NASCAR Doesn't Love Me Anymore
9/17/2013
PattyKay
Lilley
I don’t
think that NASCAR loves me anymore. Now, what would give me that idea? It is
simple logic combined with telltale behavior. Do you remember your high school
dating days? (Those of you that are now out of high school) All of us, at one
time or another, have had someone break up with us.
About
the time that you think that you and your steady companion are destined to
spend the ages together, he or she slowly becomes less sensitive to your needs
and wants. Finally, you hear those dreaded words, “I think we should start
seeing other people.” He or she tells you that it is not your fault; that you
are actually too good for them. They try to convince you that it is being done
for you and it will be a good thing in the end. Shortly after that, you find
yourself on the scrap heap of teenage romance, while some flirtatious young
thing is with your “used-to-be” and is sporting the ring that you always
dreamed of.
Well,
that is exactly what I sense is happening to my relationship with NASCAR.
Considering that I live in Georgia and have been hanging around with NASCAR for
some fifty years, they see me as a comfortable old shoe, but are interested in
seeing other people.
Certainly,
they have become insensitive to my needs and wants. As a fan from the “old
school”, when they asked my opinion of some things they were contemplating, I
gave it willingly, but it was as if they never heard me.
They
asked me about the “Gentlemen’s agreement” and I told them that I thought it
was ridiculous. There are no more Ned Jarretts on the
track. They listened to me that time, after a nearly calamitous situation, and
did away with the barbaric practice of racing to the caution flag. Somehow,
they forgot to ask me about the new concept of “giving” laps back that is being
referred to as the “Lucky dog rule.” Instead, they just went ahead and did it,
knowing all the while that it would hurt my sensibilities.
They
asked me about taking a race away from storied old North Carolina Speedway and
it made me cry but they took it anyway. It’s not the first time that has
happened either. They have taken away Hickory, Bowman Gray, South Boston and of
course, that granddaddy of all short-tracks, North Wilkesboro.
They
asked me about taking the Southern 500 from Darlington and moving it to the
left coast. I told them that tradition was worth more than money, but they
didn’t listen. Then they asked me my thoughts on the point system and I shared
them willingly. I told them that most of what had been discussed earlier was to
my liking.
They
talked of giving a point bonus to the winner, so that he would outscore the
second place finisher every time. I liked that and suggested that it be a
meaningful bonus that would make winning something to strive for, 25 or even
better, 50 points for a win. They grudgingly granted 5 (F-I-V-E) points more to
the winner, a lukewarm response at best.
They
talked of freezing points at the rear of the field, which would have given the
rolling wounded no reason to crawl back onto the track. Perhaps because I liked
that idea, they never implemented it, opting instead to institute a minimum
track speed to discourage the rolling wrecks from coming back out. It was my
impression that there always was a minimum track speed.
Then
they asked me my thoughts on something they must have dragged out from behind a
goalpost somewhere. Someone that sits in a high place (Are your ears ringing,
Brian?) thought it would be a wonderful idea to institute some sort of play-off
scenario. I waited patiently for an explanation, even when others were feeding
the rumor mill with stories. It was difficult for me to understand how one
could have a play-off when there is only one series. Play-offs in the stick and
ball sports are used to determine the best of several divisions. One does not
play off against oneself.
When the
explanation came, they told me not to call it a play-off. It would be known as
“The Chase for the Championship.” That is a nice synonym for “disaster” in my
book. They will take the top ten drivers in the point race and anyone else that
is lucky enough (or good enough) to be within 400 points of the leader and
rearrange their points, so that they will be unreachable by the rest of the
field. The leader will be given 5050 points, the second place driver, 5045 and
so on down the line, with points diminishing in 5-point increments. [Please note, these were the original
rules of the Chase]
One has
to wonder why the leader or anyone close to him over the summer would try very
hard to extend a point lead that will only be erased after Richmond. Have they
simply then, given a reason for “stroking” to move into a different time frame?
Unless their particular driver is in that precious top-ten, there will not be a
happy sponsor in the series. In reality, the only entity that will be enhanced
by this format is NBC, and that leads us to assume that despite statements to
the contrary, they are the puppeteer pulling the strings.
Then,
they went on to tell me that in the long run it would be good for me; that they
were really doing it all for me. Are you beginning to follow the logic in this?
NASCAR is telling me, as gently as possible, that we are breaking up. When I
raised questions as to just how it would benefit me in any way (or the drivers
and sponsors, for that matter), they merely told me, “It is what it is.”
Well,
NASCAR, with full knowledge of “What the meaning of ‘is’ is’”, let me tell you that
what it is, is BS! I am reminded of Popeye, with a pipe sticking out of the
corner of his mouth, singing, “I yam what I yam,” but
this time he bears a strong resemblance to Mike Helton.
While
all this was happening, NASCAR was already seeing other people. What has caught
their fickle eye now is no longer the race-loving southerner that has been
their bread and butter for all of their years. It is a generation of youngsters
that know nothing whatsoever of the history and tradition of the sport, nor do they
care.
Everything
NASCAR does now is for them. All of the shiny new stadiums are for them, while
I remained content to visit the ones with concrete bleachers and few working
rest rooms. The music played at on-track concerts is no longer of the Country
genre, but a loud, coarse sounding clamor having no understandable lyrics. At
most of the newer tracks, even the Star Spangled Banner has become an assault
to the ears of the old fans, with performers knowing neither the words nor the
tune.
Out on
the track, gone are the cars that looked like they could have been driven from
your garage to the track and then entered in the race. In this new and more
polished racing series, the “SC” in NASCAR now stands for Standardized Chassis
rather than Stock Car.
Gone too
are the drivers with differing personalities and almost all of the drivers that
dare to have taken more than forty turns around the sun. Today’s driver is a
young, good-looking and well-spoken little corporate soldier whose primary duty
is to represent his sponsor in a politically correct manner. If he can drive
fast, that is even better. Great drivers like Tiny Lund would not be welcome in
today’s NASCAR, nor would they fit into today’s cars.
It’s
rather sad, but I think you will agree that NASCAR doesn’t love me anymore. We
are about to break up, but it is not of my doing. Now, gentle readers, test
your memories. How many of you have any idea whatever happened to that lost
puppy love that you used to know? How many of you even care? There are not a
lot of hands waving out there, but there was a point to my question.
NASCAR,
you can break up with me if you think it’s for the best, but don’t think for a
minute that I will still be available when your young love dumps you for the
next craze down the road. It always hurts to feel unwanted, but the disease is
no more fatal than a hangnail. Your old fans will be just fine, with you or
without you. Think it over and choose wisely.
~
PattyKay