Has NASCAR finally jumped the shark?

[jmshepard]

I can’t help but wonder how much of the Daytona 500 cheating issue is hype designed to increase interest in NASCAR? The France racing empire has seen ratings and attendance slip over the past 2 years. Press coverage, albeit negative, captures the public’s attention. The desire of NASCAR to put an end to rule bending always seems to take second place to keeping the marquee teams in the show. I believe that if NASCAR disqualified teams for several races, this charade would end. Does this signal the end of the expansion of NASCAR?

[Rob Channell]

IMO, They jumped the shark when they started running races on tracks that only turned left......

[Jeff Higgins]

It's like fights in hockey. Throw a couple of thugs out of the league and it would stop tomorrow. So would fan interest.

[nota]

the jump for me was the fake cars
try to buy a carb RWD V8

[Rearden]

No, quite the opposite. NASCAR showed integrity. As much as they want the Toyota debut to be successful, they fined Waltrip's team hardcore and publicized the cheating. Good for them.

And go Montoya!

[the]

Finally?

[cashflyer]

Originally posted by nota
the jump for me was the fake cars
try to buy a carb RWD V8

+1
I find footage of the old races much more interesting, when "stock car racing" still meant you started with a factory available car.



The current fiberglass covered tube chassis vehicles have NOTHING to do with cars available to the public.

THIS is a CAMRY ??!??


Oh, wait. Yeah... I can totally see it.

[Z-man]

Originally posted by cashflyer
THIS is a CAMRY ??!??


Oh, wait. Yeah... I can totally see it.

If you turn down the lights, squint, wear dark sunglasses, and look at those from across the room while hitting your head with a hammer -- yeah, they look identical.

Hmm - I wonder if I can go to Toyota and order a Camry, will they have a checkbox for the "tube frame chassis" option?!?!?
-Z

[126coupe]

Originally posted by cashflyer
+1
I find footage of the old races much more interesting, when "stock car racing" still meant you started with a factory available car.



The current fiberglass covered tube chassis vehicles have NOTHING to do with cars available to the public.

THIS is a CAMRY ??!??


Oh, wait. Yeah... I can totally see it.

The bodys are steel not fiberglass

[Gene Wilkes]

I just called my local dealership and tried to buy a V-8 carburated camry RWD. Odd.......they don't MAKE ONE!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

[Nostril Cheese]

bunch of rednecks cheating? oh wow. what a surprise

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by Z-man
If you turn down the lights, squint, wear dark sunglasses, and look at those from across the room while hitting your head with a hammer -- yeah, they look identical.

Hmm - I wonder if I can go to Toyota and order a Camry, will they have a checkbox for the "tube frame chassis" option?!?!?
-Z

You forgot drinking a 12 pack of Bud.


Its not cheating its being innovative.... until you get caught, then I guess its cheating.


My friend / mechanic has always said there are cheaters and loosers in racing. He laughed at me when I said there was no way that was true. As the years went by I realized he was right.

[island911]

Originally posted by Nostril Cheese
bunch of rednecks cheating? oh wow. what a surprise

baseball?

[HardDrive]

Originally posted by nota
the jump for me was the fake cars
try to buy a carb RWD V8

+2

I might actually find it interesting if they were driving a stock pontiac or toyota at 180mph. Make a rule that the team may not modify the unibody at all other than adding bracing.

[Rearden]

I attended a sports car race last year, then went to buy the car at my local Porsche dealer. Who would have thought that you can't buy a 997 with a sequential gearbox and carbon fiber bodywork? Then they told me that the dry sump engine is only available in the limited edition GT3!

[island911]

NASCAR has always (well as long as I can remember) always had faux bodies on tube frames. BFD... "a stock pontiac or toyota at 180mph." Ya mean 108mph? (maybe)

I just don't get the hatered towards NASCAR. I'm not a fan, but don't get the hatered. Is dog racing better? . . horse racing? . ..snowmobile racing? .. .drag racing?

[Zeke]

Originally posted by island911
NASCAR has always (well as long as I can remember) always had faux bodies on tube frames. BFD... "a stock pontiac or toyota at 180mph." Ya mean 108mph? (maybe)

I just don't get the hatered towards NASCAR. I'm not a fan, but don't get the hatered. Is dog racing better? . . horse racing? . ..snowmobile racing? .. .drag racing?

Well said. However, the last I checked, the "tube frame" cars started with a factory floor pan. They used to be the individual factory roof stampings as well up until say 5 years ago, or so. I don't write these things down.

I'm not sure about the "car of tomorrow" (COT). For me, that's the end. I've followed NASCAR for years watching fewer races each year. Last year I watched one, the Daytona 500. I'm getting a better start this year having seen the Bud Shootout last Sat night, which wasn't too bad of a race given the shortness of it (10 laps, then 50). 3 hours of a train does get boring.

More: So what if a few cars run away with the show? The Indy 500 doesn't feature a large pack of cars running nose to tail and the finish is usually somewhat interesting. I think breaking these races up into a couple of shorter segments would keep people more interested. I mean, football has a half time, along with a couple of other sports I can think of. The fans don't get up and leave.

However, making the various car makes identical is wrong. NASCAR is deathly afraid of one of the manufacturers leaving as Dodge has been apt to do many times. The move to bring Toyota into the fray was just a stopgap measure. Can you imagine the future of stock car racing if it had been only Chevys and Fords?

[asphaltgambler]

In order for NASCAR to have jumped the shark would imply that it was actually watchable at one point...........................................wh ich it wasn't

[TerryH]

A lot of the parity of NASCAR came about because the manufacturers didn't want to compete on an unlimited basis. Back in the day when the cars were actually near stock, it wasn't unheard of to win a race by lapping the field one or more times. GM and Dodge both quit NASCAR at different times. Dodge stayed out for a long time before returning just a few years ago. While the manufacturers title is little more than bragging rights, it is still coveted, but not by an unlimited means financial support.

I'm not as big a fan as I was 30 years ago. I used to enjoy identifying with the cars on the track when they all had different engine displacement that noted on their hoods. The adage of "win on Sunday - sell on Monday" was very real at dealerships across the nation.

The morph into IROC-like racing keeps the racing close and puts more pressure on the drivers and teams. Racing strategy and pit stops now determine the outcome of many races and the slightest mistake can cost them a win.

I feel it is the close quarters racing that keeps most fans interested. Without the templates for car shape and motor specs held to tight tolerances and limitations, the races tend to be lopsided with more pressures on the manufacturers to spend millions upon millions or sit out. Unfortunately, they tend to sit out when it becomes too costly to compete.

Like it or not, no other form of auto racing draws the crowds week in and week out for 10 months out of the year. NASCAR competes with the NFL for the last 3 or 4 months of the racing season and holds their own pretty well. They must be doing something right.

[asphaltgambler]

Doubt it.

If IHRA drag racing received 1/10 the amount of whoring and shameless promotion as NASCAR THEY would just as popular. But at least it IS interesting to the spectator because a lot of variables of car/ engine combinations with-in one class. Very exciting!

Anyone here ever see drag boat racing? Unbelieveable !! but it's such a small segment of racing that it is virtually invisible to the average joe.