September 6, 2007
By Rebecca Gladden

Rebecca Gladden

Criticizing NASCAR is practically a national pastime these days, and when it comes to harping on certain problems within the sport, I guess you could say I'm guilty as charged.

I've never been a fan of the Chase, for example. Despite the fact that most early critics of the points system have long since capitulated, I still can't understand how resetting the points more than two-thirds of the way through the season is a fair or reasonable way to create the so-called drama that NASCAR so proudly declares.

But I digress, because the purpose of this particular article (with apologies to William Shakespeare), is to praise NASCAR, not to bury it.

Despite all the justifiable criticism leveled at our sport, there are some things that NASCAR is doing right, and I thought it might be a nice change of pace to mention five of them:

1.   Safety Improvements - It took the deaths of three NASCAR drivers in 2000 - Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin and Tony Roper - along with that of Dale Earnhardt in 2001, to finally drive home the importance of improving safety standards. But NASCAR drivers today are unquestionably safer in the car than they have ever been - one look at Saturday's Busch crash involving Brad Kesolowski makes the point. Among the improvements in recent years are mandatory use of the HANS device and six-point belt harness, outfitting NASCAR-sanctioned tracks with softer walls, and implementing the Car of Tomorrow which adds space to the cockpit and moves the driver away from the door and the inherent danger of a driver's side impact. Two things are still needed: 1). Implementation of a dedicated medical crew that would travel the circuit with the teams all season long, and, 2). Improved on-site medical care at tire testing locations. Drivers have been requesting these changes for years now, and I guarantee that at some point in the future these concerns will come back to bite NASCAR unless they address both issues.

2.   Driver Accessibility - NASCAR is far superior to most other professional sports when it comes to letting fans get up close and personal with the competitors. Between meet-and-greets, sponsor events, garage and pit passes, fan club appearances and the like, fans are regularly permitted closer access to our athletes than most other sports fans can only dream of. And the best part is, most NASCAR drivers are very friendly and down to earth when meeting fans in person - they're not pretentious, not rude, and not surrounded by an entourage. Even the media has greater access to the participants before, during, and after a race than any other major sports can provide.

3.   Family Values - I like the fact that NASCAR unabashedly promotes patriotism, supports our troops, and starts every race with a prayer. NASCAR doesn't tolerate drug use by its participants and doesn't abide swearing on network TV by its drivers. Racing is a sport that every member of the family can enjoy, even if each person roots for a different driver. Lifelong friendships grow out of a mutual love for the sport, and everyone with a connection to NASCAR becomes part of a giant extended family.

4.   Charitable Causes - There is so much fundraising in NASCAR that it can be hard to keep track of it all - not that that's a bad thing. Most drivers have their own charitable foundations, raising money for diverse interests such as animal welfare, environment causes, autism awareness, reading literacy, and many other worthy charities. Now, NASCAR itself has formed the NASCAR Foundation, an umbrella organization that supports many of the causes within the NASCAR family of charities. As the Foundation website states, "The NASCAR Foundation will use the strength of the sport and its people to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most." The foundation also sponsors track walks, blood and marrow drives, online auctions and much more. Visit www.foundation.nascar.com and find a way to get involved.

5.   Attracting Talent - NASCAR continually draws some of the greatest driving talent in the world, and now more than over, drivers are flocking to NASCAR from many different racing backgrounds and countries around the world. Nextel Cup rookie Juan Pablo Montoya, for example, is a former CART and F1 driver who won the 2000 Indianapolis 500. V8 Supercar champion Marcos Ambrose from Australia and Champ Car champion A.J. Allmendinger are currently competing in NASCAR, and numerous other famous drivers are either considering or planning to make the move soon. Say what you want about the way the sport is being managed - it's still THE place to be for the many of the world's greatest driving talents.

Is there still room for improvement in NASCAR? Plenty. But let's give credit where credit is due. NASCAR is doing some things right, and every once in a while, it's right to point that out.

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.