The fans in the south
wondered why we needed to build tracks and move races from the tried and true southern regions to the unexplored markets of
the West Coast and Northeast. Why close down historic venues like Rockingham and North Wilkesboro to move races to California and New
Hampshire.
The drivers, owners and
crews have expressed their concerns over the new COT (Car of Tomorrow) when the older cars were running great and most owners
had spent tons of money to develop those models.
Those of us that watch
the races on TV certainly have questioned the decision to contract with ESPN and ABC when FOX, TNT and NBC had done such a
wonderful job with their broadcasts.
We wondered if the days
of “creative thinking” by the crew chiefs and engineers would be a thing of the past with the COT rules that seemed
to be etched in stone. NASCAR really came down hard on a few teams last season for infractions that seemed no one knew
were against the rules.
We saw drivers penalized
and demoralized for showing their emotions or letting an unacceptable word slip (never mind that they had just hit the wall
at 200 mph). They were expected to smile for the camera and answer the same stupid questions 100 times without showing
any anger or frustration.
I have had many friends tell
me that they have lost interest because of the commercialization of the sport. Many lost interest due to the drivers
all seeming to be too vanilla, we need a variety flavors to keep life interesting. Many have stopped watching because
the schedule has changed to accommodate the viewers out West and those times didn’t fit well into our southern lifestyle
schedules.
2006 StockCar Review.
