I'm not a big NASCAR fan. I'm more a traditionalist: back in the early days of NASCAR, it was not entirely uncommon for someone to go to a show room at a dealership, buy a car on Friday and race it on Sunday... causing consumers to buy on Monday.
Now, except for the overly large stickers or logos, you can't tell them apart... and none of the parts of a NASCAR are available at a local dealership. In that regard, to me, it's the same as Formula One or Indy Car racing... because you can't get any of those car's parts at the dealer either... try getting a Honda or BMW racing engine at a dealer.
So, my racing fix is of the street/stock drag racing variety. That's what I run when I run, because you can get the parts at a speed store or from a catalog.
And when you look at street stock cars, you can actually tell the brand because they started out life in Detroit or whereever.
So, NASCAR isn't my thing. But it is my wife's thing... big time.
As a result, I've given it some thought and some discussion. That NASCAR has manipulated the outcomes in the past seems to be a reasonably accepted fact...with Tony Stewart famously referring to it as "professional wrestling." as a result, that teams do it as well, as MWR appeared to do it yesterday is not surprising either. Slimy? Maybe. Surprising?
Nope.
So, here's the thing:
First of all, get rid of teams. One car per owner, one driver per team.
That way, what happened yesterday, what I can call "team manipulation," would be much less likely.
Second, get rid of the cookie-cuttter, can't tell them apart cars.
If a car manufacturer wants to build a car with the aerodynamics of a brick, then that's their problem. This "one size fits all" nonsense is just that: nonsense.
Let manufacturers homologate whatever car they race. Right now, Ford would likely have the edge since they build and sell a 650 horsepower plus Shelby...
Make it racing cars... not kits, with engines and parts I can run down and buy at the dealer.
Do those things, and I might come back. Otherwise... keep it.
If nothing else, stop calling it "Stock Cars."
ReplyDeleteThere is no longer anything "Stock" on the cars, not even the body.
As I understand it, the manufacturer today supplies a bare engine block somewhere along the line and a very general outline of the roof and deck lid.
Everything else is made specifically for a highly modified race car.
Oh, and dump restricter plates too.