what the hell happened to nascar?

Question

how on earth did NASCAR come to this? how did nascar go from ciggarettes (winston), beer (busch), and tools (craftsman), to cell phones (sprint), insurance (nationwide), and nicotine patches(niccorette)!?!?!?!?!? is nascar completely run by sponsors, when will the heart and soul of nascar come back

Answer 1

I have watched Nascar for almost 20 years. I have been disgusted with the way its been run for a while now- it seemed everything good about it changed after Dale died. From the "no pass" lines to not racing back to cautions to the cars all being uniform= its so different now. With that, the races are predictable and boring. When you take the risk out of the sport then there is nothing to keep you on the edge of your seat. Its no longer brave to race these cars at 190 mph- the safety devices and the way they have cchanged the layouts of some many tracks to make them "safer" have taken all the challenge and risk out of the sport. I was barely watching already, but after they destroyed Bristol last year I only have been watching the post race highlights. Its a sad day, but Nascar has done this to themselves.

Answer 2

Yes you are right. What once was the top series in the states by being what fans loved a stock car racing series that had cars that looked like the car you drove with traditional rules that every race fan understood with rich in history of NASCAR drivers not stars. That a father and son who followed built from the 40's to the end of the 90's a business that every American could be proud of.
TO a series that has cars that might be the car you drive maybe? AA series that pushed the people the Television channels and sponsors aside for a brain dead bunch of round ball loving kids that don't understand a thing about the sport. Oh they know cell phones.
Which leads me to the rule changing so this bunch can like there sports of all kind only to realize that these rules don't go with auto racing and the rule makers are so full of there selves they will not admit it only keep trying to fix a thing that can't be fixed. I have no idea how any one who loved racing could come up with such crap.
The drivers today are not a brother, son, cousin of a driver or a guy that worked his way through the ranks they are fine tuned good looking sponsor backed driving stars. I don't mind the open wheel guys coming in but for NA$CAR to all but shut down there minor league then it is wrong.
Today's NA$CAR has to be one of the quickest down falling business's that a son has ever destroyed. And he is proud of it. I just have a hard time believing for a second that the old NA$CAR folks can even imagine what has happen to there sport. I really get upset not boo hoo upset the other kind pi$$ed off to the hilt upset that so many follow this crap and talk like it is theres and alway has been and they are 12. About the same age Brian France must think he is. Well he acts it anyway.
I need to stop.
One more thing though I have stopped supporting NA$CAR where it hurts and that is the wallet I know I am just a itsy bitsy thing but I don't buy stuff any more with NASCAR on it. It hurt last night too, I wanted Klondike ice cream bars so bad but I bought the second best.

Answer 3

It's not driven completely by the sponsors, but 85%. The other 15% would be the track owners. These 2 factions run nascar of today. They have cut the heart out and buried the soul at Rockingham. I'm waiting for them to take away Darlingtons remaining race, or a race at Richmond or Bristol or Atlanta, so they can run in Mexico like Busch series. Tradition means nothing, $$$$ is everything. Sad...

Answer 4

What happened?

The loss of a possible future superstar, Adam Petty, and the loss of a legend, The Intimidator, among several others who died as a result of rules on cars and safety equipment.

Safety became the mantra.


Winston pulled out, "voluntarily" as a result of the Tobacco Settlement brokered under the Clinton Administration in 1997. The tobacco companies settled out of court in order to stave of future lawsuits by states such as Mississippi and others. It was government extortion in purest form.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9707/03/tobacco/index.html

Keep in mind; as in any lawsuit or settlement, it cost the companies nothing as the cost was merely passed onto the consumer.

Reagan had nothing to do with it.

The settlement required tobacco companies to cease sponsorship of professional sports of all types by a certain future date or face continuation of state lawsuits.

Everybody doesn't drink or smoke so NASCAR went in search of broad based sponsorship. The fact that 8 year-olds have cell phones is indicative of broad based sponsorship.

Virtually everyone has some form of insurance and if you own and drive a car, it is mandatory in most states, if not all.

Although many people today who drive trucks have no idea how to use a tool, the connection between trucks and tools is inescapable.

Busch withdrew sponsorship for its own reasons but presumably cost was a factor.

Without sponsors there would be no NASCAR.

Since 1949, NASCAR has always been in a state of flux. Failure to deal with that fact leads to an miserable life for a NASCAR fan. If you want to follow a sport that never changes, I suggest soccer.

Answer 5

The problem with NASCAR is not sponsors, the feminizing/minority pandering of the sport, or the emasculating of the drivers.
The biggest problem with the sport today is that in the name of "parity" NASCAR has become a parody. Those cars now, the COT's don't even hold up with the facade of looking like a street car anymore. That was the origional idea behind NASCAR. Competing in cars that Joe Public could identify with, the cars that were being driven down the street. THAT'S the real loss. The day that Stock was no longer necessary in NASCAR is the day that they lost touch with reality.

Answer 6

With all of Americas good paying Jobs going overseas--There arent any Blue Collar type companies left Rich Enough to Be the Big Sponsor--Then throw in the do gooders which do everything they can to run your life--You cant smoke in here---Drinking is a sin--Both are bad for your Health and other peoples Health 100 feet away from you. Government restrictions on advertising!!!--The Phone Companies Marketing of Cell Phones--Everyone has to have one--even Johnny Boy at age 7 has to have a cell phone although he cant add or spell hes gotta have one to fit in.---The Good Ole Days are gone and wont BE BACK!!!!!!

Answer 7

Winston was about the government. For some reason they don't like cigarettes to advertised. Same deal with the NHRA. They went from Winston to Poweraide.

Busch didn't want to spend the money NASCAR wanted.

Answer 8

Thanks Ed P. Couldn't have said it better. Is the American public so complacent to think that individuality is still prevalent in Nascar or the US? In the case of Nascar, we the few who have 90% of the money, who bank offshore or have their corporate address in the Bahamas. Then they wonder why the working man can't afford to take his kids to the races. Come on folks, take out that second or third on the house and you to will be able to go to a race! That's where Nascar is and ''IT AIN'T GONNA GET ANY BETTER".

Answer 9

I think sponsorships, no matter how crazy they are, will rule the sport for now on. It is taking the old school drivers out of it unfortunately, because the marketing companies want the young drivers that have a look to them. It's a shame, but if they take the cup drivers out of Busch, Busch can go back to being old-school, nothing but driving kind of drivers.

Answer 10

Brian France Happened to NASCAR :(
Now its International so you have to take out the N at the begining and replace it with an I, its not stock, and wheres the racing?