Hey, Have You Heard the News?
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Daytona is Coming-Daytona is Coming-Daytona is Coming
Yes - Daytona is Coming!!!
Note: My articles are
based solely on my thoughts and observations. Normally I do not offer statistics,
although at times I may reference what different broadcasters, among others,
have said or alluded to.
Each
year about this time, there is an excitement in the air that makes it very hard
for racing fans to contain their impatience so they want time to pass just a
little more quickly. After all, racing will be here soon and Daytona is coming! We seem to sometimes
forget that time doesn't pass more quickly or more slowly. It just seems that
way because of how we live and use our time, so our mind convinces us that it
is passing faster or slower. Just like some race cars seem to be faster or
slower, right? However, we must remember that there is still only 60 minutes in
an hour and 24 hours in a day as our calendars and clocks prove over and over again.
Why
do we look forward to Daytona so much? One reason is because the track has been
silent for quite a few months. The main reason though is because we are all
race fans and are anxious to see and hear the cars, see our favorite drivers,
and most of all, see all of that combined and put into action on the race track
at Daytona. We will then start talking about the field of veterans and rookies
and everything speed. While doing so, we will be creating new memories to pass
down to future generations of fans.
But...
it won't be long after the race starts that a lot of us will be complaining
about something or someone in that race. It will either be about the
announcing, what we see as the obvious bias of the announcers, certain racers
and their type of driving or their attitude, certain brands of cars having an
advantage over the other makes, innovation mistaken for cheating because you
are not a fan of a particular driver or brand of car, and
the list goes on and on. Based on this, we may also decide to, or not to, use
certain sponsor products.
Let's
talk about the announcing. Possibly, each of us looks at that with a certain
attitude because we either like or dislike a certain announcer. If we like the
personality of the broadcast team, then we will think the broadcast is okay.
When some of us pick up on what we feel is bias or favoritism being shown to
certain drivers, which in turn may affect how we feel or begin to feel about
certain drivers, we tend to turn away because we think they are jamming certain
drivers and teams down our throats. Then again, it probably molds the minds and
thoughts for a lot of newer fans to NASCAR. In our world today, younger people
are being taught to follow the crowd more than they are being taught to be
individuals and to think for themselves. Another thing I have noticed is that
there are many times I wonder if the broadcast team is even watching the same
race I am. This is because I feel they are too busy advancing their own agenda,
therefore missing a lot of chances to tell us about all the drivers and all
that is happening on the track.
Now
we will briefly touch on certain drivers. All of us have favorite drivers based
on several things. Some like drivers because they have been conditioned to like
them by their family, friends or by the announcers who tend to only talk about
and praise certain ones. This is good advice some fans feel, because they like
to go along with whatever they are told, rather than analyze and think for
themselves. But then, some of us feel we will definitely take time to watch and
analyze and then form our own conclusions based on what we see from each
individual driver. Or it could be formed because of our loyalty to a certain
brand of vehicle. At any rate, that particular conclusion is based on several
things, including personality.
Let
me give you a for instance of this: There has been a lot of talk about Kyle
Busch lately because he feels the newer, rookie drivers are getting more
promotion by NASCAR, even though they have not proven themselves on the track
like a lot of the older veteran drivers have. Because I live in the Pacific
Northwest now, I normally pay more attention when drivers from the Western
states enter the racing world, especially NASCAR. When Kurt Busch began racing,
I naturally watched him more closely than I would have watched a newcomer from
back East. I thought he was okay and had good possibilities. When Kyle came
onto the scene, I watched him as well. It did not take long for me to tell some
of my friends that he was going to be a much better NASCAR driver than his
older brother. As time passed, I began to admire the way he could wheel a race
car, but I was definitely not a fan of his personality. Therefore, I personally
feel his complaints about the rookies are not really important. IMO, he has
turned a lot of fans away because of his attitude and personality.
Another
complaint a lot of us have is that one car brand may have a definite advantage
over the other car brands. There is not much to be said about this because it
will never change for some of us, especially the older generation of fans since
we are very brand loyal. This loyalty was based on several things. For the
older generation of fans, our parents taught us that dependability was the most
important thing in a vehicle, with style and looks being secondary. For younger
fans, it seems to be based on looks, colors and the current whim of the time.
One
of my New Year's Resolutions is that I will try very hard to be more tolerant
and understanding of all things NASCAR. I hope each fan will look upon the new
racing season with the same attitude. The bottom line is that we all want a
safe and competitive race season and would love to see the best team and driver
win races. The championship is secondary to some of us because of convoluted
rules. We want each driver to get their fair share of promotion, not only by
NASCAR, but by the broadcast team as well.
Thank
you for reading and commenting here.
Your thoughts, ideas on the subject and opinions are very welcome. I
remind you to keep them clean and no bashing, please. You may also email
comments to me.