Capitalist and a Fan?

Fan Commentary by Grandstand Bob

It’s tough being a capitalist and a NASCAR fan. On one hand, I admire the success and growth of the sport, while on the other, the management’s disregard for its customers irritates me to no end.

You really can’t argue with the success of NASCAR. In a relatively short time, the sport has gone from a regional pastime, rich in lore and tradition, to a multi-million dollar industry rivaled in popularity only by the NFL. Few of us current fans would even be fans, if NASCAR hadn’t shoved its way into the national spotlight. Without its growth and popularity, we would still be seeing only limited clips of the Daytona 500 and Southern 500 on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. You can’t generate mass fan interest when your coverage is bested by triathlons.

No offense to Junior Johnson, Tim Flock and others, but the talent level in Winston Cup racing has never been better, and that’s due to the sport’s growth. Most of the four-year-old Jeff Gordons aren’t dreaming of the Indianapolis 500 any more. They’re looking at stock car racing as the best place a racer can be. With the exception of a few puzzlers, you can pretty much be assured that 43 of the world’s best racers are taking the flag every Sunday.

With NASCAR’s growth, technology has also improved by leaps and bounds. While there are some definite drawbacks, there also has never been more parity, and that results in closer racing. Yes, some races are yawners, but when is the last time that we saw someone win by nine laps?

As much as I bitch about it, the culture that NASCAR has established for its drivers has also driven the sport. Yes, personalities are stifled, and that costs us colorful characters, but NASCAR and its sponsors require responsibility, and that’s lacking in far too many other sports.

All that said, there are some places where tradition and customers must come first. A case in point is the rumored relocation of the Labor Day race. No, Darlington isn’t a glamorous location, with tons of hospitality options, and yes, the track struggles to sell all of its tickets to each race. Still, the Southern 500 in Darlington on Labor Day weekend is one of the sport’s longest living traditions.

Unlike like some of the developments I mentioned earlier, this move wouldn’t result in any benefit to most fans. Yes, you would gain a few more in California, and lose relatively few in the Carolinas, but the greater picture involves the television audience that truly drives the sport.

Darlington is simply a better place to watch a race. It makes me wonder if NASCAR officials missed the ending of the spring race. Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch put on one of the best shows in recent memory, and that’s the rule more than the exception for Darlington Raceway.

Darlington, because it is an old and odd track, gives flavor to a circuit increasingly dominated by flat 1.5-milers. I don’t need to remind most fans that NASCAR>ISC’s newest tracks have been the scenes of some of the most mundane racing of recent years. Further irritating the situation, it is rumored that Darlington’s fall race date will be moved to the November date that Rockingham has been cursed with for years.

In essence, this will kill two tracks. Rockingham will struggle to make it with one race date, and fewer fans will attend the November date in Darlington than normally attend on Labor Day weekend. It won’t be long before that date too will be given to one of NASCAR>ISC’s new cookie-cutters. Eventually, these two tracks – known for great racing and rich history – will lose all of their Winston Cup races, leaving a big hole in the heart of NASCAR country.

If any of this irritates you as much as it irritates me, I suggest that you read Matt McLaughlin’s column at http://www.racingone.com/column.asp?artnum=17044. Not only is Matt one of the most talented and entertaining writers covering NASCAR, he is particularly insightful, and you won’t want to miss this one.

Grandstand Bob Profile and Past Columns

note: This opinions expressed in this column are those of writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of ARS Racing Outlet or its parent company, Beydler and Bell, LLC.