What, in the name of Richard Petty, is happening to my NASCAR? I want to fall in love again. I want to get that feeling back-like an old relationship that fizzled and you're still trying to figure out the classic WWW question...What Went Wrong? Let's go back to the good old days-the year 2001.
NASCAR was popular but only to a certain demographic-the good old boys of the South. Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in the first race of 2001-the Daytona 500. Ironically, his death struck a chord with fans and non-fans alike;suddenly NASCAR reached a new level and elevated the sport. Dale Earnhardt Jr. became the icon apparent after that tragic day, not by choice but by birthright. This unfortunate moment in time by virtue of one tragic moment put NASCAR in primetime ratings territory.
With this new found success came corporate money and lots of it. Suddenly race teams became super-teams, leaving the less fortunate behind. Those owners that already had a super-star racer could afford to add to their stable of studs. Jeff Gordon spawned Jimmie Johnson, Rusty Wallace spawned Kurt Busch, Mark Martin spawned Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards etc. etc. All of the sudden, young drivers became the stars, leaving Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd, Sterling Marlin, Terry Labonte, Bobby Labonte and Kenny Schrader behind... and insignificant. The very men that carried the momentum left by Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison in the infamous 1979 Daytona 500 fist fight on CBS(The first Nascar race nationally televised in it's entirety). In this article I gave you a breakdown of what brought us to the NASCAR we know and love at this point in time. In Part 2, I will speak and offer comments on why NASCAR will dwindle in attendance and T.V. ratings in the future, unless things change significantly.
Once, just once, I would like to see Kyle Petty win a race in NASCAR...or finish in the top 5 or the top 10. Heck, 15th place would be something to see. Petty, Bobby Labonte, Elliot Sadler, Michael Waltrip or anyone outside the top 20 in standings have no chance of being so lucky...or consistent. Today, in NASCAR, your charisma, charm and looks dictate how well you will perform throughout the season.
I have a theory; if you have 2 of the 3 characteristics, you will have a much better opportunity of getting a ride on one of the top tier teams. Top 20 driver, pretty much guaranteed. The other drivers on the cusp or borderline of these traits get a drive on the remainder of teams or the Nationwide Series...the others with talent...well, you can tune into the Craftsman Truck Series. A wealthy Sprint Cup team and it's sponsors(multi-billion dollar corporations) want the best drivers who can represent their particular brand. It's no coincidence that the Sprint Cuppers look like Hollywood "A" list celebrities and the Truck Series drivers look like...well, everyday, average people.
The squeaky clean Sprint Cup Series is in danger of alienating its core fans by offering a product that used to be competitive and exciting into predictable and dull. The Truck Series, which has not been affected as much by big money, has become the predominantly more competitive and captivating series. This is Sprint Cup racing at it's peak excitement years, 10-15 years ago. Any one of these drivers has a legitimate chance of winning and this, more than anything, is why we attend or tune into a race or any sporting event in the first place...the outcome is not a guarantee or lock. Sprint Cup is in danger of becoming too predictable...the top 12 drivers have an 80% chance of winning a race. To paint a better picture, if you were betting on NFL games and guaranteed these odds, you would be able to buy your own NASCAR team in a few years.
Formula 1, considered to be the highest tier of auto racing, has for decades been the highest tier of materialism and excess. The product is secondary. North American race fans have always put a premium on quality of product...the NASCAR product is in danger of losing its base fans because the product has become secondary. Here's what must change or the NASCAR fans interest and patience will slowly show with wavering attendance and television ratings.
(1) RACE TRACKS MUST BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE: Daytona, Talladega and Bristol give the fans the most competitive and exciting races for your dollar. These six races in a 36 race season allow us to watch close bumper to bumper racing with the potential of a caution at any moment. These three tracks exhibit one common characteristic...deep banking on the turns thus creating high speed action and close racing...and yes accidents. The appeal of racing is danger. Not so much risk that someone gets injured but a sense that one wrong move or mishap could create an edge for one driver and the end of the day for another. That's drama and that's what fans want. The majority of tracks do not offer such excitement. Most of the tracks offer single line racing with the superior car slowly picking off cars one by one; no three wide racing...just safe racing usually dominated by the 12-15 elite teams.
(2) REVENUE SHARING WILL CREATE PARITY: Let's spread the wealth a bit to ensure the future of this sport. Television revenue should be disbursed accordingly to the weaker teams and down to the stronger teams. With more cash, the little guy could afford the technology necessary in gaining an edge in racing. Hendrick, Roush and the other SuperTeams need some competition or fans WILL become bored with the same drivers winning.
(3) CAUTION FREE RACING=CARS TAKING HUGE LEADS=BORING RACE: The elite teams are so superior today that these cars are establishing big leads early in the race thus leaving the bottom tier teams a lap down, in some cases, 25 laps into the race. This, coupled with the drivers "playing it safe" for the first three quarters of the race has made viewers impatient with the broadcast and reaching for the remote. I've been to three races in New Hampshire and can vouch that about forty percent of the fans are out of their seats and searching for souvenirs or food(or beer) after about 20 laps. Of course, most are back watching for the last 20 laps but I cannot say as much for the television viewer...the race is probably forgotten about at this point.
(4) TOO MANY COMMERCIALS DURING TELEVISION BROADCASTS: Isn't racing one big commercial? Just look at the cars, the driver's and pit crew's uniforms...heck, the scroll at the top of your screen has a sponsor changing on screen every 10 minutes. Too many commercials=lack of interest. A better way, if all the commercials are necessary for ESPN, ABC, FOX etc. to break even, why not have a split screen with the race broadcast continuously? In any case, the networks have to bring the race back to the fans and not show themselves as some greedy money machine.
(5) MORE FOCUS ON THE LOWER TIER DRIVERS DURING BROADCASTS: Every driver in racing is important. Even if the chances of winning are slim for some, every driver WANTS to win and improve every week. One driver that has a season under his(or her) belt is a year of experience and growth mentally and technologically for the the driver and team. We, as race fans, need to see a part of each racer and their strategies(and pit stops) throughout a race. Watching Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the majority of the broadcast does not allow the fan to fully appreciate the drama that is racing. I'd like to know how fast Kyle Petty is going, how many laps Bobby Labonte is down, if Mark Martin's car is running well or having problems.
I feel that the networks see a lot of these drivers as background scenery, to use a movie analogy. By leaving these drivers in the dust and focusing only on drivers with a high Q rating, the networks are only reinforcing the fact that the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit is dominated and ran by the elite.
Let's hope that the people of NASCAR do not turn this amazing sport into Formula 1 and alienate a sector of fans...I want to LOVE NASCAR again...not just like it!
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