Just flipped around and found the NASCAR race -- from Indy -- on some obscure sub-channel of NBC (NBCSN, I think). I saw a ton of "Miami-esque drapes" obscuring the thousands of empty seats. Seems like the sport is fading from where it was 15-ish years ago. Jeff Gordon is retiring, Earnhardt is 40 years old, and I don't see any thunderclap developments on the horizon. Doesn't look good.
NASCAR Dying?
- Thread starter JohnnieHolmesNole
- Start date
Agree.... dying is probably a bit strong of a term, but its certainly not on the same perch it was 15 years ago.
Strange with NASCAR popularity obviously waning over the past 5 to 10 years, and Daytona is completing a huge multil million dollar upgrade the their track. Adding thousands of seats, luxury boxes...etc.
Strange with NASCAR popularity obviously waning over the past 5 to 10 years, and Daytona is completing a huge multil million dollar upgrade the their track. Adding thousands of seats, luxury boxes...etc.
I think the belief is that they need to make Daytona (and other tracks) smaller and nicer. (They actually are not "adding seats" on a net basis, as they removed the entire backstretch seating). Whether that is the correct recipe remains to be seen, but I think that is their thinking.
I think NASCAR is suffering the same fate as most other sporting events. It can be costly and the stay-at-home experience has become more appealing.
I agree. See this happening a whole lot more now. I personally just do not see the appeal of heading out to an event/game dealing with all the riffraff when I can just stay home and be comfortable and have better views/angles than at the game.
Since the prototype car, or whatever it is called, all the cars are basically the same. They just have different decals. No more brand loyalty. There use to be distinct and different body styles. Not any more.
NASCAR in its current form is boring to watch and I'm assuming pretty expensive to attend in person. And life is too short to spend it watching television all day.
I also wonder if the decline in attendance and viewing for certain sports is due to the fact that fathers are more involved in their kids activities than when we were young. I would much rather spend time with my wife and kids on the weekend than spend 5-6 hours at the golf course, or 4 hours watching NASCAR. Most guys I know are the same way.
I also wonder if the decline in attendance and viewing for certain sports is due to the fact that fathers are more involved in their kids activities than when we were young. I would much rather spend time with my wife and kids on the weekend than spend 5-6 hours at the golf course, or 4 hours watching NASCAR. Most guys I know are the same way.
That's good to know. I'm pretty much the same way-- unless it's FSU football or US men's soccer I can read or watch the highlights regarding the other teams or sports that I ike. I would rather be doing something with the kids/ wife or reading/ learning something.
I've never been a NASCAR fan. Just not for me...
I happened to come in from outside doing yard work and then being in the pool afterwards and saw all the last 3 laps didn't really care
That used to be my mindset until I saw it live. TV does not do it justice. It's impossible to fathom how fast these cars actually go from watching on TV.
Some people have zero interest in balancing a car on the threshold of its performance envelope, but people who do usually find something to appreciate in most forms of motorsport.
I can understand not finding something appealing, but I've never understood not being able to understand what might appeal to others.
I think of soccer. I find it deadly boring, but I have friends and family who love it. To each his own.
I call it the "Sport Center Syndrome." Why should I invest __ hours attending/watching an entire event when I can catch the truly relevant highlights in 45 seconds-to-two-minutes on a highlight show? I really think TV in general, and this Syndrome in particular, have been game-changers for everyone.
This. I have NEVER understood its appeal. Five minutes of watching and I'm in dire need of changing the channel.
I agree....going around a track only making left turns....everyone in a group because they make all the cars the same...burning gas and tires for a guy who just consistently in the top 10 be the number one driver....please....it is the only sport that is more exciting to listen to on the radio then watch live, sitting in front of the tv to watch....give me some cyanide.
At least in the old days they used to smoke cigarettes and get into fist fights while the race was going on....much better....
I think I used to like Nascar and baseball, now you could barely pay me to watch either. Haven't spent much time thinking about why, but they just seem like awful uses of my time.
Formula 1 seems like it could be interesting but I make no effort to watch it either.
Like someone else said, life is too short to spend it watching TV.
Formula 1 seems like it could be interesting but I make no effort to watch it either.
Like someone else said, life is too short to spend it watching TV.
Add in the decision to go away from the short tracks means that every race looks pretty much like the next one. It's become very boring to watch.
I like motorsports (F1, WRC, GT, etc), but I just don't like NASCAR. I understand that it's technically a lot more challenging than it looks, but it's just boring to watch.
Not a huge fan of the fanbase, either.
Not a huge fan of the fanbase, either.
i have a bit of a different view. i just can't relate to a car that goes 200mph, and though there is some standardization they guys who win have better cars than the guys who don't.
i think it would be more exciting if the cars were exactly the same. actual stock cars, maybe something ridiculous like mini-vans, jeep cherokees, or hum vees. make it actual stock cars, something the viewers might actually drive. liberalize the rules to let them bump. have more interesting tracks like gran prix.
aside from starts and stops, most of the race is pretty boring. having a car that might tip like a jeep, or one that the driver will be tempted to bust through the performance threshhold, would make it more interesting.
i think it would be more exciting if the cars were exactly the same. actual stock cars, maybe something ridiculous like mini-vans, jeep cherokees, or hum vees. make it actual stock cars, something the viewers might actually drive. liberalize the rules to let them bump. have more interesting tracks like gran prix.
aside from starts and stops, most of the race is pretty boring. having a car that might tip like a jeep, or one that the driver will be tempted to bust through the performance threshhold, would make it more interesting.
F1 is much more boring than NASCAR. Little to no passing and very little pit strategy.
C'mon Muchas--- dare to be different. I'm sure your not the only liberal that would like NASCAR. I like the MLS and the NBA and I don't fit into those general stereotypes. Although, I admit, those leagues probably aren't one sided as opposed to the NASCAR stereotype.
Because of the difficulty of passing on track the pit strategy is actually even more important. There is less of left up to chance (e.g. yellows in NASCAR), so when you pit (and how many times to plan to pit) are a big part of the race. F1 is just less of an endurance event than the Cup level in NASCAR.
Where NASCAR shines in my eyes is at the bull rings like Bristol and Martinsville, and at the old Darlington configuration. Basically anywhere the speeds get low enough that most of the traction is mechanical instead of aero. Guys muscling cars around and through each other like you'd see at a 3/8th mile dirt track in Baker is where NASCAR's appeal is to me.
The 1.5 mile quad ovals where everything is about aero grip did lots of harm to what made NASCAR fun to watch.
