This is how the race goes:
It starts, cars get lined up according to how much money their sponsors gave them to engineer a faster car, the drivers with the most sponsorship money win, the ones without that money lose- no matter how good or bad a driver they are.
So, between the first lap and about the 25th lap, the field gets sorted out along those lines, then, you can just turn off the t.v., and come back 5 laps before the end of the race and it'll be virutally the same line-up.
The race has eliminated driver skill AGAIN and put complaining advertisers who want all that money they spent to sponsor a driver seen as many times around the circle in the first 5 or 6 cars. Don't want people being distracted by a change in lead or a competitive race- no sir- just have 'em stare right at those hoods and see the sponsors name over and over and over again.
An example- last year at the qualifying races for the Daytona 500, there were 21 lead changes in just 50 laps- last year the playing field was evened out with a more equal aerodynamic requirement, so that the race was based MORE on driver skill than anything. This year, they changed the aero package back- its back to the old crap of making it about advertisers who pay the most- there were only 4 lead changes in the qualifying races.
Over the winter, NASCAR was threatened with sponsors removing their sponsorship of cars if they couldn't get a return on their advertising investment according to the amount of money they invested in "the hood" per times seen going around in the camera in a cricle.
So, now, instead of the races being about driver skill, its about BORINGLY watching a car sponsored by whoever paid the most for their hood advertisement via sponsorship, go around in stupid, single-file, unsportsmanlike circles for hours on end.
NASCAR has become a joke. I'm watching one race this year- the Daytona 500. If the guy in the back of the pack doesn't have the opportunity to work his way up to the front using driver skill, there is no reason for me to just sit there for three hours watching a hood ornament saying "DuPont" or "Budweiser" or "Napa" on it go around in circles and no, or, little, driver skill is allowed to be exhibited for the sake of the brandishing the most expensive hood ornament advertising on t.v..
NASCAR has become a watered-down fluffy three hour "paid program" for advertisers. It ain't a race no more when it's single file, no changes in leads for the most part... it's just plain stupid. Paltry.
Too bad, last year NASCAR had doctors and lawyers and engineers and college professors watching it. This year they'll be back to highschool drop-outs and people who haven't enough intelligence to figure out something that's actually stimulating to do on Sunday besides drink a bud, buy a part at Napa, or whatever it is people do with Dupont (guess they want you to buy their stock or garden hoses- who in the hell knows).
Sheesh, what a shame, the sport had some real potential of interest coming to it last year when they changed the aero-package to make it more competitive, but now they've blown it by going back.
Good riddance I guess, but it's too bad. And to think about it, only one driver got killed last year in an absolutely freak accident that had nothing to do with last years aero-package- it was Earnhardt.
Stupid huh? Like golf? I'd rather watch paint dry. How about the NTA(NBA)(that's the National Thug Association). You've just got paragons of virtue there now don't you? If they're not twirling around loaded shotguns, these tattoed up overpaid millionaires are trying to break Wilt Chamberlain's record for sleeping with the most women they're not married to. And what do they get paid for? Running 90 feet and putting a ball through a net? That's not a sport!!
This is how the race goes:
It starts, cars get lined up according to how much money their sponsors gave them to engineer a faster car, the drivers with the most sponsorship money win, the ones without that money lose- no matter how good or bad a driver they are.
Well not necessarily true no is it? You've got drivers out there that do finish in the top 5 or ten without having the bigger sponsor. Look at the top ten finishes over the past five years. If what you said was true, the exact same ten men would be at the top of the Winston Cup points every year
So, between the first lap and about the 25th lap, the field gets sorted out along those lines, then, you can just turn off the t.v., and come back 5 laps before the end of the race and it'll be virutally the same line- up.
Well been a while since you watched racing has it? The fact is that Daytona and Talladega both use restrictor plates for the exact reason to make the semblance of what you say happens not to happen. That's right. To cause more lead changes and to keep the cars bunched up they instituted restrictor plates at these tracks. Also MHO what helped to cause the wreck that took Earnhardt's life
The race has eliminated driver skill AGAIN and put complaining advertisers who want all that money they spent to sponsor a driver seen as many times around the circle in the first 5 or 6 cars. Don't want people being distracted by a change in lead or a competitive race- no sir- just have 'em stare right at those hoods and see the sponsors name over and over and over again.
Well again you're wrong. If you'd bother watching the race after the first 25 laps, FOX especially spends time on the races back in the middle of the pack. And they talk about a slew of drivers, not just the top 5 or 6. But again this is coming from someone I can see hasn't watched that much racing
An example- last year at the qualifying races for the Daytona 500, there were 21 lead changes in just 50 laps- last year the playing field was evened out with a more equal aerodynamic requirement, so that the race was based MORE on driver skill than anything. This year, they changed the aero package back- its back to the old crap of making it about advertisers who pay the most- there were only 4 lead changes in the qualifying races.
And the dang race was only 50 laps!! Also take into account with the new safety packages, all the issues with the Fords haven't been ironed out. And considering Ford has over 40% of the field, you might think that's why there weren't a lot of lead changes.
Over the winter, NASCAR was threatened with sponsors removing their sponsorship of cars if they couldn't get a return on their advertising investment according to the amount of money they invested in "the hood" per times seen going around in the camera in a cricle.
Really now? That's why even with the economy the way it is you still have new sponsors coming in talking about how GOOD a return on investment this sport is? Well of course if you don't watch the race, I wouldn't imagine that you watch the shows about it either. FOX covered this exact issue Saturday night and the only cars losing their sponsors were the ones affected by the economy like Kmart
So, now, instead of the races being about driver skill, its about BORINGLY watching a car sponsored by whoever paid the most for their hood advertisement via sponsorship, go around in stupid, single-file, unsportsmanlike circles for hours on end.
Like you've never listened to the drivers knocked out of the race or the winner. They mention the sponsor more than the announcers ever could. It's just one of them deals
NASCAR has become a joke. I'm watching one race this year- the Daytona 500. If the guy in the back of the pack doesn't have the opportunity to work his way up to the front using driver skill, there is no reason for me to just sit there for three hours watching a hood ornament saying "DuPont" or "Budweiser" or "Napa" on it go around in circles and no, or, little, driver skill is allowed to be exhibited for the sake of the brandishing the most expensive hood ornament advertising on t.v..
Do me a favor, don't watch
Sheesh, what a shame, the sport had some real potential of interest coming to it last year when they changed the aero-package to make it more competitive, but now they've blown it by going back.
Just to clear up some of you misplaced beliefs. The changes that were made for restrictor plate races was for the complete opposite reason you've spewed here. Over the last few years, no matter how good a driver was, ALL the cars would be bunched up in a pack lap after lap, after lap. Whoever won the race needed help from other drivers (via an aero push). Sure it made it exciting and the crashes were the equivilent of the special effects in a Speilberg movie, BUT IT WASN"T RACING.
This year's changes have put the race back into the hands of the drivers. Sure, if your team doesn't field a good car, you're not gonna win. But thats part of racing - getting the set-up right, and having the engine builders and crew chief get the most HP out of it, while still having it last 500 miles.
What we saw this week was that the better handling cars, and better drivers were in contention. Unlike years past, where you used no breaks and just put the peddle to the metal all the way around the track, sometimes going four wide down the track - a 20 car wreck just waiting to happen.
By the way, your rich versus poor complaint does not become you. I thought Liberals were the ones always spewing money envy. BTW, in case you haven't noticed, some of the wealthier teams have not been competitive recently. Jack Roush spends as much money, if not more, than any other team, yet Jarrett, Martin, J. Burton and Kurt Busch were horrible last year (in comparison to expectations). The new Dodge operation under Everham has unlimited money, yet they managed only one win last year. Granted, it was a start-up operation, but that proves my point, that its not necessarily money, its the operation and personnel.
Gordon lost his entire crew and crew chief a couple years ago. Hendrick Motorsports still spent the same amount of money and some. But Gordon had a couple down years until they got a team re-assembled and developed the chemistry needed to win - and he did.
So if you hate it so much, don't watch. But thats no reason to poison other peoples potential for becoming interested in the sport and learning the finer points of car set-up, pit strategy and what merely constitutes good or bad luck.