Fan Commentary
Fan Speak - Part Four (Rules)
by Grandstand Bob
In last week's column, I asked fans to send me
suggestions about what NASCAR could do to quell fan discontent and to bring back fans who
are feeling alienated. I intended to write a column based on this feedback, but the
responses were so overwhelming and well stated, that I really couldn't say it any better
myself. Thus, I'm turning over the next six columns to the fans.
I would put this all in one column, but it would take
24 pages to do that.  Instead, I've separated the comments into different categories. First, I've
listed the general comments. Following that, I'll list
comments related to attending races, Internet
broadcasts, rules, television and tradition. These comments will appear in successive
days, so make sure that you keep coming back to ARS Racing Outlet to check.
All of these are straight from fans. I didn't edit a
word, but I did cut out names and addresses to protect fan privacy. If I didn't list your
comments, please don't be offended. I tried to avoid repetition, so I couldn't include
everyone's writing, though I did read each and every message. Thanks for your
participation, and make sure that you check back each day this week to read what fellow
fans are saying.
Rules
-- Many of us are also tired of the way
the rules are played with. Dodge seems to have been given everything they want by NASCAR.
How much will they be given in concessions and tweaks by NASCAR to help them win. It
became apparant this past weekend when Marlin came from the back of the pack to run away
with the race and win. The Fords also got concessions during Speed Weeks. Just look at the
standings. True, the Chevies finished better this weekend than they had been but none, I
repeat none, had to come from the back of the pack. The only reason those cars finished
well was due to luck and where they started the race from. Even Newman came from the back
of the pack to the front only to be taken out by the big accident. Seems the GM cars have
not been given a fair shake with the aero packages. The wind tunnel test bear that out but
then we hear Ford saying there is nothing wrong with the GM cars. NASCAR needs to allow
all to have the same and not give a little here and there to give an advantage.
We also hear talk of common templates. HOGWASH!!!!!!! To do that we've just given everyone
the same car with a different engine and brand decal on it. So much for different
manufacturers. Then NASCAR will want to sell the cars to the different teams telling them
the reason is to guarantee that they are all the same.
Finally, when NASCAR makes rules they must stick by them. Several of the drivers (Jeff
Gordon, Tony Steward, Sterling Marlin to name a few) have been seen dropping their left
side tires below the yellow line to try to force the car in front of them to move up the
track. Then to press the issue, they bump the car in front of them causing that car to
swerve or spin causing a major accident. NASCAR needs to stop that practice and tell the
teams and drivers that ANYONE that does that (causing an accident) will be black flagged
and forced to pit for at least a one lap penalty or worse. Lives are at stake when the
"big accident" happens and anyone that intentionally causes one should be
punished. Again, certain teams and drivers seem to be able to get away with more than
others.
-- I think they are getting "kickbacks"
from Dodge, because they are sure
determined to see Dodge win! In race yesterday, the 2 cars that come from
the furthest back to the front were Ford and Dodge. With Dodge winning YET
AGAIN! They need to make each make EQUAL, ( or as close as they can) they were sure quick
to make changes to Ford and Dodge, but refuse to do anything for Chevy and Pontiacs, even
with the wind tunnel data. Haven't they always said that they want the cars to be as close
in competition as possible? IT AIN'T HAPPENING!!
If NASCAR is trying to lose a fan in me, and my family and friends, they are
doing a good job by their greediness and their obvious favoritism towards
the Fords and the Dodges. Who has one all the races this season? I think we
should all boycott a race or two (as hard as that is going to be for me to do for the
sport/drivers that I love) just to prove a point to NASCAR that we are tired of their crap
and they need to get it together.!!!!!
I love to watch races and to keep up with all the drivers, especially those 5 or 6 that
are my favorites, but I just HATE what NASCAR has and is becoming! If they don't stop, I
may have to stop watching all together.
Thanks for your time and GOOD LUCK!!
-- As of the Daytona 500 race in Feb, I quit watching on TV and plan on not
renewing my tickets for either the 500 or the Brickyard 400. I refuse to believe that any
organization can survive by picking the pockets of individuals in the name of
"entertainment". I no longer find it entertaining to realize that a certain make
of car is going to win the championship on any given year. (2001-Chevy,
2000-Pontiac,1999-Ford, 2002-Dodge????) Isn't it ironic that it took 6 years of advanced
college degrees to figure out what they are doing. I will continue to follow the local
dirt tracks and other series and ignore the hype that has become NASCAR. If NASCAR wants
my money, they need to quit fixing the rules on an as needed basis. Set the rules in
January and what ever they are is what happens!!!!!!! After the downforce numbers were
released last week, it became quite obvious that they have no intentions of making for a
very good season, unless you happen to be a "Taurus", I mean Dodge fan. IF a has
been 47 year old driver, and a handfull of Ford driving rookies are leading the points,
then something is wrong. I really feel that the drivers need to boycott this fiasco until
it is fixed, because when you have cars that lead and then become unmanageable in traffic,
then the charade is over. My wife refuses to believe that anyone could or would fix these
"races", so it is turned on the TV, but I find plenty to do working on my own
automobiles or watching reruns of cartoons.
-- Publish
the rule book and make it available to anyone, not just teams,
officials, etc. Yearly or bi yearly as needed.
Then any rule infractions should be punished as stated regardless of car, driver,
owner or sponsorship money.
I am sick of watching Sterling Marlin setting the rules for next week's races and not
having anything apply to him. He should have lost points for all his infractions
this year. Good grief its like NASCAR should just hand him the trophy now and make Dodge
happy they handed so much money over. If he doesn't win the championship this year
it will be only from second or third engine failure each week or because NASCAR held all
other manufactures in the pits till he replaces his engine or fixes his bumper himself.
With all the rules changes and noncalls, the aero
package changes and
non-changes, etc. etc. etc., I have lost my last bit of addiction. Since Daytona, I have
not attended or watched the races nor have I "hit" on NA$CAR.COM. Now I
sporadically check motoring news. It was an addiction, but thankfully, NA$CAR raised the
price that I could no longer afford it and have come back to reality. Sunday afternoons
are now times that I can spend in my garden, visiting friends and family, and other
worthwhile events.
NASCAR could really help its image if they would be honest and make
public all test results that they get by wind tunnel and dyno testing. They should
be concerned with making all manufacturer's vehicles aerodynamically equal, not change
rules to get outcomes that they want. Good teams are penalized for doing too
well, which to me is just opposite what hard work and engineering should be
given.
-- A third independent party
that would listen to and handle driver and owner complaints, car design
issues, and penalties would also aid in NASCAR's monopolistic heavy hand.
Nascar is quickly losing their credibility with me and others that I have
talked to. Unless they make aero changes, to reflect the wind tunnel tests done last week,
the points race will be over by mid season. Then who will watch? Certainly not me, since I
don't like crybaby Marlin anywayWhen there was the slightest indication that Dodge or Ford
was at a disadvantage they were given help. Its not much trouble to see who is paying
Nascar the most money. And that is not just my opinion, because most Nascar fans feel the
same way. And that includes Ford and Dodge fans. If Nascar loses their credibility, then
they will be just like pro wrestling. They had better realise that their money comes from
the fans,not the manufacturers or sponsors. How long do you think that the sponsors will
stay around if there are no fans. Already the sponsors are leaving because of the
outragious money. Nascar needs to wake up before it is too late.
-- Disenchanted Fan!!! Are you kidding me??? I have been a
disenchanted
fan ever since they put restrictor plates on the cars in 1985 or 1986. I will get to that
later. You ask for suggestions to try and make Nascar better. Well here are some of my
thoughts.
I think one of the biggest problems that Nascar has right now is the constant rule changes
that they are making all season long. Some of my buddies at work say it's as bad as studio
wrestling. I have a suggestion to solve this. I suggest that they form a rules committee.
Now wait, here me out. The committee would consist of the following people, one driver,
one car owner and one crew chief, and one Nascar person. The committee would meet twice a
year, Some time during the off season before Daytona and some time during mid season,
maybe in Daytona again. The responsibility of this committee would be to vote for any rule
changes, the vote would have to carry a majority of votes for the change. The rules
changes would have to be presented to the committee at the two yearly meetings. As you can
see this would prohibit all the rules changes that we have after almost every race.
Emergency meetings could be held if something really bad happened during the season
between these two yearly meetings..
Another thought I have is Nascar has to come up with a decision on
the races ending under the yellow flag. That has to be the most anti-climatic thing in
sports. Can you imagine laying out all that hard earned money and watch the thing end
under a yellow flag, give me a break. The easies way to fix this is like they do at the
local dirt tracks. The last five laps have to be run under the green flag. In other words
if its yellow or red with less than five to go the laps don't count until its green again.
When the yellow flag comes out with less than five to go the positions of the cars would
revert back to the last full green flag lap. I think this is why Nascar doesn't do this is
because they fear the scoring headache it would be, but with all the television cameras at
the races, I think they could figure out where everyone was on the last full green.
Suggestion number 3. Restrictor plate racing sucks. No other way to put it. The idea of a
race is for the fastest car to win. We all know that. But lets think about this a minute.
How many of you really think racing with a speed limit is cool? It's a joke. It's an oxy
moron. It's redundant. We want you to race as fast as we will let you go and see what
happens when you guys are all bunched up, but we don't want any serious accidents.
Hmmmmmmmmmm sound familiar? But we can all see its ridiculous. If we can't run wide
open at these tracks, the tracks should be shortened to one and a half miles like
Charlotte. To me that would be a shame. Before restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega
it was so cool to me that it wasn't just about if you had the fastest car, but if you had
the nerve it took to go well over 200 miles an hour, like Bill's record of 212 mph at
Talladega. It just seemed to be so much more then when it was, Do you have the nerve to go
that fast? Put up higher catch fences if that is what it takes. A race is and always
will be the fastest car win. At least that is what everyone thinks except Nascar. The
other thing that I am concerned about is we are starting to see empty seats at the races,
even on the front stretch. The television guys always say when the race is sold out, like
this year at Vegas and Daytona, but they don't mention the empty seats that we all see on
out televisions. I too think that Nascar is pricing itself out of business, especially
when we are seeing an inferior product, see early suggestions above. When it isn't
cool to go to a Cup race anymore, Bill France will be in trouble then. Then
he will be willing to listen. You see, it always comes down to money. When
they start losing money then they listen. I think all our major sports in this country are
getting way out of hand. What the athletes are paid and what the owners want for us to see
these events. I think that maybe if we quit going and hurt the wallets of the track owners
they would have no choice but to try and hear us fans and make it better. Maybe this is
what they call tuff love, huh??? Someone has to open the eyes of Nascar. The only other
thing I have to say is this. You know the saying, competition is a good thing. I think
that is what Bill France needs. I know I know, it has hurt other sports and other racing
leagues.. Maybe it would be to drastic, but Nascar needs a wake up call big time. They are
so full of themselves that they think nothing is wrong and everyone is happy. Oh well, you
ask for suggestions, and you got mine.....
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, amI, Inc. |
