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Nascar is teetering on the brink

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Real Deal 2

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I know this is not news to most but NASCAR is in a real mess. Sponsors pulling sponsorships midseason, others not renewing like Target who is putting money into soccer. Others not sure if they will renew.

TV ratings are awful, demographics of the important demo group 18-49 are awful and losing all the great allure and popularity of the 90's of Gordon-Stewart mixed with Old guard Sr. and Rusty, Jarrett. Only group actually maintaining is 60+ crowd. Younger demo is dropping like flies.

I must admit I was brought into the Sr and Gordon years and watched it pretty regularly until the last 6-7 years. I liked Gordon because his peers all said he was one of the top racers of all time ala Sr, Pearson, Cale, Richard. Great car control that nobody had. He also was stark difference in SR and others which made it fun. He brought the hot wheel generation into NASCAR.

I spoke to some people that do ad stuff in Sports and they say NASCAR will be like badminton or cricket in 10 years.
No young Gordon types coming along, I mean KYLE Busch and others have come on, still not picked up viewers, no real driver to attract. Think a lot of it is the France family changing the rules, Jimmy Johnson being so dominant, changing of the point system. Races truthfully are terrible.
Just so damn boring. NASCAR changing points system, Gordon would have had 5-6 championships in old format, Kyle Busch and others as well. Races last all day ala Indy last week. 4 hours is too much.

Indy Racing and Indy 500 is so much more exciting, even the rubbing and racing guys have to admit this, very seldom does a NASCAR race come down to those last laps or a pass that wins a race.
My AD guy called it the Jimmy Johnsonization " of NASCAR, very docile, clean, just so bland. No must see races.

Do you still make time on Sunday or Sat. night to watch race, Bristol race, they are giving away tickets.
 
Surprised a bunch of cars driving around in circles on cookie cutter tracks for 500 miles is not entertaining to people.

I was never in to racing, but this seems like an instance of trying to expand the sport actually killed the sport. A bunch of southern rednecks fighting and chewing tobacco in small towns on shitty tracks seems like a much more interesting sport.
 
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Had no interest at all in NASCAR but I watch golf religiously on Sundays and would flip over on occasions starting in 2000 or so. Gradually, I'd watch more and more and latched on as a Gordon fan and started to understand a little more strategy is involved than average joe at home knows. I found that part of racing kind of interesting and respected it's more than joe at home cares to know. When Gordon was racing I tried to flip over as much as possible, especially if he was in the top 10 or on a track he has good history with. I am a big fan of super speedway racing which is probably against traditional NASCAR guy. Will always watch Daytona and Talladega racing but without Gordon I can admit my watching of NASCAR has dropped 90%. Watching golf today and do have Pocano on 'last' on remote so I will watch a few minutes here and there.
 
It's awful. I used to watch every lap of Busch and Cup Series, now I rarely remember it's on or what channel. They tried to go mainstream, in the process selling out their core Southern fanbase. The various car incarnations have sucked, the Chase(and changing rules every season) is stupid, the races are interminably long and boring and the drivers are non-entities. It's virtually a dead sport nationally and they've alienated so many long-time Southern fans who will never come back. IMO.
 
Some of what you say is true, OP, but ...

Real Deal 2 said:
Indy Racing and Indy 500
Click to expand...

That racing is no way as interesting. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who isn't a mega IndyCar fan say so.

Real Deal 2 said:
No young Gordon types coming along
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There are tons of young great drivers coming around. Gordon was a 'city boy' breaking into a country sport. Now they are almost all city boys. A driver of a different nationality or ethnicity that makes a big splash would be the next Gordonesque type driver.

They are long races and a very long season, I'll give you that. Even though I am currently watching Pocono, there doesn't need be two races there.

NASCAR is flexible enough to change the scoring systems to try and make the whole race more important, but they're too stubborn to do anything about the long season. Daytona will always be in February. I would be OK with a shorter season for sure. February through the first couple of weeks of college football would be plenty.
 
NASCAR is cars going in a circle. I've never understood its appeal. And the organization alienating its base (southern white men) to try to appeal to potential new fans (anyone else) backfired big time. THEY EVEN LET THEM FERRRRIN COMPANIES PUT THEM RICE BURNIN' CARS IN THEM RACES.

I always found it boring and a good way to catch a nap on a Sunday, but others seem to like it so much they threaten to fight you if you make fun of the sport.
 
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Seems like just yesterday - 1990s probably? - when stock car racing seemingly came out of no where, going from a regional "redneck" southern thing to being The Next Big Thing. I guess it's time came and went just that quickly?
 
I was reading the Mike Bianchi article about Hugh Freeze and comparing to Rick Pitino, he is quoted as saying Nascar is dying on the vine in front of our very eyes. I heard a sports show in Jacksonville say awhile back that NASCAR is very concerned. TV ratings are barely beating MLB and the drop in 5-10 years is bigger than any sport has had. Daytona offices are very worried.

Agree that some young drivers coming up but fact is no one is watching that cares, nothing compelling to watch, races, personalities, confusing points, just a sport that is heading for the crap heap. Said young kids barely will watch NFL games for 3 hours, not going to watch a rain delayed boring race at Indy or New Hampshire. Major problems.

Think when they were giving away tickets to the August Bristol race and Spring race was 1/2 to 2/3 filled. That should have been impetus to those in the know. Just nothing compelling to watch, the racing is not great, drivers are bland.
 
I've worked for years with several hardcore NASCAR fans.

Listening to these guys who grew up loving the sport, there are 3 things that have led to the fall in popularity, IMO.

1. The death of Dale Earnhardt. This can't be overstated. Earnhardt fans rank right up there with BBN as far as devotion to
their guy. When he died, many hardcore fans lost interest.

2. Taking races out of the South and away from traditional tracks like Rockingham and Darlington.

3. Toyota entering NASCAR and the demise of Pontiac. Right or wrong, the Toyota thing was a huge deal to the hardcore
fans. They absolutely hated it.

I remember years ago, you could always tell there was a race at Bristol. There would be miles of RVs and campers coming through Bell County on their way to Bristol.

Nowadays, nothing.

I agree with the OP, NASCAR is dying.
 
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I just turned on NASCAR due to this thread. Other than a bunch of gay looking cars driving around the track, I don't understand any of it. Couple of good ol' boys jabbering about points, pit stops, etc.... According to my satellite guide, this thing is 3.5 hrs long. It needs more crashes. Also, that woman driver needs to be naked.
 
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More short tracks, more road courses, shorter season, more car diversity, scrap the Chase

^^^ Would help quite a bit.
 
MegaBlue05 said:
NASCAR is cars going in a circle. I've never understood its appeal. And the organization alienating its base (southern white men) to try to appeal to potential new fans (anyone else) backfired big time. THEY EVEN LET THEM FERRRRIN COMPANIES PUT THEM RICE BURNIN' CARS IN THEM RACES.

I always found it boring and a good way to catch a nap on a Sunday, but others seem to like it so much they threaten to fight you if you make fun of the sport.
Click to expand...
Basketball is just guys trying to throw a ball in a hoop, golf is just guys trying hit a ball in a hole. You can break every sport down like that.

I grew up on racing. My dad raced dirt tracks back in the day. I've made a few laps before. I love fast cars. I watched every race possible from birth until about 5 or so years ago. It sucks now. The guys driving have no personality and couldn't tell you the difference in a camshaft and crankshaft.
 
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It's the cookie cutter cars. NASCAR should leave the S for "stock" out of NASCAR and make it NACCCR.
 
Pretty sure tailgates and getting to dress like trash as a themed party is the only reason to attend a race. There is zero interest in actually watching it. The same 3 guys have always won anyway.
 
I'm one who loves Formula 1 and Indy car racing, but it's clearly not for America. NASCAR is. I hope your wrong. Whether they race around on left handed courses doesn't diminish their talent. I've driven a car on a track for 25-30 minutes of competition. It left me sweated and exhausted. To do that for 500 miles is amazing to me.
 
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BoulderCat said:
I'm one who loves Formula 1 and Indy car racing, but it's clearly not for America. NASCAR is. I hope your wrong. Whether they race around on left handed courses doesn't diminish their talent. I've driven a car on a track for 25-30 minutes of competition. It left me sweated and exhausted. To do that for 500 miles is amazing to me.
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I like F1 and Indy, but to me it's not as exciting. I like to use the phrase "Formula 1 (or Indy) is a Science Fair. NASCAR is the County Fair."
 
HDTV has also led to the demise of Nascar. Why spend lots of money and time to go to the track when you can stay home and see it all on TV (and take a nap during the middle of it). I really loved it 2004-09 (and went to several races) but my interest has gone really down.

I know a lot of people don't like Dale Jr., but when he retires at the end of this season, those already low ratings and attendance are going to plummet even further. Nascar needs Chase Elliott to continue to improve and be a star and bring back his father's fan base.
 
420grover said:
Basketball is just guys trying to throw a ball in a hoop, golf is just guys trying hit a ball in a hole. You can break every sport down like that.

I grew up on racing. My dad raced dirt tracks back in the day. I've made a few laps before. I love fast cars. I watched every race possible from birth until about 5 or so years ago. It sucks now. The guys driving have no personality and couldn't tell you the difference in a camshaft and crankshaft.
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Watching dirt track stock car races in the '60's was a lot of fun. Somehow, the sport evolved from old cars being hyped up to race on dirt tracks to the new, high tech ones we see today. Personally, it's just not as interesting to see these super modified vehicles speed around a track all day.
 
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specialkd24 said:
HDTV has also led to the demise of Nascar. Why spend lots of money and time to go to the track when you can stay home and see it all on TV (and take a nap during the middle of it). I really loved it 2004-09 (and went to several races) but my interest has gone really down.

I know a lot of people don't like Dale Jr., but when he retires at the end of this season, those already low ratings and attendance are going to plummet even further. Nascar needs Chase Elliott to continue to improve and be a star and bring back his father's fan base.
Click to expand...

That's true of all sports to a degree.
 
The only people who would say the last 10-15 Indy 500 are not as exciting as any NASCAR race are totally guys who either have 3 tattooed on their forearms or will never let the open wheel guys get their due. Nascar is so boring, SR dies and it is lost. The fact that the racing is awful. I mean the last 10 laps of the past 5 Indy 500's have more passing then a NASCAR season, exaggerating a little but you have to admit no passing and the Indy has just unbelievable passing, maybe not rubbing but helluva lot of racing.
AJ Foyt would have eaten Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for breakfast. He along with Junior Johnson are some tough hombres. AJ won a Daytona as did Mario Andretti who was a bad man as well. AJ was Earnhardt but actually mean as hell and cantankerous.
 
Real Deal 2 said:
I mean the last 10 laps of the past 5 Indy 500's have more passing then a NASCAR season
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Not true at all, but I assume you're trying to be hyperbolic. Indy 500 is a different animal altogether and I enjoy it. I'm not watching more than 10 laps of the IndyCar Grand Prix of Milwaukee or whatever, and neither is anyone else. FTR, no tats here.
 
Just saying the last 10 years of Indy, the final laps are furious and exciting. Hang your ass on a piece of metal and no bumper at 220, pretty damn exciting.

I can't tell you a good race I remember in NASCAR, maybe Jeff Burton and Gordon in Atl, Jeff going for Million Darlington against Burton, Earnhardt pushing Terry Labonte out of way at night race, rattle his cage moment, Rusty wrecking DW at Charlotte, choking on Million, Allisons and Cale fighting, Richard and David Pearson in 76 Daytona.

Not many good races in the last 10 years for sure. Too many cookie cutter tracks, Kansas, Chicago, Texas, Not enough Darlington which is always a great race, Atl is usually a good race. Jimmy Johnson has mastered the mile and half race, Phoenix, Vegas. All look the same. Go to Darlington or more road courses or short tracks.
 
Some random thoughts from a marginal fan.
Jr. wasn't Sr. and now even he's going to be gone.
It doesn't set up for the twitter generation. So it will become a regional phenomena again.
Even so, with the demand for live sports programming, it's doubtful it goes completely away.
Most hardcore fans I know already record and watch at leisure.
Once the driver I follow is out of contention or wrecks I watch something else.
Obviously as it became corporate big business, a lot of it's fan identity was lost.
Because of real danger, there can't be flaming car crashes with parts flying into the stands.
So I guess people making millions are not gonna be interested in figure 8 racing.
Basically it needs a superstar and a super heel.
 
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CatGotMyTongue said:
If a black driver won, I couldn't imagine the rioting, wrath and drunken anger of NASCAR fans. Prayers sent this won't happen
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HaHa, black people don't have the "talent" to race stock cars. They weigh 3400lbs and have over 800hp. In order to drive one and have a chance of winning, you must possess the talent of nepotism, or at least the talent of marketability to the target audience.

NASCAR was dead the moment they reduced the chance of us watching someone die on live TV. Everyone likes crashes and there's no crash as good as one where someone just might be dead. No carnage, no care.
 
636029982216562639-69308173_giphy-2.gif


I bet the ratings would takeoff if you turned NASCAR into this below.

lZXxvp.gif

giphy.gif
 
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funKYcat75 said:
I like F1 and Indy, but to me it's not as exciting. I like to use the phrase "Formula 1 (or Indy) is a Science Fair. NASCAR is the County Fair."
Click to expand...

Touche my friend. I know I'm not liked here, those likes I have didn't come from here. And yet I have so much in common with all of you. I wonder sometimes if anyone ever looks over to the left and sees where I came from, what I am.
 
BoulderCat said:
Touche my friend. I know I'm not liked here, those likes I have didn't come from here. And yet I have so much in common with all of you. I wonder sometimes if anyone ever looks over to the left and sees where I came from, what I am.
Click to expand...
You're fine. You also can backup your opinion since you actually are around racing.
 
funKYcat75 said:
I like F1 and Indy, but to me it's not as exciting. I like to use the phrase "Formula 1 (or Indy) is a Science Fair. NASCAR is the County Fair."
Click to expand...
F1 terrible. Whoever wins it to first turn wins race half the time. Just awful.
 
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