Read this:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405...KEYWORDS=nascar

Now this about a week later....
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405...yle_Lifestyle_5

I'm not a "conspiracy theory" type guy...but this outcome is astronomically unlikely, and I'm willing to bet NASCAR's biggest drop in market share was the 16-25 age group....

 

I follow the sport VERY loosely but I do know that the first article is a bit misleading. In recent years, NASCAR has made numerous changes to rules that have made the sport safer not more prone to "drama" as the article says. The change to the Civic spoilers they talk about was part of the new chassis rules they implemented to have a safer and more competitive car out there. The new car has to be much more uniform and even the angle of the rear spoiler is mandated. They have added things like the double yellow line at the bottom of the track to curb crashes amongst other things. I have seen no indication that they are trying to set it up for more drama to entice fans. In fact it's the opposite most notably since Earnhardt died. Fact of the matter is that all sports are seeing lower sales since the economy took a dive.

I don't know where they got the idea of the sport "busting onto the scene ten years ago" either. As far as Trevor Bayne winning to attract young kids, I find that a bit silly too. Most kids already have a favorite driver. If you watch a whole race you would see how impossible it would be to fix a finish. People who say it's a boring sport would also probably be amazed by the amount of action and strategy that takes place.

 

 

There has been some drama over the years, with people intentionally wrecking someone else and having heated words through the press. That's always been the case with auto racing, though, and not just Nascar. So far this year, there was relatively little.

And I've heard the 'scripted' argument before, but that's just highly unlikely. The competition is intentionally kept close, and what variables there are can be nearly impossible to control, much less script for a multi hour event. Way, way too many variables.

I've said it plenty of times before, but Nascar is a lot like other sports... the interest is in the details. If you don't care about strategy, drafting, pit stops, chassis settings, etc. then you're not watching racing.

The argument that its "Go fast, turn left" is like saying Tennis is just a couple of people hitting a ball at eachother, and Golf is hitting a ball in a hole.

 

well said

 

with both of you, lots of people to knock Nascar but in reality they are some of the best drivers in the world turning constant left or not.

Script a race, tell me how you are going to choose which cars crash and with how much damage in a 200mph melee I sure would love to know how anyone scripts that!

 

yesterdays race was more like roller derby than WWF.


I'd like something between nascar and F1.

Bring back trans-am. ( and no not the pontiac)

 

 

NASCAR? Isn't that the group that drives around in circles until someone gets dizzy and hits the wall?

 

Whatever ya say Grove...... I would love to see some of the people that bash nascar drivers race any of em on the track of their choosing. Be fun to see some bashers gets their cans handed to em.

Most of these guys cut their teeth on non oval tracks they can drive.