There has been a lot of talk recently about the declining numbers in NASCAR, both with lower numbers of butts in the seats and even fewer teams competing. Just this year alone, there were seats that remained unsold in Bristol, a place you have to be on a waiting list to get tickets too years ago. I believe at Richmond this past weekend, they only had 40 cars start when they normally have 43. I believe a few more races this year were short cars also. A few years ago, they would fill the field and seen a half dozen or more teams home that didn’t make the cut.
Some blame it on NASCAR turning on the confederate flag and thus running off fans, others blame it on NASCAR rule changes.
Me personally, I feel it’s a combination of the above but more so due to NASCAR micromanaging the sport to death. I used to never miss a race whether I was there, watching on TV or listening to the radio. Now, I hardly think about it. I probably watched 2 whole races last year, caugt a few laps of a few others and completely missed the rest. I understand the need to always pursue way to make the sport safer, but it seems NASCAR wants to make everything equal. I started losing interest when they came out with the C.O.T. and it just went downhill from there. Ever since they started the “Chase” format, seems like they change the rules every year. Its like NASCAR adopted the “Trophies for everyone” mindset…
When they took races from places like Rockingham is what started my disinterest. Taking the labor day race from Darlington was the nail in the coffin. I haven’t been to race in years and we used to attend at least one a year be it in Darlington, Atlanta, or somewhere in NC. I still want to go to Daytona for a long weekend though./.
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Down here is where a signature goes but they can confuse and anger some people so I don’t have one.
I think a combination of what you listed. Plus Gordon retiring (for me) and Nascar screwing the small town tracks to grow out west may have something to do with it. I did watch the Daytona 500 but that’s about it. I used to have the races on for background noise while I was doing other things but not so much anymore. They are competing with the NHL and NBA playoffs now, that may be factor, and teams seem to hire drivers who will bring the most sponsor money, not necessarily the best driver.
I agree Fritz, NASCAR allowed these track owners to move races to other tracks causing the older tracks to suffer. I watched many races at North Carolina Speedway (Rockingham), Darlington, Atlanta etc… They moved the 1 race they have at Darlington back to Labor Day weekend this past year. Dad, my son and myself have been going to Darlington every year, but I believe last year was the last time. Its getting too hard for dad to climb all of those stairs.
All kind of things, including exactly what Fritz said. Plus to me it’s a saturation, non excitement factor. Most races aren’t even exciting anymore. Can’t recall the last one I watched or payed attention to. Like college football having so many bowl games they cant even fill the bowls with winning teams. Who cares about watching them?
Taking races from the historic tracks mentioned above, the COT, the chase and in general most of the France family’s decisions for the past 10-15 years killed it for me. I used to never miss a race, have been to most of the tracks in the southeast, and would at least attend 1-4 races a year. Due to everything I haven’t been to one since darlington in 08 and rarely if watch a one on the tv. I’ve been pretty lucky to see some pretty amazing things happen in person at sporting events but watching Harvick win his first in Atlanta in Earnhardt’s car over Gordon(I believe it was the second closest finish in NASCAR hist) a coule of weeks after I watched Earnhardt hit the wall in Daytona and Ricky Craven going Days of Thunder style into corner 4 on the last lap at darling to win the closest finish in nascar hist were 2 of the coolest.
the costs of attending a race by the time you include absurd hotel rates drove me away from them, as well as other factors…You can watch on TV for free and actually know wth is going on (just have to mute it when Gordon and DW wont quit rambling)