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Has NASCAR Reached The Tipping Point?

An Opinion



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April 24, 2010

By Brenda Benedict

Brenda Benedict



Little things can make a big difference. If you don't believe that, just ask the NASCAR team's of Marcos Ambrose, David Reutimann, Martin Truex Jr. and Max Papis. All four teams were fined by NASCAR this week for an unapproved lower radiator pan that was discovered in post-race inspections at Texas last Monday. Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said the pans were considered to be "unapproved ballast weight-mounting. That seems like a small amount of additional weight but NASCAR considered it serious and levied fines of $75,000 against crew chiefs Bootie Barker for Max Papis and Frank Kerr for Ambrose. The crew chiefs were also placed on probation until Dec. 31. Ambrose and Papis were stripped of 50 driver points and their car owners lost 50 owner points as well. The crew chiefs for Reutimann's crew chief, Rodney Childers, and Truex's crew chief, Tryson, were each fined $25,000.

Little things can make a difference in a car but little things can also make a huge difference in an organization such as NASCAR.

I believe that NASCAR has reached a crucial point in their history. A spot that is the tipping point that could lead to their future success or failure.

The tipping point is a term that was made popular by Malcolm Gladwell's 2000 book, The Tipping Point. Gladwell explains how ideas can spread like a virus and after having slow extended growth can suddenly begin to spread like wildfire.

The tipping point is that time when the momentum for change becomes unstoppable. And NASCAR might be reaching their tipping point.

However the tipping point that NASCAR is facing is not the growth of their sport but rather the dissatisfaction of the fans with the sport. Fans are showing their dissatisfaction with the pocketbooks and their remote controls and NASCAR had better listen.

I don't want this to be a griping session but if we look at the facts we can see there is trouble in the fan base for the world's premier auto racing organization.

NASCAR's downturn was documented last week in an article in Time magazine. In "NASCAR: A Once Hot Sport Tries to Restart Its Engine", Time listed the discouraging facts...

    1..Last season's attendance fell 10%

    2..Empty seats abounded at Atlanta, Fontana, CA

    3..Bristol's 55 race sell-out record ended

    4..Television viewership is down 25%

    5..Corporate sponsorship has fallen

Time attributed this trend to several factors. They put the blame right at the feet of NASCAR. Time Magazine's conclusion: "Something needs to be done."

NASCAR has been making changes. The double-file restart, the green-white checkered rules and the permission for drivers to 'have at it" have all been steps in the right direction to make races more exciting. Brian France has admitted that NASCAR is considering a change to the points system. "If we think we can make winning more important and the racing more exciting, that's what we'll do", France recently explained to reporters.

With the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte in May, our focus will be on those who began the sport and helped it reach the tipping point of greatness. We should also be looking to the next generation to help stop the slide in numbers of people enjoying this sport. The answer to the problem is to look at the little things.


You can follow me at Twitter @nascarfaithful




You can contact Brenda Benedict at .. Insider Racing News

You Can Read Other Articles By Brenda



The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.

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