The demise of NASCAR

[C Body Bob]

I don't watch many of the races anymore & no longer follow the sport that much. I believe I've watched 2 all year. Sunday however was the Brickyard 400 at Indy. I needed a day off from the heat so good excuse to stay inside & watch the race. When it came on the first thing I noticed was the massive amount of empty seats. As the race started & the camera followed the cars around the track I was astonished. There was hardly no one there. Entire sections with absolutely no one ! Yea I know NASCAR attendance has been in decline for over a decade. Well Monday afternoon I was thumbing through the local paper for Raleigh. As I got to the sports section & finished I realized WAIT A MINUTE there was nothing about the Brickyard race yet they had a box score breakdown of the NHRA race. I check to make sure it was a current paper. Yep it was. I looked through 2 more times & nothing. There was a story about Brad Keselowski's latest twitter comments that apparently had gone viral but nothing on the race. Later on the net I read the attendance was on 35 thousand & Indy can hold 240 thousand. I was reading a lot of opinions on why NASCAR was dying. The cost of going to the races was the most popular. Also that Earnhardt Sr had passed & so many of the sports Star's had retired & no longer involved. Some complained about the cars. Popular tracks closed down, too many rules, the racing is no good, etc, etc. Its likely a combination of all. Still living right here only 2 hours from NASCAR's base I just can't believe the local paper was mum. I wonder where will the sport be in 10 years. The local tracks are suffering too. The local dragstrip where I raced closed 2 years ago which is one main reason I sold my car. Also Ive been told that Orange Co Speedway a NASCAR scantioned track between Raleigh & Durham has closed or will be soon. Both of these tracks have been around since the 50's & the legends of each sport raced there. Only time will tell I suppose. It's an expensive budget busting Sport for both the racers & the fan. The pics are from Sunday's Brickyard race

 

[polara71]

I never had an interest but was surprised at the rise in popularity. Now I'm puzzled why would it drop so much so fast

 

[traintech55]

I had loved NASCAR all thru the 60's and 70's. I could not wait for a race to come on on Saturday. What killed it for me was the cars going to a generic design and moving away from being based on production bodies and engines. Look at the cars the hobby was blessed with because of this. NASCAR should go back to production bodies and engines. Could you imagine a race between a Challenger, Camaro, and Mustang.

 

[78Brougham]

Could you imagine a race between a Challenger, Camaro, and Mustang

They have that... in the sports car racing series. That's one of the main reasons I got away from NASCAR also. There isn't one thing that's "stock" on those cars.

 

[amazinblue82]

A view from 2016 .. echoes posts above and articles in NY Times, Detroit News, and papers in Charlotte, and Bristol, and Indy, etc.

Basically, NASCAR is passe .. its original demographic alienated, its newer demographic wanting electric cars, constant rule changes, "political correctness", drivers who people DONT believe know a carburetor from a can of Diet Coke, etc. -- and NO way to recover is in sight.

'I don't think it can recover': what's behind Nascar's nosedive?

 

[detmatt]

Restricter plates were the demise I think and the fact that it actually gained in popularity before now seemingly tanking is likely because of a really good marketing team.

 

[crv]

They pissed a lot of people off by banning the Confederate flag, they should've told the PC people to get lost.

 

[jollyjoker]

Agree . . . when I was a kid, they were called "Stock Cars", because they were built up from cars we could go down and buy in the showroom. Remember "win on Sunday, sell on Monday"? I haven't followed NASCAR in a long time . . . sure do miss Richard Petty . . .

 

[boltupal]

I used to see 2 races a year. Haven't gone to a race in ten years. NASCAR regulations , stupid fines and the car of Tomorrow sealed it for me.

 

[amazinblue82]

I dunno if this is GOOD or BAD for NASCAR. but it was exciting. I was watching that day and i was in college at the time.

 

[Rwc]

My opinion is that the racing is so artificial now. the people buying tickets can tell. how many years has NASCAR been manipulating the rules to make " the Playing field level"? I think its pretty unreasonable to believe Chevy is the manufacturers champion year in and year out without help. If one of the other car makers ever got an advantage (Think Hemi ) it would be outlawed, or an extra concession given to offset.
without any puppetry how would any other manufacturer be able to beat Toyota more than occasionally? Deep pockets and a real commitment.

 

[hanks71440]

Also lost interest a few years ago. To hell with the restrictor plates. Let em race. The drivers know how fast they can get away with. All cars look the same. Don't care for the new format at all. Haven't watched a race this year and don't care. Also, someone mentioned about the cost of going to a race, yep.....way to expensive for me.....

 

[Turboomni]

All cars look the same.

 

[LocuMob]

I loved watching NASCAR in the 80's as a kid, Dale pushing everyone out of his way, the Bodines fighting everyone in the pits, when most GM makes were in it, those were the fun times. The car of tomorrow signaled what was ahead and I bailed, glad I did. Watched the end of a race and didn't get the segment thing they do now, don't care either, just wanted to watch drag racing that was next.

 

[Turboomni]

 

[traintech55]

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.

 

[1978 NYB]

Racetracks (this one is Daytona) have added multi-colored seats to make it appear like people are sitting in the seats as the camera follows the race cars around the track. Some real bullshit if you ask me.....

 

[1978 NYB]

Cost involved in attending races, rule changes, and watching the race on TV, smart phones, etc. have better coverage and more convenient than actually attending the race.

 

[commando1]

Millenials.

 

[Ripinator]

View attachment 135581 View attachment 135582 View attachment 135583 I don't watch many of the races anymore & no longer follow the sport that much. I believe I've watched 2 all year. Sunday however was the Brickyard 400 at Indy. I needed a day off from the heat so good excuse to stay inside & watch the race. When it came on the first thing I noticed was the massive amount of empty seats. As the race started & the camera followed the cars around the track I was astonished. There was hardly no one there. Entire sections with absolutely no one ! Yea I know NASCAR attendance has been in decline for over a decade. Well Monday afternoon I was thumbing through the local paper for Raleigh. As I got to the sports section & finished I realized WAIT A MINUTE there was nothing about the Brickyard race yet they had a box score breakdown of the NHRA race. I check to make sure it was a current paper. Yep it was. I looked through 2 more times & nothing. There was a story about Brad Keselowski's latest twitter comments that apparently had gone viral but nothing on the race. Later on the net I read the attendance was on 35 thousand & Indy can hold 240 thousand. I was reading a lot of opinions on why NASCAR was dying. The cost of going to the races was the most popular. Also that Earnhardt Sr had passed & so many of the sports Star's had retired & no longer involved. Some complained about the cars. Popular tracks closed down, too many rules, the racing is no good, etc, etc. Its likely a combination of all. Still living right here only 2 hours from NASCAR's base I just can't believe the local paper was mum. I wonder where will the sport be in 10 years. The local tracks are suffering too. The local dragstrip where I raced closed 2 years ago which is one main reason I sold my car. Also Ive been told that Orange Co Speedway a NASCAR scantioned track between Raleigh & Durham has closed or will be soon. Both of these tracks have been around since the 50's & the legends of each sport raced there. Only time will tell I suppose. It's an expensive budget busting Sport for both the racers & the fan. The pics are from Sunday's Brickyard race

After Earnhart was killed, NASCAR racing just wasn't the same anymore. When they instituted "The Chase", it was all over for me. . .