NASCAR's big one is coming up.

I am a "road course" fan, through and through.

I love F1 because IMHO it is still king of the hill. Also, I love car's watching car's that I can identify with, especially sports cars, in races with heritage such as LeMans, Sebring, etc. And, I still love open wheeled racing at Indy.

NASCAR does not excite me. But I have to admit that they do an absolutely wonderful job of marketing their drivers. I just happened to catch Dale Jr. 'yaking' it up on late Friday night at the Daytona. So cool. So relaxed and talking about his dad, old tracks, etc., and none of this usual crap of "My Office Depot, Voyager Team, Ebbro, DigitLink, Best Buy Chevy or Ford or whatever is soooooooo great......." Instead, he was so relaxed on tv you feel like you are sitting in a bar both listening to group kidding about past races and experiences. I have to admire them for that.

I appreciate Tony, Dale Jr, and Jeff G. for being the 'all around racers' that they are. So, although it's not my cup of tea, I will be watching the beginning laps and ending laps of NASCAR's big one.

 

Is the race this weekend or next?

 

This Sunday at noon.

 

As much as I like NASCAR racing, this is one of my least favorite races, despite the fact that NASCAR calls it their "Super Bowl". Give me a short track like Bristol any day. Or a smaller track like Richmond.

 

I will watch most of it. There is something about a pack of cars driving 180 MPH nose to tail. That requires a lot of confidence in your fellow drivers. NASCAR may not be the most exciting racing out there, but its all I have this Sunday.

Besides, its too cold to take my S out of the garage. ;-)

 

To me, the F1 cars are the greatest in the world. My problem with the series is the same problem I have with restricter plate racing in NASCAR - nobody up front ever seems to be able to pass anyone else.

For the former I would suggest either wider turns or longer straightaways.

For the latter, how about an unrestricted 4 cylinder "loosely" based on an F20C? They're already having to build special engines for the two super speedways so I don't think it would add that much expense. Maybe then someone could pull out and pass on the high side without help at Daytona or Talledega.

I'll probably watch anyway - looks like rain tomorrow.

 

We will be watching.

 

It's 27 degrees out here in Atlanta... and Speed TV is on. Great show by Dave Despain on the history of the speed trials on Ormond Beach beginning in 1903 that evolved into the first stock car races further south on Daytona Beach.

Not sure I'll be watching or listening through the audio system all day, but it will be on in the background as we putz around the house and garage.

You've got to hand it to NASCAR, they've really learned how to market their brand of entertainment to an extent that no one else promoting motoring racing has... Cars or teams that are as well known and garnered fans analogous to stick and ball sports teams, multi-millionaire drivers that come off as 'the guy next door', and media exposure that's second to none and appears to now be packaged and integrated with the NFL so that they hand-off their similar fan base at the front and back end of their respective seasons.

So, while I prefer sports car, endurance and rally racing which, at least to me is the best auto racing out there (F1 is too rich for my blood), I can't help but be amazed at how well NASCAR leverages everything about it's sport to provide fans with such a wide range of entertainment packages to connect with. Well, that and watching these guys race cars three and four wide at 200 mph on tracks that aren't as smooth and symetrical as you think. We rode our tandem bicycle around the Lowes Motor Speedway a couple years ago -- all the way up to the top of the banking -- and being on a super speedway really changed my perspective on what they're up against.

Anyway, while not necessarily a NASCAR fan, I'm hard pressed to be too critical of what they've accomplished with the sport.

 

^ Well said.

 

Just a quick follow-up...

Got back from a very cold bicycle ride and thought I was watching a Superbowl pre-grame show: they had a Bon Jovi concert complete with artificial crowd, flag teams all over the infield, and "candid" shots of the drivers surrounded by their families for the Pre-Race show today.

Other NFL-like features of NASCAR that have also been very obvious of late are:

1. The Speed Channel's ESPN Game-Day-like NASCAR Race-Day show that airs up and to the start of the race.
2. TV commercials that are as good or better than the ones shown at the Superbowl except that most of the use the drivers to further connect the sponsors with the fans.
3. The post-race show that provides all of the highlights.
4. An NFL films-like 'Week in NASCAR' show that provided highly dramatized accounts of the pivital moments in each weeks' race, with extensive candid race action video and audio of the drivers and crews.

Oh yes, and a few other NFL connections.... Joe Gibbs who coached the Redskins to three Superbowls between '81 and '92 created Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in '91 with business partner Dandy-Don Meredith. Since then, Terry Bradshaw has started up a Busch Team (Fitz Bradshaw) and this year Troy Aikman & Roger Staubach started up a NASCAR team. There are several other NFL players involved in various other NASCAR franchises and, oh yea, last July NASCAR hired the NFL's Corporate Marketing Director.

Pretty savvy stuff. I'm surprised Bill France doesn't own the Carolina Panthers at this oint.