Returning NASCAR To Its Roots? How?

January 30, 2007

By Chuck Abrams

Chuck Abrams

Hoping to head off further erosion of its fan base, NASCAR Big Wig Brian France has announced few changes to the 2008 rules package and is calling for a return to NASCAR's roots.

So are we going back to Rockingham or did I something?

I have long argued for letting the drivers be more themselves, that drivers were too vanilla these days. Sponsors want the Jeff Gordons and Jimmie Johnsons. They have no downside – attractive, articulate, they have trophy wives and most importantly, they win. Maybe we are coming into an era where the bad Boys of the sport will be as sought after as the Pretty Boys. Love him or hate him, Dale Sr. was perceived as the ultimate Bad Guy in NASCAR and sponsors came to him in droves. Dale Sr. was a winner with attitude. And he knew that money was making the sport go round before anyone else did. And he profited mightily from it.

Maybe we’ll see Kyle Busch emerge as the new Bad Boy of the sport. Perhaps now Kurt Busch can shed the Jeff Gordon skin he has been forced to wear the past few years and we can love to hate him again. I liked him much better when Jimmy Spencer was punching him in the face.

I have never considered the NASCAR as the WWF argument. First of all, we know wrestling is not real, OK? Let’s just admit it. Secondly, that came from non-race fans trying to call out the rednecks. So no other sport has fights or heated discussions or swearing? Not been to an NBA game lately? I do not hear WWF allegations about the NHL. Not seen or heard Kevin Garnett mouth his fave nasty on TV?

But NASCAR is known for the gray areas and that is one thing that drives fans nuts.

I am with Tony Stewart – I will believe it when I see it. It will be interesting to see the powers that be hold off from fining or lecturing the first few guys who go at each other. I am not saying we need to let drivers use four-letter words on air. If that is going to happen, we need to return to the delay or go to Pay-Per-View (it is being discussed again folks). But some gentle pushing and shoving doesn’t hurt anyone and actually gives fans someone to root for. If Carl Edwards starts throwing a few actual punches, then he will get his due and probably a well-deserved fine.

But is that all it takes to go “back to our roots”?

The cars are as near IROC as they can be without being IROC. So that isn’t going to change or go back. Toyota is in the series and while I applaud that, many others do not. And again, that is not going to change. The Chase is still here and that isn’t going anywhere. The gosh-awful Top-35 rule is still in place and that has changed a bit, but it is still with us. The Lucky Dog rule is still in place as well. And the influx of Indy car drivers from other parts of the world is going to continue for at least a few years until that parade wears itself out. Nor are we going to see Oldsmobile or Buick racing again any time soon.

So what are we going back to again?

Thankfully, we are not going to see racing like in the old days. While today’s racing still needs improving, at least it is not a race between two cars that have 10 laps on the rest of the field. That folks, is truly boring.

We are supposedly getting more consistent start times during the season. Probably more 1 p.m. starts instead of 3 or 4 or whatever is required to please the sleepy West Coast audiences.

Maybe ticket prices will come down at the tracks. That would be a start. Are we somehow going to see more attention to the fans instead of the sponsors? I am not sure how that will be accomplished.

If NASCAR can concentrate on providing better overall racing and improved overall TV coverage, then perhaps we have something to look forward to. I don’t need to hear Ken Squire call the races again nor do I expect to see Dave Despain as a pit reporter. But less talking heads and more racing sure would be nice for a change.

Let’s face it, Rusty is gone and Jarrett is leaving. Sterling, Nemechek, Mark Martin will all be fading from the scene sooner than later. And while we have grown accustomed to Smoke, Gordon, Johnson, Dale Jr., Busch 1 and 2 among others, the new crop of kids coming up seem less friendly and we question their talent level. And just as we start to get to know them, they lose their ride because they did not win soon enough or fast enough for impatient owners and sponsors.

This is not your father’s NASCAR. Heck, it’s not even my old NASCAR and I don’t think we can ever go back there entirely. Let’s hope that Brian France’s promise, a better NASCAR, is something we can all be proud of and enjoy more than ever.

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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