What is Wrong With NASCAR From the Eyes of an Old Fart/Fan

 Part Two:

Thanks to my friend, Tim Leeming, for prodding me to continue my rant.  There is just so much going on in the world of NASCAR that I couldn't digest everything and put it in words.  But I will continue to try!

Maybe I was being simplistic when I said "Fix the product" in my first attempt to define what is wrong with NASCAR.  I know I tried to not lay all the blame at the feet of Brian France and his "team".  Maybe I should have placed more of the burden there. In a business that has grown as big as NASCAR there are so many things that factor into the equation that when searching for the problems that need to be addressed, one hardly knows where to start.

With that said, we are facing tough time in all sports.  The NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and Golf have all experienced a downturn in their ratings.  Their "n-stadium" attendance is down as well.  In a few days we can witness the empty seats when football returns.  Except for major rivalries there are often many empty seats.  The same goes for the other "professional" sports.  I don't say this to make excuses for the decline of NASCAR's ratings or attendance.  Just stating a fact.  The PGA just announced this week, changes to some of their major tournament schedules to ease the conflict with the NFL season.  May be its time for NASCAR to shake up their schedule.  The "chase" was created to help NASCAR compete with the NFL schedule.  Hey Brian, how is that working out?  What would be so wrong with ending the season at our biggest event?   

Here is where the problem starts.  Listen to the opening music for Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" show.  "Money, Money, Money, Money, Mo-ney", and you have the real root of the problem.  Maybe when "Big Bill" France started NASCAR the goal was to create a level playing field for the drivers of the era.  Not long after that, the focus became making money.  Then more money. Then more money and that is still the goal for NASCAR today and they have done a damn fine job of doing that.  We have billionaires at the head of a sport delegating the day-to-day operation to a group who wouldn't know racing from a dump truck. 

Let's take the old saying that "money is the root of all evil" and put it in the equation.

I remember a sign in Banjo Matthew's old shop that read "Money Buys Speed, How Fast Do You Want to Go"?  That has been at issue since the beginning of racing.  No matter where you race, the better funded teams are almost always on top of the heap.  In NASCAR it goes all the way to Mr. Raymond Parks and his racing teams.  Roy Hall, Bob & Fonty Flock, Curtis Turner and NASCAR's first Champion, Red Byron, are just a few of the drivers who benefitted from Mr. Parks money and from then till today, money is still what it takes to get to the top.  Don't get me wrong.  A lot of blood, sweat and tears help, but the money makes it all possible.  Mr. Parks and a few others just paved the way for others right on up to today's "mega team" owners.

I am afraid the horse is too far out of the barn to cut spending to the point it would actually have some effect on the competition.  But I am not afraid to say that there things NASCAR can do to help.  There needs to be a willingness on the part of the sanctioning body to really listen to us "old fans".  We got them here and we can certainly help them on the road to recovery.

Part Three is coming and I promise I won't take so long

I don't have time at the moment to provide a comprehensive comment on Part Two but, as always Randy, you are a fine representative of the sport and your comments are right on point.  Just this morning George Diaz, who covers motorsports for the Orlando Sentinel laid out the reasons NASCAR had better prepay the funeral expenses.  I hope, through your efforts and others of us who care, that things can change.  I'm looking forward to part three. 

To Randy and all others who read this.  First up, Randy, you have taught me a ton.  Were it not for you I would never have visited the NASCAR HOF and now I've been there, I believe, 10 times.  While I don't agree with everyone chosen to be included, I realize money and politics had an awful lot to play in selection of some of those.  Having said that, it is important to note that all those so far inducted ARE HOF worthy, but some have been included far too early while overlooking the pioneers and legends that laid the foundation and build on it.  But, alas, you commentary is not about the HOF but I just want you to know how much I appreciate losing my bet to you. 

As for what is wrong with NASCAR, in the eyes of NASCAR, nothing.  In the eyes of the younger fans, nothing. In the eyes of we old "farts" to which you refer, it is not so much, at least not in my case, that we expect to go back to those golden days of the 50s, 60s and 70s.  I totally agree that we have a huge issue with the "cars" they race these days.  They are all alike except for the decals used for headlights, taillights, etc.  Gone are the days when the Plymouth raced a Pontiac and Mercury.  Heck, NONE of those three makes exist anymore.  The issue of "aero push" and "down force" seem to be the problem child.  We all see that the lead car has the aero advantage and a pass for the lead under green is a dying thing.  Why can't they raise the cars off the ground, junk that splitter and have the driving in the hands of the driver?  Is that too unreasonable to expect?

As for laying ALL the blame at the feet of Brian Z. France, you may be onto something there.  It is my understanding that he owns only 9% of NASCAR having divested himself of most of it because, I understand, his divorce got very messy and he didn't need a vindictive x-wife taking NASCAR away from the France family.  How much of that is true, I don't know, but those are the stories making the rounds.  If I'm spreading "fake news" I apologize for that is not my intention. 

George Diaz, motorsports writer for The Orlando Sentinel, wrote an article appearing in my Sunday paper in which he is making the  program for the funeral of NASCAR.  He is convinced it's done and he offers several reasons for that supposition.  His main issues seem to be the departure of sponsor after sponsor from the sport.  He also quotes Dale, Jr. who says that teams are dumping the veteran drivers (Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne and others) because they can get the new drivers (William Byron, Chase Elliott, etc.) for 1/10th the salary (Junior's words).  Another sports site indicates teams have laid off many members. Heck, leave it to Joe Gibbs and the entire pit crew of the 78 and 77 may be out of jobs.   Jobs are getting harder and harder to find in the sport. 

The problem with NASCAR and the NFL, at least part of it, was NASCAR acquiescence to football.  When the NFL announced they were considering adding playoffs and having the Super Bowl on Presidents Weekend, NASCAR ran like a scalded dog and moved the Daytona 500.  Remember Mr. Chamberland and 
"Peace in our time"?  Appeasement (fear) didn't work then and neither has it worked for NASCAR.  The Daytona 500 should never have been moved from the President's Day weekend.  That was all the NFL needed to know.  They rule the sports world and NASCAR bowed to that.  In my world, race fans are, or where, race fans and the hell with the NFL.  I won't go into my close association with the NFL for several years when I worked for the attorney who represented many NFL players and coaches, including Bill Belicheck. NASCAR was once said to be competition for NFL and surely that was true at that time.  If NASCAR leadership had stayed to course, the competition could still have been worth the time. 

What we have had over the past 10-12 years in a confusion of rules, changes to formats, and even changes to what Brian France himself said would NEVER be called a "playoff" when he introduced the Chase.  What are the calling it now?  PLAYOFF.  That should never, ever apply to motorsports in any form.  Stage racing?  Wouldn't be nearly that bad if it weren't for five or more laps of yellow for most of them.  A two lap, at most and I wish it was one, would end the stage.  NASCAR takes longer these days to resolve caution issues, even the fake debris cautions, than ever.  Back in the day, the track crew could clean up a three car wreck in three or four laps and they were back to racing.  Now it's like six, seven or eight laps under yellow while the vacuum cleaners go out and vacuum the track.  

Let's talk drivers now.  Remember the day, and I know you do, when the fans had total access to their favorites.  I can't count the hours I've sat by Richard Petty as he signed autographs but I know it has been enough to earn the title of his "most aggravating fan".  To watch Dale, Jr. have fans push a cap or whatever through those little slots at Daytona for autographs is ridiculous.  I wonder if the fan feels like he or she is visiting a prisoner behind the glass or is it Dale thinking the fan is the prisoner?

Hiring the first "engineer" has proven to be a disaster when it comes to the purity of the sport.  Your Dad and your uncle knew how to work on their cars, did it, and raced them.  Same for all the guys until the engineers came in.  I remember The King under one of those Dodge Chargers of his working on suspension. Can Kyle Busch do that? I don't know, maybe he can, but I doubt it.

The world keeps changing as the news reminds us every day.  The sports world is doing the same thing as you point out about golf and even the hallowed NFL. As I said hereinabove, I know we can't go back but I would expect that NASCAR  can see the writing on the wall.  Yes, MONEY drives the sport but that money is disappearing at a rapid rate.  How many sponsors will withdraw before the end of this season?  Can't blame them.  Remember when we, the fans, would chose products that sponsored racing over any other product?  Remember when we HAS to have Goodyear tires and used Union 76 gas.  My coffee was Folgers while they sponsored Tim Richmond and later Maxell House when they sponsored Sterling Marlin.  I once used STP on everything that moved.  Any of that sound familiar?  Do you even know what companies sponsor what cars?  I don't and I don't really care.  I buy what's on sale. 

Randy, you and I are on the same page, singing the same song, but the right people aren't reading us nor listening to our musical talents.  I don't intend to turn my back on NASCAR as it has been my life since I was 5 years old, as I know it has  been yours.  I still watch it, read about it, and care about it.  Thank you for all you have done for me, now let's get together and see if there is anyway, ANYWAY, we can get those with the influence to consider what's happening.  

I'm looking forward to your Part Three.  You are really on to something here.  

Tim

We are right in soooooo many ways my friend.

Can't wait for Part III.  I really like you pointing out that most of Brian France's minions who handle NASCAR's day to day ops don't know racing from a dump truck. As much as I respected Bill France, Jr., it was he who set the precedent of replacing NASCAR's mechanically inclined VP of Competition, Bill Gazaway with politically wired former football player Les Richter. Richter had nothing to do when Riversde closed except dabble in the IROC series he had a stake in with Roger Penske and the Frances, tho Jay Signore was the front man with the others pulling the strings. Thank goodness we had Dick Beatty in the garage, because the Competition office in Daytona went to heck with the capable (tho out of the political loop and fashion dressing) Gazaway ousted for a political crony. Randy and Tim - do you think anyone in NASCAR's corporate office has ever been to a weekly track? Not only are they out of touch, but they can't learn from the history of the sport when they don't know it.

Dave, I know some of them go to the weekly tracks for the sake of their jobs.  That's not saying much.  I think most are too busy playing yes-man to BZF to really pay attention, much less understand, the problems facing the sport today.  Part three goes into that a bit.  

I recall, very well, seeing Bill, Jr. and many weekly races.  In fact, at Myrtle Beach Speedway one night, he watched the race from the top of our motorhome after having supper with us.  The few tracks I've been to over the past few years I don't think were NASCAR sanctioned except for that one Anderson Speedway Race I attended for the division you were directing Randy.  I'm not even sure anymore where the closest NASCAR sanctioned short track is these days.  It's a shame because I would enjoy the racing there I'm sure. 

My problem with the closest weekly short track to me is the length of the program.  They run 8 (I think) divisions.  They qualify five of them and then have two ten lap heat races in the others. Yellow flags fly everyone lap in the lower divisions and quite often in the upper divisions.  Last three times I went I left at 1 a.m. to get back home by 2 am and they still had three or four races left.  Stayed for the entire program one week and didn't get out of the speedway until 2:30 am.  I talked to track personnel and they said the program just ran longer than expected.  However, I hear that is the norm.  I guess what I should do is go early, watch practice and watch racing until about midnight and then head home.  The good old days of Hobby and LMS racing is gone.  We had two heat races in the Hobby (10 laps each) and the feature (25 laps most nights) and the LMS ran two heats of 20 laps and then a 50 lap feature.  Great racing, great crowds and always something to talk about. 

As for the Cup races these days, I plan on being in the grandstands at Darlington for the Southern 500.  Will be my first time since 2003 and I'm actually looking forward to it because Darlington is my favorite track because it was the first "super speedway" at which I attended a race.  Started with the 1957 Rebel 300 and missed only the two '65 races (Mopars banned) and the 1967 Southern 500 because the Navy had use for me on the ship.  Randy, the accident that took your uncle happened right in front of me and I had blocked it from my memory until a few years ago when a friend gave me a DVD with the accident on it.  I was in the infield in the third turn (what was then the third turn).  

I have so many memories of Darlington, some bad but most good, that I'm  really looking forward to returning to the Southern 500. 

Anxiously awaiting Part Three Randy!!!!   Don't make me "poke" you this time..

Tim, those weekly track multiple divisions with small car counts in all make for a lousy fan experience. 2-3 divisions is the max for a decent weekly track experience. Come on Part III, Randy.  Looking forward to it.

Hope your Southern 500 trip is a great one, Tim.😃

Dave, that is the situation with many of the short tracks with weekly programs.  The track to which I was referring actually had a front wheel drive division with five entries.  First they qualify them which, with spins and restarts to qualifying takes more than 30 minutes.  Then they run two heat races to determine starting positions for the feature because qualifying was for starting positions in the heats.  It was about that time I felt a though I had fallen down the rabbit hole and needed to find Alice to get me out of there. 

My Darlington trip is the result of one of my friends calling months ago.  Jimmy, Tommy and I have been friends since our teen years and used to attend all the races at Columbia Speedway and Darlington.  Jimmy suggested we have a race reunion at the Southern 500.  He was so sure both of us would accept that he had already ordered the tickets.  As I understand, the tickets are 14 rows up, one section down for the start/finish on the turn one side of the flag stand.  I'm really looking forward to the trip and the time with my friends.  We see each other occasionally but the busy lives they lead don't give us much social time. 

As you said, "Come ON Randy, we are waiting on Part III".   lol.  Nothing like putting the pressure on Randy Myers!!!!

Pressure?  I don't feel no pressure!!

In all seriousness, many of the short track "promoters" try to make the success of the event work of the thought that the back gate will take care of the problem.  With car counts where  they are these days, sadly it only takes a few races to discover things just don't work that way.  By then they have run off the fans with sloppy shows that take half the night to complete. 

Have fun at Darlington Tim!

I should have known I couldn't pressure Cool Hand Randy.  

I am truly looking forward to Darlington.  Watch for me.  If the stands are like the rest of the races this year you'll probably be able to spot me.  Hopefully the stands will be packed.  Remind me someday to tell you of the story when I went there solo on a free ticket and ended up sitting between two HUGE Dale, Sr. fans.  I was so crunched I finally got up and walked to the back of the stands and watched the race from there.  

Great read, Randy, Ready for Part #3.