by richard teague tinynascars@yahoo.com
First thing before I begin this week is to THANK Kevin for the link to the “Kamikaze Driver” video I asked for last week. That was one heck of a sight to see those guys go at it, Thanks Again Kevin. Yea you know there are a lot of Old Fans around and I am happy to say that I’m one. But now-a-days it seems that, well NASCAR just doesn’t thrill me like it did at one and very long time ago.
The first and possibly the foremost gripe on this not to scientific roster of items is the NASCAR Nextel Chase for the Championship. There is no denying that to some fans the format of a 10 driver playoff or Chase-off does excite them but for me it’s not the way to decide a champion.
Maybe because I have watched so many seasons with the old way of deciding a champion that for the past few years the Chase has been around it dosn’t draw me to the sport. Mr. Brian France surely did not have me in mind and I bet you a bunch of other old fans when he came up with the Chase. The logic behind this and many of the changes and adjustments he has made to my sport of choice is a simple one, “MONEY” but heck that seems to be what makes all sports go around these days. The “M” word is what drove me away from the afforded mention sports only because there seemed to be too much emphasis on the “el grande dinero” in the past decade and more. For the past two years I have been writing this article I have not tried to hide just how I feel about the Chase format. I have heard from readers, friends and even a stranger or two tell me they feel the same way. Now it does seem there are many that do like the Chase. For the life of me I don’t understand why, perhaps they don’t know the old way. Now it was started so that one driver could not run away with the Cup and that the final race of the season would decide a champion. Just what the heck is wrong with that? Did Mr. France miss the fact that his Grand Daddy came up with the old way or is it that he just doesn’t care and that there’s more you know what to be made with this new way, never mind, you don’t have to answer that one. Will there ever be a chance if the original way returning or do I have to get use too the new, well I’ll give it the best shot I can and try too accept it, I’m sure Mr. Brian appreciates that.
Now for another wedge that is being driven into the sport and that there seems to be a lack of loyalty in the aspect of personnel. What happened to when a driver or a crew member would be with a team until the cows come home or at least the team really hit bottom? It seems that everyone from the tire changer right on up to the big name driver is moving from one team to another. Why is that? You heard about personal differences between owner and driver or crew chief and things like, I can’t get the car the way I want, from a driver. But what has really changed? Has the money object come into play here also or is there really that much of a problem with people working together? Is the word R-E-S-P-E-C-T gone from the vocabulary of people in NASCAR these days and a newer word of G-R-E-E-D filled their minds?
The fact so many drivers are changing teams this season, it seems like more than in the past the term “Silly Season” does have real meaning this year. That’s another thing that gets me about racing these days. Big name drivers are making moves that I thought would never happen. Jarrett goes to Toyota, Martin leaves Roush Cup program only to return to another team in two years, an F-1 driver comes to NASCAR and now I hear about another one coming also. What’s the deal? I can understand a driver like Cole Trickle or Ricky Bobby moving around but that’s movies and it ain’t NASCAR. Surely Jarrett and Martin don’t fall in the “greed” category but just what makes them do it? The more I see things happen that I don’t understand the more this sport falls out of my graces but like I all ways say, what do I know.
Maybe the things that I don’t understand along with not liking certain changes in NASCAR are what are driving me and I think other fans away from it. Are there new fans to take our place, well maybe there are and maybe there ain’t. Does Mr. Brian France give the proverbial “rat’s butt” about it? I don’t think so. I can hardly wait for the new season to start just to see what is in store for us. Maybe that will keep my attention to the sport if not for the racing but for the drama of, “As the Track Turns” or “The Edge of the NASCAR Track” or any other soap opera name you want to give it. Why it could be called the “Young and the Restless” but then you would have a copyright problem with CBS and also it ain’t only the young that are restless, the old guys are doing it too. I know I am drifting away from the sport I love when my wife Ann asks me, “Aren’t you going to watch the race today?”
Well the old fan’s done so let’s move on to other things for a minute. NASCAR is now a real international sport or at least on the North American continent it is. Now that the Busch Series has had two races south of the border, they have added a race on the north side in Montreal Canada. Funny, I thought that there were tracks here in the States that needed races but I guess NASCAR believes they can draw more crowds and make more money up there. Perhaps they learned that paying in Mexican Pesos is less costly than the U.S. Dollar and the Canadian Dollar is even cheaper. Makes sense to me. General Motors and Ford have been sending work to both places for years because of the cheaper labor so why not Mr. France doing it? Just thing of all the money he’ll save by hiring the locals in either country and maybe even slip a few back in the NASCAR trailers to work in Daytona.
Kind of brings a new meaning to “Illegal Immigrant” doesn’t it but it’s NASCAR and he, I mean they do what they want don’t they. I bet there’s a bunch of jobs they can fill in and around the tracks that International Speedway Corporation own not to mention fulfilling the dream of Mr. Frances’ “Diversity Program”. Can he do that? Sure he can and have the backing of the unions too I’ll bet. They can sign them up for membership and get dues and then the government can subsidize everything which means we’ll pay for it and don’t even have to go to a race or even shop at Home Depot or Lowe’s to help NASCAR and our favorite driver. Just image, no more trips to buy Budweiser or Miller Lite, Interstate Batteries, or even that Ford or G M vehicle and the list goes on and on and on. Gee maybe Brian has got a good idea for once.
I want y’all to know that I do really appreciate you reading my ramblings and taking the time to email me. Perhaps one day I’ll get back to filling you in to what’s going on with NASCAR but I sure enjoy talking about the D A things they do or should I say “he do”. Just a note here about the “Contract Saga” I will be entering and that is “talks will begin soon”. For now if you want to contact me you can at tinynascars@yahoo.com and if you don’t remember I’ll tell you again but for how much longer I’m not sure, If it ain’t NASCAR, It ain’t s**t!
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