Where's the Fire?

The passion that once belonged to NASCAR is missing. Although we enjoyed Carl Edward's back flip after he won the Pocono race last Sunday, the real emotion was nowhere to be found. Could the nickname "Mr. Excitement" have anything to do with why all those fans cheer so loudly for Jimmy Spencer when he makes it into a race?

Oh sure there have been a few fleeting moments that we thought our interest would be peaked. Our eyebrows went up when the Captain Pureheart of Nextel Cup, Jimmie Johnson, was accused of causing a few wrecks. That has now died down to smoldering ashes. We felt a slight spark that temporarily had us perched on the edge of our seats at the end of the Coca Cola 600. But Bobby Labonte's sometimes too gentle nature allowed Jimmie Johnson to get past him at the final turn and our hopes were dashed. Next came the Dover incident and the small feud that sprang up between Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon . Unfortunately, the former "Bad Boy" and "Golden Child" of NASCAR were content to let everything slide by.

I can recall just a few years ago there was another confrontation between Jeff and Tony when they nearly had to be pulled apart by their crews in the garage area. In 2002 when Tony won the Championship, NASCAR feared he would not be a good ambassador for the sport. Tony's "Bad Boy" reputation did not portray the new image NASCAR wanted to project to the public. The result was the loss of a fiery, intense nature that has turned into a subdued, amiable driver.

Tony wonders why, weeks later, the press continues to badger him about the Dover incident. Perhaps they too are looking for a little accelerant to spice up waning interest in a sport that has begun a downhill trend. After all, we can still remember some of the old rivalries that were a part of NASCAR.
Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt, Sr  were a great example of two skilled drivers that enjoyed going head to head each week. The fans loved this competitiveness as well. Back then, bumping and banging were just a part of racing. However, rivalries no longer exist today, mostly due to rule changes.

There was a time when a driver could relay the condition of his car to the crew chief and adjustments could be made to make the car better. Now, set ups are so technical that adjustments made during the race rarely help. The driver is left with an ill handling car in which he cannot get ahead.

Impounding the cars, evidently designed to help teams save money, has only caused more problems. Drivers no longer have the opportunity to get a feel for the track after qualifying. Those out of the top 35 in points who have to set up their cars to be sure they make the race are now stuck with that set up. It's no wonder they can't get any higher in the standings.

It almost seems as though a party has been thrown and the only ones invited are driving for Roush or Hendrick. Out of the 14 races run so far this year, Roush has won 7 and Hendrick has won 5.
Even the DEI dominance at restrictor plate races has been crushed.

Still the rule changes keep on coming.  Yet NASCAR insists the intent is to even out the field.
Soon, there will be so much parody between the cars that they'll be buzzing around the track like a pack of IROC racers, ho hum.

Maybe Tony Stewart can host a NASCAR demolition derby at Eldora Speedway to eradicate some of the dullness that has permeated the sport.  Imagine the number of fans that would bring in.

Article by S. Kipple
06/18/05

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