I was about 10yrs old and Dale Earnhardt was my driver. When he died at the Daytona 500 in February 2001 my heart sank. I stayed around watching for several more months then when Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the July Daytona race (2001) the same yr and racetrack that took his father away, I cried like a big ol' baby and from there on out I've been a huge Dale Jr. fan.

[Chris186]

I would like to see a road course in the chase. Get rid of the wreck fest 'Dega and throw in sonoma. Actually maybe they can get rid of Talladega all together, then they would completely take away Danicas chance to win anything.

[Gator Jeaux]

Glad to know I'm not the only diehard NASCAR fan here.

[Catch and Grease]

I love me some NASCAR!

[Gator Jeaux]

I've been a fan since 1998. I've been going to Auto Club Speedway every year since 2002. I've been to about 20 races by now. I've been to so many that I've really lost count. I watch all the races on TV (even if I'm at the race, I'll go home and re-watch the television coverage). Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series, I never miss a race unless I really need to (only race I've missed so far this season was because I attended a wedding). I also follow the K&N Pro Series East and West, Whelen Modified and Southern Modified Tours, and Whelen All-American Series. I visited my NASCAR Home Track, Irwindale Speedway, for the first time last year. My favorite international series is the Canadian Tire Series.

[fishva]

I love NASCAR. My son actually got me into it when he was two, because he wanted to watch the races. I never gave the sport a second thought until then, but as I watched more and more races, I started to pick up lots of the little things that make it interesting. 

 

He's seven now, and we go to every Richmond race (qualifying, practice, Nationwide, and Sprint) twice a year. Can't wait for the race next month. Camping and fishing are my favorite things to do with him, but as far as quality bonding time goes, going to NASCAR races is a close second for us.

[Gator Jeaux]

I love NASCAR. My son actually got me into it when he was two, because he wanted to watch the races. I never gave the sport a second thought until then, but as I watched more and more races, I started to pick up lots of the little things that make it interesting. 

 

He's seven now, and we go to every Richmond race (qualifying, practice, Nationwide, and Sprint) twice a year. Can't wait for the race next month. Camping and fishing are my favorite things to do with him, but as far as quality bonding time goes, going to NASCAR races is a close second for us.

 

I grew up watching NASCAR with my mom. I don't know if she was really a fan before I got into it. First race I saw was on TV in 1998. I was 2 or 3 years old, most likely 3 since I was able to talk. She was watching a race on TV, and I asked her what she was watching. She said it's called NASCAR. So I stayed with her a bit watching the colorful cars go around the track. She asked me if there was a car I liked, and I said I like the one with the rainbow on it. She told me that's Jeff Gordon. And from that moment, I was a NASCAR fan, and Jeff Gordon was my driver. We went to our first race, the 2002 NAPA Auto Parts 500 at California Speedway (now Auto Club Speedway), when I was 6 years old. That was the day I got hooked on racing and became passionate about it. We've been going back to the track every year since then. It's the best way for us to bond aside from fishing. We even started going to the Busch Series (now Nationwide Series) race the Saturday before the NEXTEL Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) race on Sunday. Then we started going to the track on Friday to watch practice and qualifying making it a full race weekend for us. We've been doing that for many years. But last year was the first year we got the full experience. We went out there from that Thursday for the Hauler Parade to Sunday for the Auto Club 400. We also went to our NASCAR Home Track, Irwindale Speedway, for the first time last year. Race Weekend is my favorite weekend of every year. Cherish the time you spend with your son at the track. Trust me, he'll grow up cherishing it and will always be thankful you spent the time with him enjoying such an awesome sport and bonding as family.

[roadwarrior]

Well, the fan base has dropped dramatically over the past several years and I'm

one of those who have left. NASCAR may not have coined the phrase, but they

have certainly embrace it: "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't trying". 

 

The last race I watched was several years ago when Junior was racing for

"Lucky Dog" late in the race. He moved into the infield grass and took out

17 cars as I recall. No fine, no suspension, no nothin' just because he is "Junior".

[Gator Jeaux]

Well, the fan base has dropped dramartically over the past several years and I'm

one of those who have left. NASCAR may not have coined the phrase, but they

have certainly embraced it: "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't trying". 

 

The last race I watched was several years ago when Junior was racing for

"Lucky Dog" late in the race. He moved into the infield grass and took out

17 cars as I recall. No fine, no suspension, no nothin' just because he is "Junior".

 

I think I remember reading that same thing from you on the first page of this thread.