Why NASCAR is declining in popularity?

They are trading qulaity trakcs and quality racing for bigger markets.

Losing tracks with personality like North Wilkesboro and Rockingham. Plus cutting Darlington and Atlanta from 2 dates per year to 1 and adding dates at tracks with no personality like: Las Vegas, Fontana, Loudon, Kansas, Chicago, Kentucky and Homestead is killing the series.

IF NASCAR wants to add more juice to the series take away one of the 2 races at: Kansas, Pocono, Loudon, Michigan and Phoenix those tracks don't provide good enough racing to have 2 races per year. Give Darlington and Atlanta back their 2nd date, and add dates at North Wilkesboro, Rockingham and Iowa Speedway. That small change would have a large impact.

In other words Bruton Smith has been bad for NASCAR.

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Permalink Reply by JLG07 on February 22, 2011 at 11:26pm
I've been watching NASCAR off an on for about a year and I think the Sprint Cup races are 2 hours too long. I watch most of them on DVR and watch the first 30 mins, wrecks and then the last 30 minutes. Every race doesn't have to be a 'marathon race'. They should have 2 or 3 four hour races and the rest 2-3 hours max.
Permalink Reply by GasOnRobby on February 23, 2011 at 12:38am
I do not think the show is fixed. I worked on a car when in college and there are too many independent variables that would need to be controlled in order to fix the outcome. I guess RG almost spinning and the subsequent wreck that took out Jr. was chreographed before they showed up at Daytona. Give me a break.

The problem is NASCAR's attempt to manage competition. They have put too many limits on the teams, manufactures, and the drivers. There is no innovation; just a sucky COT that requires a sticker to determine the brand. The COT is detrimental to stock car racing. Force the teams to put a real skin around the safe cage.

I remember the good old days when someone showed up at the track and kicked everyones ass. Remember awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Handsome Harry Gant. The other teams and manufactures worked hard to figure out what they were doing and pass them by. Today we would say Bill lapping the field is boring. I miss those days. We are also at fault because of our attention deficit and our addiction to immediate and continuous stimulation.

I'm glad we have live racing on national TV. I like the broadcast innovation ideas the big networks have brought to the sport. I don't mind ex drivers and crew chiefs giving us a racers perspective. I too do not like the gopher crap. We need Bill Murray to kill the gopher.

Another problem with NASCAR is money. It costs a fortune for the networks to win the broadcast contract. This forces them to have a lot of commercials and find other ways to cover their costs. I bet if RG paid Fox money then they would mention Speed Energy every chance they get. Also, the tight control on the COT requires teams to spend a lot of engineering money on the few things they can modify. RCR was pissed because of all the money they spent on their cooling system. NASCAR should have left the rules alone.
Permalink Reply by NightHawk on February 23, 2011 at 1:29am
You are correct with your point about the "new" schedule, IT SUCKS! The old tracks only started declining in attendance after the dates were re worked years back, but stock car racing has always been a sport for the common man and I think the economy has a lot to do with it. Not all but most fans who attend the other major US sports are wealthy and even with the seating being limited as the price goes up the fans still have extra cash in hand. Stock car racing is hurting because the masses are becoming poor, and even though the seating is almost unlimited and ticket prices remain a constant the fans cant afford that 4 day hoilday at the track or even the gas to get there for just raceday, any more. And whoever called nascar a big fat pig is my hero, could not have been better said my friend.
Permalink Reply by Jess on February 23, 2011 at 9:40am
how does waltrip get paid more then robby for the 500 ??? do past 500 wins get you more money ?? i don't get the payout ?
Permalink Reply by Michael Martinez on February 23, 2011 at 10:31am
There are many "sponsorship driven" factors involved. Getting X amount from X sponsorship for X finish. It's different for every driver...... everyone of them, in the end it's not even worth thinking about. Take a look at last years road course prize lists

EXAMPLE:

38 13 83 Boris Said Red Bull Toyota 65 49 0 78.2 $102,573 Accident

15 25 56 Martin Truex Jr NAPA Toyota 90 118 0 78.1 $70,000 Running

38TH place for boris
15TH for Truex
Permalink Reply by MerlotMax on February 23, 2011 at 1:05pm
1) The COT has taken a lot of the brand recognition away,

2) The fact that NASCAR is chasing money the Gene Simmons way, license anything and everything. To the point that they are taking sponsership dollars away form the teams.

3) I also do not understand how they could let the "Title" sponsor dicide that certain sponsorships cannot be allowed, ie competing cell service providers. Money is money and compition is supposed to be a good thing.

4)Did anyone hear any car called by its sponser? The Motorcraft Ford of Baynes, Pennzoil Dodge, NAPA Toyota or Speed Energy Dodge? This used to happen all the time. It would be nice that these companys get a bit more bang for their buck.

One of the only things I heard was the the drivers were "Amped up".
Permalink Reply by Lucky 7 on February 23, 2011 at 10:21pm
4) Did anyone hear any car called by its sponser? The Motorcraft Ford of Baynes, Pennzoil Dodge, NAPA Toyota or Speed Energy Dodge? This used to happen all the time. It would be nice that these companys get a bit more bang for their buck.


This is spot on. Ken Squire was the master of letting you know it was Bill Elliot in the Coors-Melling Ford, Dale Earnhardt in the Goodwrench Chevy, etc. Eli Gold and Bob Jenkins as well. Mike Joy and Marty Reid not so much

Also Squire never over-used the drivers nickname. He would always go to at least halfway describing Driver, Sponsor, Make of Car. Then late in the 2nd half of the race He would call Bill "Awesome Bill" if he was in contention. Or how about "hear comes the Man in Black / Intimidator" . We all remember that. I don't want to hear the announcer use Smoke, Rowdy, Big Daddy, Junebug, Mikey, Happy, Biff, Cousin, etc all race every race, unless they are making a charge late. Using the nickname sparingly also provides dramatic effect.
Permalink Reply by kevin watford on February 23, 2011 at 10:07pm
What goes up must come down.
Permalink Reply by TOG on February 24, 2011 at 12:16am
The sheeple have spoken!

Great call on the technology aspect.

Permalink Reply by Lucky 7 on February 24, 2011 at 2:31am
The eyes see what the mind believes right? :)
Permalink Reply by Robert Richards on February 24, 2011 at 1:30am
my question is why would anyone spill beer at those prices?
Permalink Reply by Lucky 7 on February 24, 2011 at 2:17am
All Sports will have to battle becoming Virtual Leagues from here out completely agree.

NASCAR Boasts that each week they have 43 of the best drivers in the world going at it. You would think that they realize that all 43 drivers are stars, but they clearly don't act like it.

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