Bob Lamb Posted July 24, 2017 Posted July 24, 2017 1. Not enough parity. You have maybe a half dozen drivers that are favorites to win every week. This season has so many young drivers competing. And I find it refreshing. Look at all the different winners. The Brickyard was thoroughly entertaining if a little protracted.
mead107 Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 Never been a fan. Kind of like golf, never could under stand chasing a little white ball around. Why would I want to watch cars go around in circles? Tennis another crap game. Not a fan of the NFL expanding in to Europe or Mexico. I believe hockey, baseball, and basketball are to long of a season.
145B4IDIE Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 They decided to turn right and smoke pig and fans evolved and no longer had carpet on their backs to carve numbers in. just my opinion of course. I've had some really epic weekends at the Glen though!
Helpmenow Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 They race with twenty laps to go, the rest is a waste of time
NoSaint Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 (edited) 1. Not enough parity. You have maybe a half dozen drivers that are favorites to win every week. 2. Most of the time the best car doesn't win. It has turned into fuel mileage and strategy instead of good racing. More often not the race is affected by a late caution. 3. They keep changing the format every year and it's impossible to keep track of what the hell is going on. 4. Trying to force it into markets where it's not popular or even wanted. 5. Restrictor plate races are garbage. If I were and owner of refuse to put cars in. If you have a 4 car team, 3 of them will be on a wrecker by the end of the race. 6. Quit being so damn PC and let the drivers have personalities. Growing up I watched some with my dad, but I faded out pretty early in its drop in popularity and he followed a few years later I think you hit on a lot of the reasons. There are a couple big things (and I think the NFL would be wise to learn a lesson here)--- 1) like it or not, sports are the reality tv/soap opera/drama for a specific segment of the population. Meant as no insult, but the big personalities, rivalry and explosive outcomes are more interesting to most when compared to fuel mileage or blocking technique in football. Let them give dramatic interviews, let people celebrate boldly, etc... 2) predictability of show time: most people work a specific schedule, have routines with family, etc... if I'm going to tune in every week, I want a reliable time and channel and to build my routine. The Sunday afternoon format was great for NASCAR. My dad would tend to grill or cook early in the race, we'd eat, and settle in for the end. There was a routine to the season and the actual race day. 3) be ok with owning your reliable fan base and taking care of them and you'll grow a more loyal long term following. You aren't going to have a great product if you try to be significant to EVERYONE. Be great for the people that want the product. Sometimes the constant growth models end up canabalizing the essence of what made something good in the first place Edited July 25, 2017 by NoSaint
Buffalo Barbarian Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 What happened to NASCAR? I look at these empty race tracks every week and low ratings and wonder how did they get here. I'll post some thoughts and invite yours. ...When the first NASCAR race came to Watkins Glen Intl, in the 80's the drivers and teams were all over the place promoting the race. That has dwindled to one event in Corning that they have to pay the teams for. They used to have volunteers from places like the Finger Lakes SPCA man the souvenir booths for part of the proceeds. Not anymore, they bought their own stuff in. Mind you I'm talking WGI which actually still packs them in (its a weekend party). ...On the national front they abandoned their roots in North Carolina like Rockingham and built these generic ovals all over the place in Texas, Illinois, Las Vegas and Kansas. Race times used to be a certain between 12-1, now these races start a different time every week. Of course that's if you know what network is carrying it. ...It seems they just lost their path and got greedy to me. Thoughts? It's still boring.
NoSaint Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 It's still boring. I'll admit, part of the enjoyment was not being TIED to the tv. You could use some of the race to do other stuff and it be background noise unless something happened. Grill up some food, knock out a chore or too, whatever. First 100 miles you could follow loosely while doing stuff and focus more if the drama was building for a good finish. But that does me no good in a Saturday night slot when I'd be most available to watch at the start and it be inconvenient to catch the end.
145B4IDIE Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 I'll admit, part of the enjoyment was not being TIED to the tv. You could use some of the race to do other stuff and it be background noise unless something happened. Grill up some food, knock out a chore or too, whatever. First 100 miles you could follow loosely while doing stuff and focus more if the drama was building for a good finish. But that does me no good in a Saturday night slot when I'd be most available to watch at the start and it be inconvenient to catch the end. Yes, this. Some people like golf and some like futboll and some like croquet. Beer is cold at every sport right? Which reminds me, anyone into stones throwing? the game, not your neighbor's window. I hear there is a nice course a Southern Tier Brewery
Marv's Neighbor Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 Never been a fan. Kind of like golf, never could under stand chasing a little white ball around. Why would I want to watch cars go around in circles? Tennis another crap game. Not a fan of the NFL expanding in to Europe or Mexico. I believe hockey, baseball, and basketball are to long of a season. Couldn't agree more, on all counts!
frostbitmic Posted July 26, 2017 Posted July 26, 2017 Seems like every year they change the system on how to win the championship It also seems to me that they try for the green/white checkered flag every race. Throwing a caution flag for a hot dog wrapper with 5 laps to go when someone is running away with the race hurts the sport.
Just Jack Posted July 26, 2017 Posted July 26, 2017 I used to be a fan, and drifted away for most of the reason mentioned already, especially the constant time and channel changes. But I always wanted to go see a race in person, and last September I finally did, in Kansas. What I discovered, after 20 laps I was bored. I don't know if I'll ever go see another, if I do, it'll probably be something closer to me, like Watkins Glen or New Hampshire.
Mike in Horseheads Posted July 26, 2017 Author Posted July 26, 2017 I used to be a fan, and drifted away for most of the reason mentioned already, especially the constant time and channel changes. But I always wanted to go see a race in person, and last September I finally did, in Kansas. What I discovered, after 20 laps I was bored. I don't know if I'll ever go see another, if I do, it'll probably be something closer to me, like Watkins Glen or New Hampshire. Jack... WGI is just up the road from here (30 miles or less) and still draws a great crowd. Problem there is its a road course 2.3m and you don't see the cars much. BUT its a party track for sure and they have set up video screens all over so you do see the race that way. It was just voted best NASCAR track by USA Today, for what thats worth. Mike
Mike in Horseheads Posted July 26, 2017 Author Posted July 26, 2017 This season has so many young drivers competing. And I find it refreshing. Look at all the different winners. The Brickyard was thoroughly entertaining if a little protracted. Always good to see your name, reminds me of long ago when we were on Prodigy and made the playoffs every year.
SoTier Posted July 27, 2017 Posted July 27, 2017 I think that what's happened to NASCAR is simply that our culture is changing. People's tastes and interests have changed. It's not like it's something that's never happened before. Through the 1940s and 1950s, horse racing was probably the most popular sport in the nation. Horses like Man O'War, Sea Biscuit, Citation, and Swaps were celebrities as were their jockeys. Every newspaper carried the race entries/results from the local tracks as well as stories about the major races from around the country. Important races were carried live on the radio, and later, in the 1950s and 1960s, on TV. Today horse racing is a niche sport with virtually the only races being carried nationally are the Triple Crown and the Breeders Cup. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, tennis mesmerized the country. Bobby Riggs vs Billie Jean King. Chrissie Evert and Jimmie Conners were "an item" for a while, and people really cared. John McEnroe was a tantrum-throwing brat. People watched Wimbledon and the American Open religiously. Now, unless you get The Tennis Channel, you'll be lucky to find a live tennis match even at the US Open, although one of the networks usually has a late-night tennis show during the Grand Slam events. Now, it's NASCAR's that's lost the draft and is getting shuffled back.
JMF2006 Posted July 27, 2017 Posted July 27, 2017 (edited) 1)Cut the race distances in half 2) Lets get back to a car based on a stock body/chassis like in the 60/ 70's you can still make them safe. 3) You race at each track once,36 races 36 different tracks and lets make at least 12 of them road courses. 4)Playoffs? there are no playoffs in racing,its points who cares if the champ doesn't win a race? if your the best and most consistant you deserve it. 5)Lets get back to the bullrings like North Wilkesboro,beating and banging is good fun not to mention the pissed off interviews and fights. Edited July 27, 2017 by JMF2006
jester43 Posted July 27, 2017 Posted July 27, 2017 i could go on all day with this one. i started watching/attending winston cup races in the 70s and i can't sit through it anymore. the drivers are now trust fund babies, who are every bit as spoiled and entitled as the pro athletes we complain about. i also hate that phony-ass fake hillbilly attitude they stamp every part of the sport with, right down to the king phony darrell waltrip in the booth. he was a twat when he drove and he still is. the cars have become very uninteresting. souped-up dinosaurs. the whole idea of a million-dollar "stock" car is an oxymoron anyway. they spend zillions of dollars redesigning every aspect of the cars every few years, and then stick carburators on them?? stupid. and the new "format" is hilariously dumb. talk about lipstick on a pig. i turn on the tv and see "stage 2" or whatever they call it and i just change the channel. i hate the new tracks. too wide and too easy to race on. i loved and miss rockingham, where the fastest way around was a couple feet from the wall. the sport is pretty much dead to me. thank goodness i live in an area with some of the best dirt short track racing in the country. to me that is the only "real" racing left because it is the most accessible to regular guys. tell ya what, i really respect guys who come home from work every night and commit all their free time to getting their dirt car ready. it takes real passion and commitment to the lifestyle. and it is more entertaining than the nascrap on tv!
LeGOATski Posted July 27, 2017 Posted July 27, 2017 It's not interesting at all. Amazing it's lasted this long. I love cars. I hate NASCAR. I respect what the drivers do. NASCAR is stupid.
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