NASCAR? How can anybody watch that stuff? A bunch of guys driving in circles for three hours. B-O-R-I-N-G!
At one time or another, every race fan has heard this complaint.
Pundits may argue that the ever-increasing parity of the racecars makes for less exciting racing. But, there are still plenty of reasons why NASCAR is the fastest growing spectator sport in the U.S., and is second only to NFL football in television viewership.
Below are ten unique qualities that make NASCAR exciting:
1. The Personalities: When it comes to colorful sports figures, NASCAR offers something for everyone. Choosing "your" driver is a personal decision, but rooting for one guy through thick and thin provides an immediate connection to the action. You might favor homegrown hero Dale Earnhardt, Junior, the affable son of one of the sports' greatest drivers. There is suave sophisticate Jeff Gordon, tempestuous Tony Stewart, quirky Kurt Busch, comedic Kenny Wallace. Drivers range in age from the young to old, rookie to veteran. Up and coming star Kyle Busch is only 19 year old, while perennial underdog Morgan Shephard turns 62 later this year. NASCAR drivers have appeared in movies, and on TV sitcoms, game shows, talk shows, and more.
2. The Patriotism: NASCAR is unabashedly patriotic. Every prerace show features a presentation of the colors and the national anthem, along with a military jet flyover from a local airbase; you can actually see some of the drivers singing along, as crew members wave handheld American flags. Cars are sponsored by the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, the National Guard and the Coast Guard, and the drivers of those teams are genuinely honored to represent our service personnel. The Commander in Chief attended a Cup race last year and hosted a White House reception of NASCAR drivers the year before. While some sports seem to shun overt demonstrations of patriotism, stock-car racing embraces them.
3. The Spectacle: If you haven't been to a race in person, you can't fully appreciate the event that is NASCAR. The Cup series rolls into town like a city on wheels, drawing crowds in the hundreds of thousands every weekend from February to November. The sites, scents, sounds and sensations of racing are not fully realized over the airwaves.
4. The Announcers: When you watch a race on TV, these guys refuse to let you get bored. They cover every pit stop, flat tire, spin and slide as if it was the last lap of the Daytona 500. There is plenty of speculation about strategy, and more than enough salty tales about the current and former stars of the sport to keep viewers intrigued, even during yellow flag cautions and rain delays.
5. The Thrill of Victory: There's nothing like watching a truly excited driver celebrate a hard-fought win with his crew in Victory Lane, especially if he's "your" driver. Fans of other sports may have to wait until their athletes have showered and changed into street clothes before granting an interview to select journalists. In NASCAR, you hear from drivers the moment they exit their cars. The enthusiasm and spontaneity of Victory Lane is compelling, and NASCAR drivers are known for their accessibility to both the media and the fans.
6. The Agony of Defeat: A NASCAR television ad proclaims, "NASCAR is drama," and this is never truer than the heart-wrenching emotions that come from losing. Sometimes drivers handle it with grace, sometimes not; particularly when they perceive that a loss was not their fault. Losing may not be fair or enjoyable, but it is never dull.
7. The Conflicts: Hardly a race goes by without some challenges to, let's say, the interpersonal communication skills among drivers. Rubbin' is racin', and fireworks often ensue. Part of the fun of NASCAR is keeping up with the latest tangles and forming your own opinion of who's right, who's wrong, and who's going to try to even the score next week.
8. The Rulebook: Fans claim that the NASCAR rulebook is written in pencil, since at times the rules seem to change to fit the occasion. Whether you ascribe to this theory or not, NASCAR's consistency or lack thereof is an endless source of controversy and consternation.
9. The Sense of Family: NASCAR is often referred to as a family, and when you're a fan, you're also a family member. Wear a NASCAR t-shirt or put a bumper sticker on your car, and you will run into like-minded people everywhere you go. Being a NASCAR fan offers you a ready-made group of friends, a topic of conversation at any gathering, and a sense of community uncommon in other sports.
10. The Speed: If nothing else persuades you to watch NASCAR, place yourself in the driver's seat for a few moments. You're at the helm of an 800 horsepower behemoth easily capable of speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour. Strapped into the cockpit, your heart pounds as the adrenaline surges through your veins. The command to start your engine is sounded and the green flag drops. Within seconds, you're racing side-by-side into a high-banked curve inches away from 42 other cars, whose drivers are equally driven to win. You hear the roar of 100,000 approving fans as you pass for the lead, but you know that your competition is close behind. Each decision you make could mean the difference between victory and catastrophe, and you feel the collective expectations of your team, your sponsors and your fans weighing on your shoulders. In the back of your mind, you know that you are carrying on the tradition of racing legends that you have idolized for years.
The truth is, every sport has its critics, and every sport at one time or another has been called boring. Critics complain that baseball is slow-paced, hockey too violent, football a "game of inches," basketball controlled by biased referees. But NASCAR is riding a wave of popularity unprecedented in it's 57-year history.
What you get out of a race is largely dependent on what you bring to it. If you approach racing with the "guys going around in circles" mindset, you probably will not find it too exciting. Try attending a race in person or watching one on TV with the above thoughts in mind, and see if you don't catch the fever, too.
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.
