Tim Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 Originally Posted by autoextremist.com by Dr. Bud E. Bryan NASCAR Nation? No thanks. Austin, Texas. Peter set-off a firestorm last week with his "Fumes" column about the fact that one of what we used to call the "Big Three" was in serious discussions to pull-out of NASCAR. You would have thought he was suggesting some radical idea that would adversely affect the well being of every citizen of this country - judging by the amount of vitriol directed toward him. But all he said was that one of the Detroit car companies was seriously investigating its options and making definitive plans to properly assess a world that didn't revolve around continuing their involvement in NASCAR. That's it. He even acquiesced to an interview on NASCAR's official radio network - on MRN Radio's Sirius Speedway show - in which the "host" treated him in a condescending tone, like he was guilty of blasphemy or even high treason, his crimes against the NASCAR Empire were so blatant and unforgivable. Peter did his best not to just cut the interview off, deeming it afterwards as a monumental waste of his time (which it was), but I don't have to be that cordial. NASCAR Nation is a flat-out fraud - there, I said it. The people who count themselves as "fans" of NASCAR "racing" have been duped and sold a bill of goods. NASCAR has devolved from a grass-roots celebration of American racing like it used to be (and like it should still be) into a fabricated, synthesized and sanitized marketing "vehicle" that exists solely for the edification and the profitability of the France family and its legions of enablers (aka the corporate sponsors) and the equally subservient TV networks. It is an unbridled greed-fest that has exactly zero to do with real racing and everything to do with marketing "synergies" and programming content that ultimately has nothing to do with the fans - other than to somehow entice them into buying more NASCAR wearables, souvenirs and trinkets and trash - which in turn helps propel the NASCAR money train even further down the tracks. What once was an authentic form of racing - based, at one point, on the fundamentally appealing hook of racing cars that you and I could actually buy in the showroom - has become a spec car series that has nothing to do with anything even remotely to do with the vehicles we drive. And that's just the beginning of the giant disconnect that NASCAR brings to the table. But you can't tell NASCAR Nation that, oh, hell no. As a matter of fact, if one has the temerity to even question anything about NASCAR they are immediately vilified and branded an undesirable - or worse. What is that about, anyway? People aren't supposed to like or prefer any other forms of racing? We are only allowed to like NASCAR in this country and if we don't we're what - un-American? Unf---ing believable. Well, count me out. Other than exactly four races a year - the Daytona 500, the Sears Point and Watkins Glen road races and the Bristol night race - I couldn't care less. NASCAR is tedious, repetitive, homogenized, predictable and ridiculous - and on top of that, anyone who can sit there and tell me with a straight face that restrictor-plate "racing" makes any sense at all must be living in fantasy land. I, along with hundreds of thousands of other racing fans in this country enjoy many forms of racing that don't begin with six capitol letters. I'm not going to sit here and delineate them all either, but suffice to say there is plenty of racing going on in this country that hasn't been corroded by the France family's tentacles or corporate America's all-consuming passion for programming "content." So, I would hope that all of the Detroit manufacturers would show some cojones and say, "You know, come to think of it, this makes absolutely no sense to us at all." Yeah, NASCAR gets the "numbers" and delivers the "right" demographics, but at the end of the day the benefit to the Detroit manufacturers is slim and none. How can I possibly say that, you might say? Simple. NASCAR's popularity certainly hasn't worked wonders for Detroit in the showrooms, now has it? Peter is absolutely right - NASCAR could exist just fine without the Detroit manufacturers. As a matter of fact, it would unleash another boom for NASCAR's overflowing coffers, because rather than having to pay the GM, Ford and Chrysler license fees for the use of their logos, NASCAR could keep all of the money from its newly-minted scale model "NASCAR Specials" collectibles for itself. I was one of those people who actually used to say, "Wouldn't it be cool if the newspapers and media outlets would give proper coverage to racing for a change other than just the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500, and treat it just like other major league sports?" But in one of the most painful examples of "be careful what you wish for" I can think of - now we have every two-bit newspaper and local TV sports show bobblehead inundating us with NASCAR, not to mention the complete abdication of the SPEED Channel in its mission to become NASCAR TV - and it just really pisses me off. NASCAR is about marketing and money, and if the denizens of NASCAR Nation want to delude themselves into thinking otherwise, be my guest. But I for one am mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it one minute longer - and I know there are hundreds of thousands of people out there just like me. Adios until the next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 I find it difficult to disagree with any of the points made in this article... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 Oh boy. Someone's gonna get yelled at.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundogC3 Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 Love it or hate it...........It's still the #2 sport in America behind the NFL.... GO BLACK #3 SORRY #8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SVCMNGR1 Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 AutoEXTREMIST.com sounds about right. Sounds like somebody needs more fiber in their diet. If you don't like what is on a certain channnel, it is entirely your right to pick one of the other 499 available from your local cable network. Do I agree with everything NASCAR is/has done? Nope. But I would much rather see it than not, as was the case just a decade or so ago. You can't compare NASCAR to local racing anymore than you can compare the NFL to high school football. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy both of them. People will always have their attention turned to whomever is making the most noise. Looks to me like Mr Bryan has found his niche complaining about NASCAR and will probably make a few bucks being the "EXTREMIST" in a saturated market. He's a freakin genius. Have a great weekend folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KELLY83 Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 I find parts of the article amusing. An example: He puts down restrictor plate racing... "NASCAR is tedious, repetitive, homogenized, predictable and ridiculous - and on top of that, anyone who can sit there and tell me with a straight face that restrictor-plate "racing" makes any sense at all must be living in fantasy land." But just before that he said... "Well, count me out. Other than exactly four races a year-the Daytona 500, the Sears Point and Watkins Glen road races and the Bristol night race - I couldn't care less." Uh.. sir..... Last time I checked... the Daytona 500 is a plate race... MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!! I do like what he said here though... "But you can't tell NASCAR Nation that, oh, hell no. As a matter of fact, if one has the temerity to even question anything about NASCAR they are immediately vilified and branded an undesirable - or worse. What is that about, anyway? People aren't supposed to like or prefer any other forms of racing? We are only allowed to like NASCAR in this country and if we don't we're what - un-American?" Me... I much rather watched a 30-50 lap dirt non-winged sprint car, midget, or a dirt late model race than watch 200-500 laps of Nascar. However, NASCAR is readily available every weekend on TV - so I watch it. I love watching Speed News. NO, not the Nascar edition but the one that comes on after that on Sunday evenings where they show: SCCA F1 IRL ARCA CART Asphalt Late Models Various types of road course, motorcross, and off road rally type races, and then that 1 minute segmant on late models and non winged sprints usually featuring Scott "I need some white dust up my nose" Bloomquist and the amazing Cory Kruseman. This past weekend they mentioned a Bryan Clauson kid... racing midgets and sprints.. Youngest to ever win a USAC midget race (last year) and asphalt sprint race (this year)... he just signed with Chip Ganassi on a developmental contract. I met him 2 years ago at the Chili Bowl racing in his family owned car, this year he was there again racing for Keith Kunz Motorsports who he is racing for now in USAC. That's the stuff I like to see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REBELRACER Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 yeah thats the one thing i dislike about nascar racing, the races are too dang long...........if you sit and watch the whole race it takes up the whole day..........and of coarse the 1 hour prerace show and 30 minute post race show........i love racing, but would rather watch the all star challange where it is 70 laps and over........but i guess in order to fill their pockets they need to drag it out as long as possible to get every dime they can.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumper Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 When I vacation I always try to visit whatever Nascar track is nearby.Its not open for racing but intresting non the less.Whats really intresting is talking to the people who live nearby and most of them would rather watch a race at their local dirt track.Ive been told the ASA was the real seris to watch because thats more likea local track race would look like at a big track.For example Talladaga has a great red clay dirt track just a few miles down the road from the big track.I admit I watch every lap of every truck,Bush and Cup race but I pre record it and can bypass commercials.I can see a Cup race in 2 hours.Dont forget NASCAR is the fantasy land that every driver and car owner wishes they were in.Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted April 28, 2006 Report Share Posted April 28, 2006 Kelly83- I would imagine Daytona is on the list just as the Indy 500 might be for other people: it's a traditional race and the biggest of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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