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NASCAR Really Has Some Screws Looseby Heather Meyer ~ December 18th, 2007. Filed under: Articles by Heather. |
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Maybe NASCAR officials need to take drug and alcohol tests themselves.
They sure aren’t playing with full decks with some of the decisions they’ve made lately. |
For instance… allowing Penske Racing to switch owners points between the #2 of Kurt Busch and the #77 of Sam Hornish Jr.
In transferring owners points Hornish Jr doesn’t have to worry about qualifying for the first five races because he is now locked in.
Hopefully his cars are better than last year as he only qualified for the last two races of the season, after attempting to qualify for seven races.
What happens if the duo of Busch/Tryson miss the setup or wreck during qualifying?
Well, they get to use that “lovely” past champion provisional. That would happen because he would be the most recent champion not locked in.
With Kurt Busch being the most recent champion not locked in, that means Dale Jarrett won’t be able to use it if Kurt Busch does.
Dale Jarrett has already said he’s only running the first five races of the season, then he’s stepping out of the #44 car for good. This was done to try and get the #44 car in the top 35 for David Reutimann to take over.
Has that plan for Michael Waltrip Racing been foiled by NASCAR’s move? It seems so. This could mean Dale Jarrett doesn’t race at all next year. I’d hate to see DJ’s career end that way.
This writer thinks there needs to be major adjustments made to the top 35 rule. This rule is really hurting the smaller teams and most of the new drivers coming into Cup.
Television ratings were down this year, people aren’t going to keep watching the powerhouses win or get special treatment all the time.
NASCAR needs to remember this sport won’t continue without fan support.
Your pockets wont be lined with green if you continue to disrespect the fans.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
I for one agree with you up to a point. If your talking about the power houses of Hendrick, Roush, RCR then I disagree. They have more than paid their dues over the years. And just gotten better over the years with good drivers and crews.
Now about Nascar and the stupid points moved over to Ron Hornish Jr…SHAME on Nascar. Let him earn his way into the race like the other driver’s. Why should he get special treatment. The reason is Nascar is bending over backwards and forwards to help these F1 and Indy driver’s get into Cup. Let them go back to that kind of racing. We have enough trouble with Montoya taking car’s out week after week.
If Nascar wants a fair playing field then do away with the Past Champion provisional and the top 35 in points and let the driver’s start where they qualify. Why should a driver have to start farther back in the field because a driver in the top 35 has more points so he gets a better starting position. If a big name such as Stewart, J Gordon, Johnson, Earnhardt Jr, Harvick, kenseth, Newman etc., etc., don’t qualify for the race because their speed was to slow let them go home. Want to bet the next week they would be sure to have a great car.
Nascar is losing fan’s because we’re sick of them trying to tell us that Dale Earnhardt Jr is the reason the fan’s watch or even show up. That’s far from the truth and they know it. To blaim one driver is crazy. It’s the cost of tickets, bad calls during the race, playing favorites to some of the drivers who get away with using the “F” word and Nascar saying it was okay. Not okay but maybe that was the day Nascar should have been tested for drugs or alcohol.
December 18th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Nice article Heather, I agree 100%
December 19th, 2007 at 2:08 am
Great article and I agree with some of Carolyn’s comments above. Though why don’t we go further by not only eliminating the past champion provisionals and the top 35 rule, but also eliminating the chase? Seriously, I think the chase has done much more harm than good in the fact that the championship is no longer decided over the course of the entire season, but rather it is decided on the results of the final ten races. In my humble opinion the chase is a failed experiment that simply has been allowed to continue in the desperate hope that it’ll somehow get better. It won’t.
If Nascar wants to continue growing the sport, then they need to go back to what works, and stop trying to fix it. I do agree in principle with the CoT, as the old cars had gone from resembling production cars in the 80’s to resembling those old Can-Am racers in recent years. Something had to be done. I’m not sure the spec bodies were it, but the blockier shape is more in line with many production cars these days.
December 19th, 2007 at 5:47 am
It is a joke. I think that NASCAR has taken racing out of the picture. First they need to throw out the top 35 rule. Second qualify top 36 on speed and allow 5 provisionals to be passed out by points standings. One past champions provisional. The other change is you can only use 6 max provisionals per year and only one provisional for each 4 races. This would accomplish two things. One it will protect a top team from having a bad weekend and also make qualifing worth something agin. Second it would stop the games some teams are playing just to get in the field.
December 19th, 2007 at 7:39 am
i) When they use points for qualifying, use the TOTAL SUM of the owner and driver points. This way they can’t put in a ringer for the first 5 or the road courses. The only option world be an injured driver with a sub.
2) Drop the chase. I heard the best quite from a writer, ‘NASCAR invented the chase to give the writers something to write about. Now they have to choose which is more important, writers or fans”.
December 19th, 2007 at 9:12 am
I agree that the Sir Brian and his ever faithful lackeys have more than a few screws loose. But really, they just echo what is happening all over. Corporate welfare abounds and NASCAR racing is no exception. Rewards are given for loyalty rather than merit. So instead of requiring the sponsors to get their act into the show on merit, NASCAR gives them perks because they are sponsors, which means money in Sir Brian’s pockets. It isn’t going to change because NASCAR doesn’t see it for what it is-welfare for the rich;
But one day in the not too distant future, the well will dry up. 18-34 year olds go on to other things after a few years and the older fans are already fed up and leaving in droves. And there doesn’t seem to be new 18-34s coming into the sport to take the departed’s place. I think the stands will be more visibly empty than they were last season and the racing visiably poorer.
But that’s ok. I have ARCA, Hooter’s Pro Series, and dirt racing at the local track. My racing card is full! lol
Oh, one more thing: The season is too long and so are most of the races, and I wouldn’t doubt that these have quite a bit to do with the problem also.
December 19th, 2007 at 10:32 am
If the fans hope to bring Nascar back to reality by threatening not to buy tickets to the races , let me give you some insight into the ” Modern Era ” Nascar . They don’t need the fans . Silly ? Not really . Brian could just as easily run his races in front of empty grandstands . The cameras are told not to show the empty seats already , the seats at many tracks have recently been painted in contrasting colors to fool the tv audience into thinking the seats have people in them . The tv networks pay hundreds of millions of dollars to televise many sports events that have almost no crowds . With the money Brian brings in from the tv deals , the sanctioning fees , the tens of millions from each sponsor , and the added hundreds of millions from associate sponsors , he has very little need for fans . The entire amount of money collected each year in ticket sales is only about 20% of the revenue brought in by Nascar . And the revenue from souvenir sales has dropped dramatically over the last few years . The car manufacturers would still participate for the marketing . The sponsors would still participate for the same reason . The tv networks would still have races to televise . So guess which component of Nascar racing Brian can do without .
December 19th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Lets get back to the basics. Qualify Sunday morning and run Sunday afternoon(or Sat. afternoon and run Sat. Nite). Isn’t that what most of the drivers grew up with? Throw out all provisionals and make ALL Drivers and cars qualify for spots #1 through #43. If the guys want to race make them be ready when they get to the track. No more 2 or 3 days to fix their cars after they qualify. RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG ! ! ! !
December 19th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Qualify same day as the race, Qualify under race conditions, no more setting the car up for a qualifying run. NO provisionals. Throw out the Chase
Simple, problem fixed…..
December 19th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Calm down. You guys should know they are going to let KB give his points to hornish. Then in a couple more weeks they are gonna get rid of the champions provisional. Leaving KB to get in on hs own. You guys should be seeing this coming.
December 19th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
The screws that are loose are all named BRIAN!
NASCAR is advancing (?) so fast they have lost sight of what brought them this far. Why not have a race (?) in Greenland?
December 19th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
it seems all people are screwy the top 35 rule keeps field fillers out
and besides how many times would have the popular drivers had to go home
2 maybe 3. Its not there fault mwr couldnt get there act together.
Also i keep hearing how f1 does it how the irl does it but how many of
thier cars go home anyway
December 19th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
OK…. Lose the chase! top 35 qualify by speed! keep the past champion provisional! Road course ringers earn driver points for whoever drives the car only! COT is a good thing! Add 10 points for a win at the time of the win! And stop changing everything! The fans like to think they are knowledgable about their sport and it’s getting to where something significant is different every season and sometimes every event. Maybe NASCAR should just stay in Daytona and contract out the race management, or just put their own officials in the cars. Maybe then they wouldn’t try to drive the cars from the timing tower, like at the first cot race at Talladega, which produced a boring nose to tail race at the mose exciding race on the circuit! BUT.. it’s NASCAR…. good luck with that!
December 19th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I have the best way to fix nascar. DO AWAY WITH BRIAN.
December 19th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
No top 35, no Chase, and no Brian equals better racing.
December 19th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
nascar will not rebound to what it used to be. brian has hurt nascar beyond repair. i follow dirt and truck racing and have saved a lot of money.nascar is on slipery slope.
December 20th, 2007 at 9:17 am
This whole point system is bull.Make everybody qualify for every race and only allow 2 drivers per team (F1)and get those cup guys out of Busch.NASCAR should controll who gets what number example Earnhart Jr. #8. Do you know how many fans are pissed because Jr. could not retain his number.I have been a diehart NASCAR fan for 40 yrs. but no more.Todays (yuck) COT cars can only be recognized by their decals what a shame grass root racing is gone forever.Dale Sr. who talked about speed and the danger of racing said if you don’t like it go back to the kitchen.
December 20th, 2007 at 10:31 am
What’s wrong with NASCAR?
It’s no longer auto racing. . .it’s Wrestling with automobiles! You have the STARS that are protected and even if they mess up the still race, cautions at the right time for commercials or let some one catch, poor TV coverage and High Prices!
Screw the top 35 and past champions provisionsals. . . top 43 race, period end of sentence!
Right now is just not fair to all the teams or sponsors, you 35 teams that only work on race set up and another 8 -12 teams that worry only about qualifying set ups and then if they do make the race there’s little or no time to work on a race set up. That’s really competitive balance isn’t it?
You want the “sport” to thrive? Dance with who brought ya!
Think about it. . . King Richard, Cale, Davey, The Bandit, and all the other greats, did they have a top 35? What would they have done to you if you had considered a top 35!
Bring back the glory days, the fastest race, you’re not fast enough or had an accident qualifying. . . better luck next week.
Ya know what? This is what todays racers what too, ask them!
December 20th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Screw the top 35 and while you’re at itthrow out the “Lucky Dog”. What sense does it make to play poker with someone, win their money and then give it back to see if you can win it again. There is also an idea going around concerning the Chase. Ten races left-top 43 start with zero points-win a race you get 43 points-finish last you get 1-after two races drop the bottom ten-after the next two drop 10 more- after 6 races drop 10 more. Now, with 4 races left you have 13 cars that have a shot at the championship.
December 20th, 2007 at 11:32 am
I think that the networks should pay less for the races and then they could have fewer commercials. The races are boring because they are stopped all the time for commercials. Then reduce the prices of the seats at the race tracks and you will get more fans. With today’s economy, no one with kids can afford to bring them to the track and kids are future fans.
December 20th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
GO FAST OR GO HOME !!
If we are going to BOW down to the almighty DOLLAR in every respect of the sport , why dont we just call it BASEBALL (almost gotten THAT boring )
December 20th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
NASCAR has finally dun did it as far as I am concerned. I have followed USAC, WOO, local racing stats, CART, and INDYCARS. I raced gokarts as a young man and dirt cars later in life. I am of the opinion that rules, are rules, are rules, and may the best teams, that have the best minds and innovations, best cars, best drivers, deserve to qualify and and start where their times line up. If they don’t have the qualifying time to get into the field, they go home. I am a black and white conservative, common sense person, and political correctness is the achillies heal of our govt. and also the downfall of NASCAR and any organization that impliments it into their way of doing business and rules. I for one am “sticking a fork” into nascar because of it’s idiotic way of doing business. The ‘almighty dollar’ is the downfall, the liberalism of rules, the making everyone equal, will push it to the realms of CART and the INDYRACING LEAGUE, the split of WOO a couple years ago and to it’s own demise. Brian France had better wake up. I know his grandfather’s eyes are wide in disbelief and I hope he has the room to turn over in that casket.
December 20th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Nascar doesnt care because they will always have fans. The same stupid ones that had the chase created and others who cant see whats good. Im looking forward to watching the trucks because that seems to be the only real racing we have left in Nascar. Im starting to get out of Nascar because they allow people like Hendrick and Roush to have big teams and did nothing and allowed others to follow with multi car teams. Its sad as hell when you are happy because your car owner has something you dont, race wins and championships. It should be every man/woman for themselvs. I recall when it used to be that way. Dale won his 7 Championships ON HIS OWN not with a teammate giving it to him or giving a setup. His team had to figure things out themselvs and not be given anything!
December 20th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
I think that the top 35 and the pas champion’s provisional needs to be ditched and let the top 43 drivers race and then those that do not make the field, then maybe that will give them added incnentive to make the race the next week instead. As for the chase, I have never liked it and this year is case enough in point.
December 21st, 2007 at 9:57 am
Being in the “50+” age group I left the NASCAR fan base a few years ago…IT’S BORING! I agree with most of the comments about “NASCAR Having Screw Loose”. I expect to see the wheels fall off in the next few years. It’s getting way to expensive to go to more than one race and the TV coverage is pathetic. Hey, Brian France!…GO BACK TO THE BASICS. Until then, count me out!
I wish the IRL drivers would stay put in that series to make it exciting. I also hope NHRA gets their head out of their @#X by trying to copy NASCAR’s “Chase” format before they ruin the best Drag Racing series in the world.(At least in drag racing it’s “still run what you brung” and the little guy can still compete with the big buck teams…)
December 21st, 2007 at 10:55 am
Well,It sure seems like things have changed the last few years after reading some of the above.I just finished reading an article about a girl that grew up watching and going to races with her daddy in Ashville,N.C..She touched on how it brought her and her daddy together and how NASCAR was built on how it brought families together and how NASCAR,fans and drivers were one big family.Well in short,I related to her article.I grew up with NHRA Drag Racing and some Nascar going back to the late 50’s.I attended a few NASCAR Races at Riverside but never really got completely involved til the 70’s,especially when ESPN started televising races.I related to the article about on how she spent Sunday’s with her daddy watching or going to races.I was a total die-hard NASCAR fan by 1980,you couldn’t drag me away from the races on T.V.”At All”.I kinda lost touch somewhat with NHRA racing for awhile somewhat,but not completely.Well my point is after decades of being a dedicated NASCAR fan,and since the death of Dale Sr also,I just don’t have the same love and passion for the sport.There are no more real “Good Ole Boys” left.Maybe a touch with some Mark Martin,Terry Labonte,but it’s just not the same anymore!IT lacks real drivers,real men,true competition it used to have,even if it was something little like Dave Marcus with his wingtips,that won only one race in his long carear,did he ever whine about it?No!He raced for the love of the sport,although he wanted to win as bad as anyone else!The drivers and ownwers of back when are gone!Today’s drivers and owner’s are just commercialized with or by huge sponsor’s.The driver’s are whiners,no real “Good Ole Boys” personalities there.I have respect for their driving talents,but i just can’t stand drivers like the Busch’s,Jamie MacMurry,Harvick,Newman,well the list goes on…It’s a shame NASCAR turned the sport into what it wanted it to be and how it is today.They wanted Big-Time,they got it!So how’s ticket sales and T.V. ratings now and next year???Where’s it all heading?For me,it’s not happening anymore.Read those letter’s sent above and this one,cause the only passion i have anymore is for NHRA Drag Racing.It’s still happening over there and really hasn’t changed!!!Great racing,great drivers and still a very exciting sport.NASCAR took the passion i had out of racing,as well as the these new “Young Guns” as they call em.But i will always remember the passion i had in the past,just like the girl in that article,but i won’t be around watching any longer.It’s just a shame and sad to read those article’s or watch races any longer,just not the same passionate sport.A family???
What do i know though after being a Nascar fan for 40 plus years,”I know what i have a love and passion for,and NASCAR is not happening any longer for me”.All you people keep writing your comment’s and letter’s like it’s gonna fix-it,maybe I’ll see you at the races,NHRA though…..Joey
December 21st, 2007 at 10:16 pm
Sorry Nascar Fans, The good old days are gone. If you want to see a good race you better get back to basics. Your Saturday night short track is the only place to see good racing. Mr. France has made nascar so political I expect Hillary to wave the flag any day now. I will not be watching. I have been squeezed out of particpating in Nascar events by smaller infield RV spots, that cost twice what they should. I have been driven from watching on T.V. ( which I have done for some 40 yrs.. when it was televised, & I was not at the track). I really didn’t think I could ever dislike D.W., then I did, then I begged for him rather than the dog show ESPN gave us. So here it is. Nascar is to commercial for the fans, what can we do? Get back to how, and where it started. These drivers are hungry, determined, aggressive, and will punch out who needs to be if they try to take a win away from them. The only way I can enjoy being a fan is watching the local poor thier heart, and soul into it, Ya know like King Richard, Cale, The Pearson’s, The Parson’s, Dave Marcus, and you can go on, and on.The only other suggestion I can figure is Buycott the sponswe’s, If you want to stop the bleeding, stop the flow!
December 25th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
I agree with everyone who believes Brian France has ruined NASCAR. I am a 65 year old female who has followed various forms of racing since I can remember. My husband and I try to travel to at least one NASCAR race each year. . .paying triple the price for hotel rooms, and expensive race tickets. No more!! NASCAR is not worth the money, thanks to all of Brian’s ideas to “make NASCAR more interesting for the fan.” Excuse me. . .which of his ideas made NASCAR more interesting? I am still waiting for that one. As for ESPN, they must have paid all their money to get T.V. rights for the races because they have no talent calling the race. Rusty is too bias on which drivers he likes and does not like (you can tell by his voice and what he says), and Dr. Punch knows nothing about NASCAR and needs to go back to being a pit reporter for the IRL. Thanks Brian and ESPN for ruining my Sunday afternoons.
January 7th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I think comment #10 is probably right. I mean, NASCAR did that to MWR with the limiting provisionals.
But, I do want to remind everyone, HMS is doing the same thing. The 88 has no points. And they are letting them shuffle the points around. How come everyone is tweeked about Penske shuffling the points and no one mentions Hendrick? BAZAAR as usual!
January 9th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I never did like the points swapping. If #2 earns them, they keep them. The 35 rule does generate some interest in the go or go home guys. But that is only d uring qualifying. Previous champ provisional has been abused all along. Darrel Waltrip’s last years is reason why it should have been eliminated. And yes it is time for DJ to hit the links.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Do away with the Chase!
The last 10 races no one is willing to
race with the Chase guys because they worry they might wreck one of them.
This really makes for boring racing.
If your driver is out of the Chase then they fave no way of moving into
the top 12
Tony Stewart didnt make the Chase in 06 and would have finished the season in 4th buy the old system.
January 10th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
i think everyone should have to do and if ur car [stinks] o well
January 10th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
go backto old school racing i would rather watch local guys racing at least there doing it for fun and the sport of it go number # 20 green and purle
January 16th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
No top 35 - No chase - No ringers - No lucky dog.
You “might” consider a race with the lower no qualifiers for the last spot like they do in dirt sprints - that way the under-financed teams can show off their cars, sponsors and win some money.