Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is and Show Some Respect

"Blame for NASCAR going mainstream lies on the fans."

That was the original title of this article on NASCAR.com which is now titled "To some traditionalists, loyalty goes only so far."

Maybe NASCAR.com didn't want to incite the fans by pointing the finger at them. But the title change doesn't really soften the blow of the message, does it?

Fans like to complain that NASCAR has "sold out":

"They rail against big money and cookie-cutter tracks and the fact that California hosts more events than Darlington. They think NASCAR has become too corporate, too vanilla, too neglectful of where it came from. But too many of them aren't doing the one thing that will ensure their voice is heard the loudest. Too many of them aren't buying tickets."

But really, isn't that the goal? To sell out?

"Rockingham died not because of location or corporate greed or some sort of NASCAR manifest destiny, but because fans didn't show up. Even in the track's final days, when it became evident that only big turnstile numbers could save it, there were too many empty seats."

NASCAR isn't making that much money off the ticket sales. NASCAR lines its pockets with money from TV revenue and licensed merchandise.

The tracks are the ones that benefit from the sale of tickets. Fans sure aren't complaining about safety and security, hospitality and facility upgrades. Think this happens magically?

It costs money to host a race. And more money to market the race. Want your city to keep its race? Buy tickets.

Oh ... and act like you're worthy. I'm talking to you, Talladega. One of your races should be the next to go to another city. I love a superspeedway restrictor plate race more than the next person, but you do not deserve two races a year. Not when this is how you show your appreciation:

The flagmen dodge debris as they wave the checkered flag for Jeff Gordon at the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. on April 25, 2004 (AP)

Debris litters the track after the NASCAR UAW-Ford 500 auto race, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2006, at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. Fans threw cans and bottles onto the track after a collision on the last lap involving Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and eventual race winner Brian Vickers. (Glenn Smith)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-18-2007 @ 7:38PM

rpfshell said...

I think blaming nascar fans for the way the sport has changed over the past say 5 to 10 years is completly assinine!People who watched and loved the grass roots of this sport dont just miss richmond we miss a sport that wasnt broadcast on tv friday saturday and sunday.We miss sitting on the porch listening to the races tbs or espn didnt show.We miss the fact that knowing that if a guy started raceing another one dirty chances were if it was on tv we were gonna see a nice punch the face!What happened to watching the race with say only so many commercial breaks why do i care to see jimmy johnson rubbing LAST years championship trophy in elliot sadlers face 50 times in 250 laps all the while missing a wreck or caution.The article mentions we rally well I havent been invited to any ralleys and you say to get my voice heard I need to buy a ticket well nascar.com I do have a ticket to a fall talladega race so when can i expect to be contacted to give my opinion.The bottom line is the sports still a great sport there is room for us who "watched" it on our daddys radio and the guy who just saw it last week.We dont want things to stay the same.change is good for us all like HD man i can see sweat on a helmet at 1080i.so do i want to go back to tbs broadcast or the guy with the english accent on espn .No thank you!But i do want to preserve what we all loved about it a little.If a guy pisses a guy off let him say it without it costing him 10,000$$ Stop showing 50 bazillion commercials and if you have to show so many why do it with 16 laps left ??? Have a 20 lap rule anything under 20 laps give us the race heck even the irl gets dual coverage at commercials.By the way the talladega race wouldnt have had stuff thrown everywhere if junior could have climbed out of the car and slapped brian vickers for doing way to much way to late in a car he wasnt even welcomed in anymore without knowing he would have had to kiss butt in a trailer and pay out half his race winnings.I love this sport and will always love this sport but just remember me and the other "old" fans were the reason your in 1080i!
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3-19-2007 @ 12:38PM

Whitney said...

As always, being the devils advocate, I can see both sides of this issue. While I can understand the desire for nostaliga and "The good old days" from the fans side, I can also understand where these corporate sponsors are coming from. This has turned into, if it wasn't always a business. Think about it, NASCAR in and of itself was spawned from a money making practice, Moonshine anyone? While it is fun, at its root today NASCAR is about money. It probably shouldn't be nearly as hyped up, or nearly as much about sponsors and money. But that's the name of the game isn't it? Money? I wonder how many drivers would drive if it weren't for the money. It would be like asking a pro-football player to play the whole season for fun. NASCAR is an amazing sport in that we the fans have the priviledge to be near this kind of a thing.
There is a point to draw the line. The constant assultation of media is not only distracting, but annoying. However, this is not a NASCAR problem. Look around you, this is a WORLD problem. The average American is greeted with 3000 or more Media advertisements each day.
As far as people throwing things on the track goes, this is just a lack of respect. period. I don't care who did what. I don't care if Brian Vickers takes out the entire feild. That doesn't give anyone a right to destroy and litter property that does not belong to them. Track operations work long, hard hours to put on the show that they put on. Let's not punish them for something they weren't responsible for. So Junior was wrecked? So Brian was deemed at fault? At the end of the day, is that really worth getting upset over? There is always next week... and without the money in it, there wouldn't be.
I don't know if any of that makes a lick of sense, but you know..
-whitney