Bruton Smith says lack of cautions 'damaging to our sport'

Actually I think that it is Bruton and others like him that are damaging the sport . The commercials and prerace hype makes the races sound like they are going to be full of 'thrills and spills',and 'beatin and bangin' . When the race is just racing , fans are let down . How about not promising fans something that you can't deliver . How would that work?
 
TexasRaceLady said:
I think Bruton must be the reincarnation of P. T. Barnum.
Click to expand...

Yep , they promote the demolition derby that way , but they would never promote F1 or the 24hr Daytona races that way . I think Bruton could show a little more class ,if he has any .
 
He's right in that there is an astounding lack of action for the first 80% of most races as drivers just turn laps. He's wrong if he thinks the answer is fake yellow flags.
 
Hmmmmm, so when Bristol was a real trading paint track, it had full stands with a long waiting list. They change the track for the "true racers" and fans take a big pass. I'll be frank, many years ago I was the one who argued that racing wasn't wrecking, but things have changed and the racing has gone totally boring. Of course there is nothing better than seeing a couple or more cars really racing each other lap after lap, but once they get strung out, the excitement is gone...totally gone. It isn't necessarily the tracks that are causing the boring races, but rather the technology that has not only made the cars safer, but the tires never wear out. The shark fin has taken some of the driver out of the picture and there are still more things. I'd bet that more people who attend local racing find a much more exciting event given that the emotions can run rampant, but who knows how the cars will run. If you "real race fans" want this sort of racing, it won't be long until you will be require to buy a $20 ticket to get into the big races simply because the sponsorships have gone away and along with that, the competition. But then it will start all over again because there will be less technology in the cars because they can't afford it. The drivers will once again be part of the mechanical team, and lo, the cars might once again be hauled to the track on flat bed trucks with all the tires loaded over the cab.

There was a reason that Bristol was the toughest track to get a ticket, but look at it now. They are begging for fans and I'm sure just as at Bowman Gray Stadium, the track is giving away free tickets with suite privileges. Y'all might not like Smitty, but he didn't get where he is because he is a dummy.
 
I agree with putting more driver back into it . They may be able to do that some , by taking the side by side racing out of some tracks like they are doing at Bristol . By using tires that give up quicker and by limiting the repaving of tracks . But drivers are smarter today , they try not to tear up their race cars and they try not to give other competitors a reason to retaliate . I'm not sure that we will ever have a lot of beatin and bangin again, without going back to stupider drivers.
 
You never know what will spew from Bruton's mouth each time we attend one of his tracks. He gets an open mic to the world and watch out, he pulls another subject out of his hat to discuss. This time cautions and the lack there of. To me, it sounds as though he's trying to cater to today's ADD affected fanbase. The average fans attitude towards the sport has changed significantly over the years. Those of us that have been around long enough to witness the racing throughout the years remember the long strung out field of cars, many times with only a couple of cars left on the lead lap at the end of the race. Most used to enjoy that type of racing and we filled the stands. Now there's a need for shorter races, side by side racing from green to checkered. If that's the new fans desire it isn't going to happen any other way than artificially so in that respect he's probably right in some respect.
 
ted@economy said:
Actually I think that it is Bruton and others like him that are damaging the sport . The commercials and prerace hype makes the races sound like they are going to be full of 'thrills and spills',and 'beatin and bangin' . When the race is just racing , fans are let down . How about not promising fans something that you can't deliver . How would that work?
Click to expand...

Matthew2470 said:
Fans want NASCAR to remain a sport. Bruton wants it to be a "show".
Click to expand...

I agree , 100%
 
Damaging to our sport? It's ironic that that he'd say that, because SMI has done it's fair share to create the problems everyone complains about. Senseless reconfigurations of Atlanta, Bristol, and Las Vegas, closing down North Wilkesboro for a Charlotte clone, and the general increase in the cookie cutter tracks known for dull racing. Wonder if he has some suggestions on any of that?
 
Jameswnh said:
Damaging to our sport? It's ironic that that he'd say that, because SMI has done it's fair share to create the problems everyone complains about. Senseless reconfigurations of Atlanta, Bristol, and Las Vegas, closing down North Wilkesboro for a Charlotte clone, and the general increase in the cookie cutter tracks known for dull racing. Wonder if he has some suggestions on any of that?
Click to expand...

Amen.
 
Then the laps under yellow should not count. If timeouts do not run.the time. A yellow flag should not run laps down.
 
I say we have them drive Hummers, then safety is not a issue and they can plow into each other all race long at 65 mph
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
You never know what will spew from Bruton's mouth each time we attend one of his tracks. He gets an open mic to the world and watch out, he pulls another subject out of his hat to discuss. This time cautions and the lack there of. To me, it sounds as though he's trying to cater to today's ADD affected fanbase. The average fans attitude towards the sport has changed significantly over the years. Those of us that have been around long enough to witness the racing throughout the years remember the long strung out field of cars, many times with only a couple of cars left on the lead lap at the end of the race. Most used to enjoy that type of racing and we filled the stands. Now there's a need for shorter races, side by side racing from green to checkered. If that's the new fans desire it isn't going to happen any other way than artificially so in that respect he's probably right in some respect.
Click to expand...

Right there with ya DP, the racing is better than it ever has been yet the fans complain :(
 
sloggie said:
He's right in that there is an astounding lack of action for the first 80% of most races as drivers just turn laps. He's wrong if he thinks the answer is fake yellow flags.
Click to expand...

There's been an astounding lack of action during 100% of the race.

I honestly believe it's a combination of the car that gets the lead can set sail in clean air, tires no longer giving off at all meaning there is no difference between a short run and a long run in a race and drivers racing conservatively to make the Chase. I bet if they eliminated the Chase, the racing would improve week by week.
 
sloggie said:
My solution: Get Rid of the Yellow flag, and always use a Red Flag for any incident. Make everyone pit under green flag.
Click to expand...

Stop the cars on the track for a sippy cup???? A crowded pit road is some of the best action we see. Like MoeJoe says, a tire that wears will make for better racing. Like I've been saying, we can't have a softer tire until NASCAR goes to a larger tire size that works for the heavy car they roll on. NASCAR isn't doing it for the new car, so we'll be stuck with the down force, rock hard tires, no passing, no pit strategy crap for years to come.
 
I have heard people say it was a bad night of racing at local tracks because there were no "good wrecks".
I don't consider them to be fans.

Na$car went from big blocks, 427 etc to the small block 350 family. Maybe it's time to drop the engine size again. Get rid of all the aero stuff, have a safe tire that does give up and needs changing. Put the race back in the drivers hands.
 
SST55 said:
I have heard people say it was a bad night of racing at local tracks because there were no "good wrecks".
I don't consider them to be fans.

Na$car went from big blocks, 427 etc to the small block 350 family. Maybe it's time to drop the engine size again. Get rid of all the aero stuff, have a safe tire that does give up and needs changing. Put the race back in the drivers hands.
Click to expand...

I've been saying exactly that for 2 years. Welcome aboard. :)

Last night on Wind Tunnel, Larry McReynolds called for slower cars. He didn't say how, but my feeling is 'stock' these days would be a smaller overhead cam engine. An added bonus of a smaller engine is they could do away with the restrictor plates and go back to pack racing.
 
The 358 today is producing more hp than the 427's of the old days. Add in that cars are no longer shaped like a brick and is it any wonder they're pack racing at 200+ mph? Na$car gets antsy when speeds hit over 200. Next will be a freakin drag chute.
IMHO a there won't be much difference if a car goes in the stands at 200 or 175 mph.

Go to the 302, no splitter, minimum spoiler, a car that can be easiliy recognized as a ford,chevy,dodge etc and a tire that while safe gives up. OHCs I'm not so sure about.
 
SST55 said:
The 358 today is producing more hp than the 427's of the old days. Add in that cars are no longer shaped like a brick and is it any wonder they're pack racing at 200+ mph? Na$car gets antsy when speeds hit over 200. Next will be a freakin drag chute.
IMHO a there won't be much difference if a car goes in the stands at 200 or 175 mph.

Go to the 302, no splitter, minimum spoiler, a car that can be easiliy recognized as a ford,chevy,dodge etc and a tire that while safe gives up. OHCs I'm not so sure about.
Click to expand...

We should work for NASCAR. We would have this crap straightened out in no time. ;)

I suggest OHC because it saves money and is more stock than what we have. Since these cars are so heavy, I would suggest a 320 - 330 CI block so durability isn't an issue.
 
2.0 Liter Turbocharged engines that Run E85. They would actually be relevant compared to today's cars. Will never happen though.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Perhaps Bruton Smith should build a figure-8 track that seats 120,000 people.
Click to expand...

Perhaps NASCAR and Bruton should can the 1.5 mile experiment and turn them into true Rovals to get back to driving. How cool would it be to have a twist before the finish line at Charolette? Put one on the back stretch, and we're back to braking, handeling and light contact racing.
 
I've got to echo the sentiments about tires. I bet they could run these cars with these tires at Rockingham and have very little drop off.

Honestly, Goodyear and NASCAR should have tire tests at Rockingham and if the cars don't give off four or five seconds in a 60 lap stint, their compound is just too hard.
 
Auto racing promoters in the old days always had side shows at every race . And the hype to match . " See the death defying drivers as they race at speeds that are unsafe for the human body , all the while trying to avoid flaming crashes and torn sheetmetal " . Bruton comes from the old school , give the fans the biggest and wildest experience you can and they will always come back . A very good book that describes the old days of race track promoting is the Chris Economaki book called Let Them all Run .
And Bruton is correct , close competition makes for exciting racing . But i'm not so sure that manipulation by yellow flags is the way to achieve that end . The problem is with the new fans , they aren't watching because of the racing or the sounds or even the drivers . NASCAR has dumbed down stock car racing to the point that it's even boring to the die hard fans . The new fans attending an event , they're not sure what they're supposed to be paying attention to . So Bruton feels the show needs to be improved .
 
Mike Croley said:
Auto racing promoters in the old days always had side shows at every race . And the hype to match . " See the death defying drivers as they race at speeds that are unsafe for the human body , all the while trying to avoid flaming crashes and torn sheetmetal " . Bruton comes from the old school , give the fans the biggest and wildest experience you can and they will always come back . A very good book that describes the old days of race track promoting is the Chris Economaki book called Let Them all Run .
And Bruton is correct , close competition makes for exciting racing . But i'm not so sure that manipulation by yellow flags is the way to achieve that end . The problem is with the new fans , they aren't watching because of the racing or the sounds or even the drivers . NASCAR has dumbed down stock car racing to the point that it's even boring to the die hard fans . The new fans attending an event , they're not sure what they're supposed to be paying attention to . So Bruton feels the show needs to be improved .
Click to expand...

Cautions don't matter though. 10 laps in to a run on these cookie cutter tracks and the field is already spread out. Does anyone remember that god awful Brickyard race when they had to throw competition cautions every 10 laps?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom