My Daddy was a big fan of super hero comic books. When I was a kid, I would get to read all the Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern comics after he finished. I also got to read the Lone Ranger and other comic books dedicated to the wild west. I remember living the adventures of those super heroes right along with them each issue. But, if any of you remember those days, remember the beauty of the plot of those comics? Always good winning over evil.
Then, as I have addressed before, television came along and my super heroes were live action right in my living room. I remember Clayton Moore and Jase Silverheels riding the plains as the masked man and his faithful Indian sidekick. Now, of course, Tonto would be referred to as a “Native American Sidekick”. Remember the buckskins of Tonto? The white hat of The Lone Ranger that never seemed to get dirty? And those silver bullets? Ah those silver bullets. Remember Batman and Robin? Do you know that they have now killed off Robin? That’s right, there is no more Robin, just the caped crusader alone. Guess we now need to refer to him as “The Lone Bat”. Nice memories though even if the Batman television show boarded on ridiculous. “Holy Goodyears, Batman, what does this have to do with racing?”
Well, just as the comic heroes have changed, so has our racing. Oh, I know this is a subject that we have beaten to death, especially me, over the past couple of years, but now that I work on the Racing History Minute for the Forum each day, I am more aware than ever of the downward spiral of the stock car racing world.
I want you all to catch a good look at the new Lone Ranger and Tonto movie coming out, starring Johnny Depp as “that masked man”. Your memories of the good old days of Clayton and Jase will no longer have a place in your life as the new movie characters are a disgrace. How about the Batman movie that premiers to a movie studio full of folks, many gunned down by a madman, that portrays the caped crusader so far from the original character as to defy description? Even the costume is ridiculous. And Superman? Last preview I saw of the latest Superman movie indicates the Man of Steel is now a man of a sculptured suit to give him the “Abs of Steel” and muscles to boot. Aren’t most of our racing stars of today a manufactured icon for marketing purposes? Aren’t the races, even with the new Gen-6 car, which I like by the way, almost predictable, if not as to the outcome, as to the penalties and fines handed out by NASCAR on a weekly basis? I read a comment by A.J. Foyt, remember him, this week in which he said that most of today’s drivers aren’t “fit to carry the helmet bags” of those of the era we here at RacersReunion treasure. As negative as that may sound, it has a lot of foundation in truth. I’ll leave it at that for now.
I read a piece somewhere in the past several weeks in which the writer takes issue with those of us who treasure and value the past as I do, along with many of you. While I acknowledge that we can never return to the past, I do not accept the premise that those days were not as good as we remember them. I have a very vivid memory of those days of the past when we had a sport that was worth the sacrifice to make the races, either as a spectator or a participant. I recall those days of attending all the races all over the Southeast and even driving myself for five years in the late sixties, early seventies. Those days are worth the remembrance and even the worst of those days is worth the remembrance for all of those days made me who and what I am today. And not all of that involves racing, but you get the idea.
My point tonight, if indeed there is one to be put forth, is that the more I watch NASCAR thank “its loyal fans for their continued support”, the less and less of that support I see. As I write this Legendtorial late on a Monday night, I have not yet heard the ratings for the Dover race, but looking at the stands on television, The Monster Mile would do better to rip up all those aluminum seats and sell them for scrap than to continue to maintain a grandstand that size when only a small fraction of that amount is needed. And two races there each year? How asinine is that?
And what about the 600 from Charlotte? Television ratings for that show snagged a 7.4 share of the audience, which I understand, was down drastically from last year’s 600 which also was not a blockbuster. Anyone want to guess how full those stands were? I heard 160,000 folks were there. Frankly, I think that is another attempt by NASCAR to prove what idiots they believe the race fans to be. If there were indeed 160,000 folks in attendance at the 600, I would guess half of those were the military folks honored by the speedway and for that I am grateful. But, even so, we are being asked to “drink the kool aid” as was done for the good Rev. Jones, and believe what we are told by the propaganda machine. Not me. I don’t even like Kool Aid.
How many phantom “debris cautions” were thrown in the 600? Anyone? I wish that each and every time a debris caution is thrown, television would show us the debris. That would stop a lot of the debate or would prove, once and for all what we all suspect and many know; that NASCAR manipulates races with these debris cautions. But I can’t blame all of that on modern day NASCAR. Lord knows that back in the day, a certain driver in a pearl white Ford with blue numbers got those debris cautions almost every time he needed a pit stop.
So, what is your take on the Jimmie Johnson penalty for jumping the start at Dover? Do you have reason to believe it was a NASCAR call to ensure someone other than “Five Time” would win the race? Whether or not he jumped the start, and from all the replays that is questionable in my mind, Juan Montoya didn’t even get up to speed until they were in turn one. Was he setting up Jimmie for the fall? Could be. Whatever the attempt by NASCAR to get Juan Montoya in Victory Lane, Tony Stewart spoiled it.
Now, just a few minutes ago (Monday evening), I read that Brad Keselowski’s car was found to be too low on post race inspection. Roger Penske says it was because a part broke that the car was too low. Any bets on what will happen with crew chief Paul’s probation? Any bets on fines and other penalties which will, of course, be known by the time this Legendtorial is aired, so your bets are covered.
I will not even go into detail on the stellar performance of the Go Daddy Princess at Dover Sunday. I mean a top twenty-five finish after all, even if it was five laps down. I’m sure she is pleased. I did read an article in the Asheville, North Carolina paper where the incident between the princess and her boyfriend in the 600 is referred to as “Stenica-gate”. I got a laugh out of that one.
I suppose it’s time to begin to end this diatribe tonight before I get into more trouble with the “haters monitor”. But my whole point of the piece is to say that my super heroes of comic book days, and my super heroes from the past glory days of stock car racing, can never, in my mind, take a back seat to the contrived absurdity that we are being asked by NASCAR to accept. A quick read of the transcript of Brian France’s recent rambling speech on the state of the sport should let you know quickly that the folks in control of NASCAR only appreciate their “loyal fans” when it comes to those “loyal fans” spending money. It seems many of those “loyal fans” aren’t so loyal anymore.
For those of us who gather here and strive to honor and preserve the historic significance of what the early pioneers of this sport did, we must accept that NASCAR has bid us farewell. NASCAR does not want us back unless they can determine that we do, in fact, have more of that green stuff to put in their coffers. Whether or not we do, I can assure you that what we have in this group gathered here and those likely to read this Legendtorial at a later date, is a loyalty to the true sport that can’t be matched by the “technical age” set. The very demographic that NASCAR seeks to now entrap has not time for such fantasy presented each week. For them, fantasy comes true on video screen with the latest game sure to include violence. Sure, I still watch and probably always will, but NASCAR got their last dollar out of me in 2011 when I took my grandsons to the 600 on free tickets. I parked for free, probably a mile and half from the entrance, but when the grandsons got hungry, I paid the price. Never knew pizza could be so expensive!!!!! And the “Coke 600”? I didn’t know that meant the price of a Coke was $600.00.
One last thought here, personal of course, as is most of what I do. I always enjoy seeing a Toyota headed to the garage. Just something about that thrills me. But I must say that seeing a Toyota blowing smoke out of the tailpipes, ala Kenseth and Truex, just makes my day. That is one beautiful site. Hope to see much more of that as the season progresses. I just love the sight of an exploding Toyota.
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