Is It Dale Earnhardt Jr. Or Bust For NASCAR In 2008?

January 23, 2007

By Chuck Abrams

Chuck Abrams

In a recent New York Times article, Viv Bernstein makes the assertion that as Junior goes, so goes NASCAR Cup ratings. See the full article here An Earnhardt Revival Would Also Be Nascar’s

So once more, Dale Jr. gets thrown under the bus for NASCAR’s sluggish ratings and attendance levels.

Ms. Bernstein points out the “coincidence” of falling ratings for 2006 and 2007 with Earnhardt’s falling performance. If she was an astute reporter, she would also have noted other coincidences in Cup racing such as the Car of Tomorrow, the lagging Chase format, Toyota’s entry into the sport and other things that have been pointed out by me and other writers.

I may not have a pedestal such as the New York Times from which to pontificate, but I do write about the sport far more frequently than anyone on the Times staff. And I write as a fan of racing (all racing) having grown up in the southeast and just a couple of hours due south of Indianapolis.

While Mike Helton said that a more competitive Earnhardt “couldn’t hurt” Cup ratings, he was quick to point out that fans watch for the whole story line within the sport, not just one driver. I would like to know what else Big Mike had to say about that. What he said was true but as reported, it seems pretty superficial.

How about doing a story that looks at all factors that have transpired over the past few years within Cup racing?

I won’t even turn to the obvious things like Toyota. That is too easy. What about the slow retirement drain of veteran drivers that fans have grown up with?

Mark Martin, Joe Nemecheck, Bill Elliott all run partial schedules. Rusty is in the broadcasting booth now, Dale Jarrett is retiring this year and running just a few races this year, Sterling Marlin, Ward Burton, Kenny Wallace and others do not have Cup rides. And while all this is normal evolution of any sport, NASCAR has the task of endearing a new set of drivers to an audience made up of primarily old school fans. Fans that, along with those now retiring drivers, built the sport into what it is today.

These new drivers don’t have the traditional racing background that older drivers had. Fewer of them get their knuckles dirty let alone bloody knuckles. They come from a year or two in the Busch Series or Craftsman Truck Series where they are fast tracked to Cup to satisfy the sports quest for younger talent and pretty faces. They have little personality and what personality they appear to have has been created in some TV ads for a sponsor.

And also coincidently, the racing has become, well, pedestrian. The end of the races is close from time to time, but the main body of any given race is usually pretty boring – at least what we are allowed to see on TV.

Perhaps some of the other drivers should actually cultivate a personality and perhaps NASCAR could let them show it off. We all love a villain and we all love competition. Watering down the personality and personalities of the sport probably has more to do with the falling ratings than any one driver.

I don’t mean to chastise Ms. Bernstein. I don’t even know her. I am sure she was handed one of 3 or 4 stories the Times does on NASCAR each year and she took off with what some assignment editor who knows nothing about NASCAR, asked her to do.

To put the state of the sport on one driver seems a bit unjust and a bit ignorant of the actual state of the sport. And going after one driver with the name Earnhardt was taking the easy way out.

How bad have YOU got it? Michelle Theriault is asking you to sponsor her car

A team spokesman told me that they have an opportunity far below the usual costs associated with even ARCA racing. This opportunity is not for just the side panel or rear of the car, this is for the best space available; THE HOOD – for about what you would expect to pay for a mere associate sponsor rate somewhere else.

In addition to this Daytona opportunity, Theriault is looking to partner with some lucky sponsor full time. Michelle is an engaging young driver with a second-to-none drive to win and with loads of personality to boot. Once you meet her, you will be a fan for life. If you are interested in this opportunity, go to michelletheriault.com and get in the game.

Let me know your thoughts on all this.

Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.

Feel free to send Chuck your thoughts on this and other race topics at Insider Racing News. The blog at www.turnleftracing.com is down now due to spammers. We will have that back up as soon as we can.

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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