February 4, 2006

By Rebecca Gladden

Rebecca Gladden

In my column last week, I offered a list of five topics guaranteed to touch off a lively debate at your next NASCAR party or on your favorite NASCAR message board. Those five subjects were: Buschwhacking, road course racing, the Chase points system, "rubbin' is racin' ", and foreign auto makers moving into NASCAR.

In part two of the series, I offer another set of five topics for NASCAR fans to discuss, along with some of the arguments you might hear on either side of each issue.

Topic #1: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - Youngest son and namesake of a NASCAR legend, "Junior" is widely accepted as the sport's most popular and marketable driver. But not everyone is a fan of the 31-year-old superstar. PROS: Dale Jr. inherited his father's enormous fan base after the elder's tragic death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Five years later, Junior has sustained his incredible popularity by offering fans an endearing mix of folksy charm and unabashed honesty. CONS: Junior is coming off his worst season ever, and is sometimes perceived as shooting himself in the foot with quirky decisions like changing crew chiefs three times last season. He finished third overall in 2003 - his best points finish in six seasons - but until he wins at least one title, Earnhardt will face lingering questions about his level of talent and commitment.

Topic #2: The Growth of NASCAR - There's no denying that NASCAR has exploded in popularity in recent years, earning it the title of fastest growing spectator sport in America. PROS: Traditionally a southern sport whose early drivers honed their skills running moonshine, NASCAR has worked hard to earn mainstream acceptance and to divest itself of its redneck reputation. As a result, it is now a billion-dollar industry with an estimated 75 million fans, nearly half of whom are women. CONS: With growth comes growing pains, and NASCAR has had more than its share. Many in the traditional southern fan base feel disenfranchised by the sport's metamorphosis from regional industry to mega-corporation. While growth is inevitable and even healthy, NASCAR needs to slow down and insure that changes are made with an eye not just towards the sport's future, but also to its past.

Topic #3: NASCAR Drivers as Athletes - One of the perennial topics of debate among fans and non-fans alike: Are NASCAR drivers athletes, or merely participants in an undertaking that is more entertainment than sport? PROS: If you saw Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Special Report on CNN last November entitled, "NASCAR: Driven to Extremes," (http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/driven/) it would be hard to argue that racecar drivers are anything but athletes. During that program, sports psychologist for Hendrick Motorsports Jack Stark summed it up this way: "You gotta have tremendous stamina and strength to be able to get in a car and go 200 miles an hour for four hours [in] very hot, difficult conditions where you're cramped in, and be able to move that car, and the G-force and upper body strength ... you gotta be a very good athlete." CONS: Without naming names, we all know that there are certain drivers who don't maintain the physique of a star athlete. It's hard to name another physically-demanding sport whose participants are just as active and capable of winning at age 50 as they are at 20. It's true that drivers have to withstand high temperatures and that they run the risk of dehydration, but many will avail themselves of a few liters of IV fluid before the race to help them cope. Some drivers even have running gags about their own lack of physical fitness.

Topic #4: NASCAR Races Outside the U.S. - In 2005 the NASCAR Busch Series held a race in Mexico City, marking the first time that a modern era points race was held outside of the United States. That event will occur again this year, when the Busch series heads back to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on March 5th. PROS: In order to sustain its current rate of growth, NASCAR needs to continually attract new fans - and new dollars - to the sport. International exposure is one way to expedite the process of tapping into markets that otherwise might not be exposed to American stock-car racing. CONS: Why go to Canada or Mexico when some of NASCAR's most cherished and historic race tracks have had their race dates taken away from them? Many states would love to be on the receiving end of the revenue stream that a single NASCAR race can generate. It is a financial hardship for the smaller race teams to transport equipment and personnel out of the country. Let's service the sport's American fans before expanding beyond the U.S. borders.

Topic #5: Restrictor Plate Racing - NASCAR introduced the restrictor plate to superspeedway racing in 1998, in an effort to cap speeds that were regularly exceeding 200 miles per hour. Currently, restrictor plates are mandatory on cars racing at the Daytona and Talladega racetracks. PROS: Driver safety trumps all other concerns or arguments. Some may consider plate racing tedious, but the use of the restrictor plate is the only way to insure that speeds stay within reasonable safety margins. CONS: Most drivers do not enjoy plate racing, because they are more likely to get caught up in a mega-wreck known as "the big one," than they are to make it to the checkered flag. Drivers have little control over their own destiny at restrictor plate tracks. Plate racing may be safe, but it isn't much fun to watch or to participate in.

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. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.