October 8, 2002

There comes a point at which a sport becomes over controlled. I believe we have reached that pinnacle in Winston Cup.

Folks I had to slap myself to stay awake during Sunday’s event at Talladega. This was one of the worst attempts at racing I have ever witnessed. A game of follow the leader does not constitute a race where I come from.

NASCAR, the sanctioning body for the Winston Cup series was noted as slapping themselves on the back after the event for doing a great job.

You know folks just because there was no “Big One” doesn’t mean that this was racing. Is riding around, hanging out, and admitting to it really racing?

If they are not going to race at these tracks why don’t we just bulldoze them and race somewhere else? NASCAR is making a complete fool of the fans. They seem to think that the fans want too see cars go fast around a track but not be able to pass or actually race. This is not a race folks this is a parade. Somewhere down the line we forgot about the racing part of this sport.

NASCAR has tinkered and toyed with the cars to the point at which it has become highly controlled and completely predictable. That’s really not racing, that is controlled parading. Racing is when you can pull out and actually pass other cars. A parade is when you line up and march to the same drummer.

But Bump you say, what about the cars flying into the stands and drivers getting hurt? What about it?

Build a bigger fence. If the drivers don’t want to drive find someone that does. This travesty in racing can not continue. The race at Talladega has all the surroundings of a good race but at this point in time there is no actual racing taking place.

The event at Talladega is controlled and just does not excite me the way it did years ago. Stop trying to tell me that this controlling effort is for my own safety. I just don’t buy it anymore. I don’t care what it takes, I demand racing. Please don’t try to convince me that this is racing because it is not.

I think they should just show a movie on a giant screen of some old races. Put up a huge drive in movie screen and show what racing should be. Lets just admit it folks, the people in charge are scared.

“If you're Scared, Say you’re Scared”

I used to hang iron on high rise buildings. I can remember the people several hundred feet down saying, “oh my god that is crazy and it scares me” Once those same people started running construction jobs it was time to get out because they ruined the industry with their worrisome tactics and unrealistic approach to safety. NASCAR is at this point now.

Can you tell I am angry? Your right, I want to see actual racing not some interpretation as perceived by a worried person that doesn’t race. That is the bottom line. Stop fooling me with this parade of cars. With no racing all you have is a flea market.

We are “Sheeple” we go along with whatever they put in front of us. They tell us that this is racing and after a while we begin to by into that idea. I am embarrassed for NASCAR and I am embarrassed for myself for having to write this angry piece.

You can contact Joe at: Insider Racing News