There was a time when stock car racers went out there and went head-to-head, in a run-what-ya-brung, winner-take-all, showdown…
No more. Not for a loooong time.
Like IRL, Major League Baseball, and the NFL, NASCAR has decided to take the low road, instead of the high road. NASCAR subscribed to the socialist route of competition, which is reduce each team to the lowest common denominator. Instead of steadily increasing car performance, we have races running at slower paces and with poor handling cars and miserable tire performance. Drivers and crew chiefs used to make their own decisions about how a car was put together. All they needed to do was hit a specific weight window and engine displacement. The rest was up to them as far as how to maximize it. Now, details are so specific about how a car is put together and how it sits on the track, in the pits, or at the inspection station, that teams and drivers are regularly penalized for minor infractions.
In addition, the drivers used to be very vocal about the changes and would put NASCAR on the spot when things went from good or bad to worse. Lately (since the end of last year and the beginning of this year), drivers AND race commentators are falling all over themselves to shower NASCAR with praise. It is disgusting.
The latest two fiascos were Indy, where tires were so bad that NASCAR had to implement “competition yellows” every 10-15 laps because of tire wear problems; and Montreal where the forecast was for rain and NASCAR decided to try a FIRST EVER stock car race in the rain. Unfortunately, the teams AND NASCAR were less prepared for running in the rain than they were for the tire debacle at Indy. Teams had trouble putting wipers on cars and making them work. No one knew how to set up a car for rain and had to constantly make adjustments on a track that was unforgiving about pit-stop delays. Goodyear was so unprepared that at the first caution flag after the rain tires went on, they didn’t have enough rain tires mounted up to change the tires on even a majority of the cars. The rain was steady, but not heavy except for few minutes near the end of a shortened race. But drivers couldn’t see. The track had puddling problems that the drivers couldn’t handle. So ultimately, the race had to be called, on account of rain, even thought they were supposed to race in the rain.
What do the drivers, teams and “authorized” sports journalists have to say about all this? “NASCAR is doing a great job!” “NASCAR couldn’t have done anything better!!” NASCAR needs to be congratulated on the way they have handled the problems!!!”
Apparently, the word went out that those criticizing NASCAR would be out on their ass without delay.
Seems to me they are better at handling their propaganda than they are stock car racing. This is going to my last year to devote any major time to NASCAR. Like IRL, Baseball and the NFL, all of which I no longer pay much attention to, NASCAR has lost my respect and will not get anymore of my money.
Tis’ a sad year in sports… Next sport to convert to socialism? Likely as not, Horse Racing. They’re well on their way…
