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All I Want for Christmas is Winston Cup Back!
12/16/2016 |
As a child, I remember the old Grand National series which preceded the Winston Cup, back when they used to race 3 or 4 times a week at tracks all over the country. These were the times when Richard Petty ran up the bulk of his 200 wins. Back in those days, my friends and I were all fans of King Richard. In a lot of ways, I still am.
I became a dedicated fan of NASCAR when R.J. Reynolds came along and changed the sport I was already enamored with. The Winston Cup was born, and the sport started to grow. I was still a kid then, but I started following drivers other than the King, such as David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Bobby and Donnie Allison, and a few others. I became a fan of Cale, mostly because he was from my native South Carolina. Back in those days, I didn’t become a diehard fan of only one driver though. I just loved the sport for what it was becoming, and wanted more than anything to become one of these hard-bitten heroes on the track.
Back in the days before cooling helmets and power steering, these guys were rough and strong. Working in conditions that would incapacitate most people, these boys went at it for hours in unbelievable heat, strong-arming their cars around the track with brute force. The diminutive NASCAR driver had not yet come along. It took not only brains, but brawn to handle the race cars of yesteryear.
I always liked the drivers who said what was on their minds. Back in the day, that was, well, pretty much everyone. These were guys who worked hard, played hard, and, by Golly, lived hard. They often drove to the tracks, pulling their cars behind them, and then drove home after the race. There were no motor homes, no elaborate haulers, and most of the drivers were happy for an impromptu meet and greet before or after a race.
This was before the days of agents, handlers, or all the people who keep the great unwashed public away from the hot commodity, the race car driver. It would be impossible today for drivers to do what guys like Petty, Pearson, Yarborough, et al could do back in the day. It’s not a kinder, gentler world when it comes to NASCAR fans, even today with the actual attendance numbers so low. Now, don’t get me wrong, the average NASCAR fan today is much nicer, gentler, and kinder than are probably fans of other major sport. Most of the fans, male or female, are bigger than the drivers are these days!
Smaller drivers, with modern conveniences, are the way of today. First of all, a smaller driver saves weight, which is very important in a race situation. Less weight equals more speed. That’s a given. Unfortunately, it seems that with smaller drivers, there are smaller personalities.
Maybe I’m wrong, but today’s average driver, crew chief, official, president, etc. is lacking in personality. There are exceptions. Thankfully, in today’s NASCAR, some people are not afraid to speak their minds. Earnhardt Jr., for example, says what he thinks from time to time. So does Tony Stewart, whom I’m going to miss as a driver. Kevin Harvick does so as well. The Busch brothers are great examples, but I can only stomach so much of them. Sorry, but I’m telling the truth here. Sometimes there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Sometimes there is too much of anything.
Since Winston left the sport, my heart, as a fan, has been broken many times. I was never and am not a fan of the Chase. In my opinion, it drives sponsorship away, just when the sport needs it the most. I am all for safety, for the drivers, crew, officials and fans. The improvements NASCAR has made in terms of safety over the last decade and a half are laudable. We love hard racing, but I never want to see anyone get hurt, or God forbid, dead. SAFER barriers, HANS, etc. are all brilliant improvements to our sport.
The initial COT, or Car of Tomorrow was a disaster. It might have been safer, but it really flirted with the concept of IROC racing, which, when it was a novelty, was entertaining, but I don’t know anyone who really wanted to see more of it.
Bill France Sr. was smart enough to invent a commodity that would sell tickets, and it did. Fortunately, Bill Jr. was smart enough to realize that the status quo was working and didn’t implement any major changes. The changes that Bill Jr. brought were hotly contested at the time, but pale in comparison to what happened next, which was the ascension of Brian France to CEO.
The Chase has been messed up ever since it started. I think it’s better now that it was in its original incarnation, but there is a lot lacking, in my opinion. The TV networks only cover basically the Chase cars, and maybe some of the top five during any given race, but there are a lot of cars out there who never get the benefit of a camera shot unless they are involved in a wreck.
I’m not an advertising person, but I’m guessing that sponsors hate it when their car or driver never gets a mention on TV. It makes sponsors think that their advertising dollars might be better spent elsewhere.
I love this sport, and have nearly as early as I can remember. I love the pageantry of it, I love that there is such respect for the military. I love the fans. I love the traditions. I love it all.
I just wish that the powers-that-be hadn’t committed some sort of suicide by thinking that the only way to make this sport better is to change what’s been working for decades. Sometimes, change is good. We all, on some level, know that. But change just for the sake of change is rarely good. I think NASCAR has proven that in the last decade or so.
Should Santa grant me a wish, which he should, because I’ve been an exceptionally good boy this year (except when I was being bad), I wish that Brian France would go back to NFL marketing, or MLB or where ever the heck his last job was before coming back to a sport he doesn’t seem to know or appreciate.
I’m not trying to write a hit piece on Brian France, but the France family controls NASCAR. They control it absolutely. I just think it’s a shame to see a legacy squandered away that took a grandfather and father to build.
It’s Christmas time; my favorite time of the year. It’s a season for giving, and I hope each and every one who reads this will take a little time and be thankful for what and whom you have, and to think about your friends, neighbors, and family who might not have as much as they need. If you can help out someone, please do. I don’t have much, but I feel like it’s important to do what you can for those who need more than me.
The 2017 season is just around the corner. Buck up, my friends! Eventually the mess we have mired ourselves in will probably sort itself out. Either NASCAR survives or it will become forgotten. My goal is that we always strive for better races, better cars, and a better governing body. We all make mistakes. Let’s fix them and move on.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from me to all of you!
I became a dedicated fan of NASCAR when R.J. Reynolds came along and changed the sport I was already enamored with. The Winston Cup was born, and the sport started to grow. I was still a kid then, but I started following drivers other than the King, such as David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Bobby and Donnie Allison, and a few others. I became a fan of Cale, mostly because he was from my native South Carolina. Back in those days, I didn’t become a diehard fan of only one driver though. I just loved the sport for what it was becoming, and wanted more than anything to become one of these hard-bitten heroes on the track.
Back in the days before cooling helmets and power steering, these guys were rough and strong. Working in conditions that would incapacitate most people, these boys went at it for hours in unbelievable heat, strong-arming their cars around the track with brute force. The diminutive NASCAR driver had not yet come along. It took not only brains, but brawn to handle the race cars of yesteryear.
I always liked the drivers who said what was on their minds. Back in the day, that was, well, pretty much everyone. These were guys who worked hard, played hard, and, by Golly, lived hard. They often drove to the tracks, pulling their cars behind them, and then drove home after the race. There were no motor homes, no elaborate haulers, and most of the drivers were happy for an impromptu meet and greet before or after a race.
This was before the days of agents, handlers, or all the people who keep the great unwashed public away from the hot commodity, the race car driver. It would be impossible today for drivers to do what guys like Petty, Pearson, Yarborough, et al could do back in the day. It’s not a kinder, gentler world when it comes to NASCAR fans, even today with the actual attendance numbers so low. Now, don’t get me wrong, the average NASCAR fan today is much nicer, gentler, and kinder than are probably fans of other major sport. Most of the fans, male or female, are bigger than the drivers are these days!
Smaller drivers, with modern conveniences, are the way of today. First of all, a smaller driver saves weight, which is very important in a race situation. Less weight equals more speed. That’s a given. Unfortunately, it seems that with smaller drivers, there are smaller personalities.
Maybe I’m wrong, but today’s average driver, crew chief, official, president, etc. is lacking in personality. There are exceptions. Thankfully, in today’s NASCAR, some people are not afraid to speak their minds. Earnhardt Jr., for example, says what he thinks from time to time. So does Tony Stewart, whom I’m going to miss as a driver. Kevin Harvick does so as well. The Busch brothers are great examples, but I can only stomach so much of them. Sorry, but I’m telling the truth here. Sometimes there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Sometimes there is too much of anything.
Since Winston left the sport, my heart, as a fan, has been broken many times. I was never and am not a fan of the Chase. In my opinion, it drives sponsorship away, just when the sport needs it the most. I am all for safety, for the drivers, crew, officials and fans. The improvements NASCAR has made in terms of safety over the last decade and a half are laudable. We love hard racing, but I never want to see anyone get hurt, or God forbid, dead. SAFER barriers, HANS, etc. are all brilliant improvements to our sport.
The initial COT, or Car of Tomorrow was a disaster. It might have been safer, but it really flirted with the concept of IROC racing, which, when it was a novelty, was entertaining, but I don’t know anyone who really wanted to see more of it.
Bill France Sr. was smart enough to invent a commodity that would sell tickets, and it did. Fortunately, Bill Jr. was smart enough to realize that the status quo was working and didn’t implement any major changes. The changes that Bill Jr. brought were hotly contested at the time, but pale in comparison to what happened next, which was the ascension of Brian France to CEO.
The Chase has been messed up ever since it started. I think it’s better now that it was in its original incarnation, but there is a lot lacking, in my opinion. The TV networks only cover basically the Chase cars, and maybe some of the top five during any given race, but there are a lot of cars out there who never get the benefit of a camera shot unless they are involved in a wreck.
I’m not an advertising person, but I’m guessing that sponsors hate it when their car or driver never gets a mention on TV. It makes sponsors think that their advertising dollars might be better spent elsewhere.
I love this sport, and have nearly as early as I can remember. I love the pageantry of it, I love that there is such respect for the military. I love the fans. I love the traditions. I love it all.
I just wish that the powers-that-be hadn’t committed some sort of suicide by thinking that the only way to make this sport better is to change what’s been working for decades. Sometimes, change is good. We all, on some level, know that. But change just for the sake of change is rarely good. I think NASCAR has proven that in the last decade or so.
Should Santa grant me a wish, which he should, because I’ve been an exceptionally good boy this year (except when I was being bad), I wish that Brian France would go back to NFL marketing, or MLB or where ever the heck his last job was before coming back to a sport he doesn’t seem to know or appreciate.
I’m not trying to write a hit piece on Brian France, but the France family controls NASCAR. They control it absolutely. I just think it’s a shame to see a legacy squandered away that took a grandfather and father to build.
It’s Christmas time; my favorite time of the year. It’s a season for giving, and I hope each and every one who reads this will take a little time and be thankful for what and whom you have, and to think about your friends, neighbors, and family who might not have as much as they need. If you can help out someone, please do. I don’t have much, but I feel like it’s important to do what you can for those who need more than me.
The 2017 season is just around the corner. Buck up, my friends! Eventually the mess we have mired ourselves in will probably sort itself out. Either NASCAR survives or it will become forgotten. My goal is that we always strive for better races, better cars, and a better governing body. We all make mistakes. Let’s fix them and move on.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from me to all of you!
