NASCAR and the younger crowd

Matthew2470 said:
All the country music and cowboy hats doesn't help.
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not to mention the honkers that sing the National Anthem..that is the WHOLE problem, the jets scare off fans, and the parachutists should be banned, not to mention the stars yelling start your engines, Darell...what can ya say, he is running them off in droves. Not to mention the whole thing started in the south east..that really does it for some..dang southerners with their country music and cowboy hats, they need farmer bib overalls and John Deers hats like they have up north and learn to polka. I can't believe all this has been going on for over 66 years, there should be a law about it. It is a bad example for young people.
 
StandOnIt said:
not to mention the honkers that sing the National Anthem..that is the WHOLE problem, the jets scare off fans, and the parachutists should be banned, not to mention the stars yelling start your engines, Darell...what can ya say, he is running them off in droves. Not to mention the whole thing started in the south east..that really does it for some..dang southerners with their country music and cowboy hats, they need farmer bib overalls and John Deers hats like they have up north and learn to polka. I can't believe all this has been going on for over 66 years, there should be a law about it.
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Wrong about Ol' DW. I think he's only been at it for 65 years.
 
Why doesn't Larry Mac say this thing about pulling the shoulder straps tight anymore before DW's Boogitys?
 
Why do I wish those two would come down with laryngitis every weekend?
I understand when the crew is unloading they send the 43rd chair off the truck to DW, past champ's provisional chair..:)
 
don't get me started about the France family..they have been dead wrong for 66 years, cramming THEIR product down our throats. They never have been in step with whats happening. I don't know who watches anymore 2,3,4 million a race
 
ChexOrWrex said:
His point exactly. Get rid of tracks like Kansas. Boring as all hell to watch on TV. Need phantom debris & constructed GWCs to make it a "thriller". Would I watch those rallycross cars at a cookie cutter 1.5er? No. Id sure as hell watch them at Bristol or Martinsville though.
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Until the France dynasty has passed that won't happen. Special interests.

Even then I'm not sure that there's much "wrong" with the current product at Bristol and Martinsville.
 
On Tuesday night, I went up to Delaware International Speedway, a 1/2 mile dirt track in Delmar, a couple hours south of Dover. What I saw there gives me hope for this sport, at least for that area. The stands were jam packed with people, most of which were of the younger crowd. It was like a high school football game, there were so many teenagers.
 
#1. auto racing..sanctioned auto racing has been around every since there were cars. Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1909 probable some were around even sooner, in the U.S. or worldwide.
#2. most racing today is done with vehicles that don't even look like cars. Nascar started out with fairly stock looking cars but even as early as 1957 probably earlier they were purpose built RACE cars. Get over it.
This is a RACE car..it is not a street car
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So is this:
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Just because it has Ford on the hood doesn't make it a street car or more REAL. Neither could be driven on the street.

A street Ford Fiesta doesn't look like this from the rear. It is not a decal for the exhaust, but it isn't what a street car looks like either. Yeah it is cool looking because it is a RACE CAR.

The car above doesn't go 200 MPH...this one does.
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StandOnIt said:
#1. auto racing..sanctioned auto racing has been around every since there were cars. Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1909 probable some were around even sooner, in the U.S. or worldwide.
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That's true, but irrelevant. Young people don't care about that. They were not alive then.
#2. most racing today is done with vehicles that don't even look like cars. Nascar started out with fairly stock looking cars but even as early as 1957 probably earlier they were purpose built RACE cars. Get over it.
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The young people got over it. They stopped watching. You missed the point completely.
Just because it has Ford on the hood doesn't make it a street car or more REAL. Neither could be driven on the street.

A street Ford Fiesta doesn't look like this from the rear. It is not a decal for the exhaust, but it isn't what a street car looks like either. Yeah it is cool looking because it is a RACE CAR.
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Again, you miss the point. The cars need to be something that the younger crowd can relate to. They don't have to street legal.
The car above doesn't go 200 MPH...this one does.
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It's great that you like the current cars and the speed, but this isn't about you. It's about the people that are NOT watching. It's great that NASCAR has a car that goes 200. It's not so great when they made the car to look like the one my Grandma drives to church.
 
Guy that lives across from me bought the new Fusion. Bad lookin ride. Car looks much sportier than the NASCAR version imo.

Also if nascar wants to attract younger users, get these car's paint jobs looking hotter. Half these cars look so bland out there. I wonder how many kids in the 2000s became Gordon fans just bc his car had flames? They also need to be sponsored by things teenagers and 20s year olds like. Popular movies, energy drinks, video games, more alcohol, clothing brands, maybe even music artists... hell idk. Gotta give it more pop.
 
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Webster's definition of a stock car -

stock car
noun. : a car used for racing that has the same basic structure as a car normally sold to the public but has a more powerful engine, a stronger frame, etc.

Is that what we've got? I dont think so.
 
well slogster, if you still want to continue to use statistics that are 14 years old for viewer ratings to base your nobody is watching story, sorry dude but you are driving grandpa's Buick. Today..in a different world, the ratings are: winning the weekend for sporting events, winning the week and top five most watched programs galore.
 
In regards to the argument about "ratings". I dont give a rats ass what the ratings are. The point of this thread was stating that in my opinion, the younger crowd (id say mid-20s and younger) doesnt embrace NASCAR. And, what can be done to change that. Call me crazy, but it just seems that way to me. I work in the automotive industry with a ton of people in their mid-20s. Usually if you wrench on cars for a living, you are into some form of racing. From what I gather, they dont care about NASCAR because again, its just "cars going around in circles." So, my thought was more road courses might help to change that. Considering ovals are whats keep them from watching in the first place.
 
BenzTech99 said:
Webster's definition of a stock car -

stock car
noun. : a car used for racing that has the same basic structure as a car normally sold to the public but has a more powerful engine, a stronger frame, etc.

Is that what we've got? I dont think so.
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might need to look at the pic above..pretty close. Matter of opinion..and a play on words..probably should have defined it as a RACE car that is similar looking to a street car, but changes are made for safety and speed.
 
StandOnIt said:
well slogster, if you still want to continue to use statistics that are 14 years old for viewer ratings to base your nobody is watching story, sorry dude but you are driving grandpa's Buick. Today..in a different world, the ratings are: winning the weekend for sporting events, winning the week and top five most watched programs galore.
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I didn't cite any statistics, my post was anecdotal. Maybe you were replying to someone else?
 
ChexOrWrex said:
Guy that lives across from me bought the new Fusion. Bad lookin ride. Car looks much sportier than the NASCAR version imo.
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Wife's new ride, '13 Fusion S . She went from a Bonneville to this and likes it better. Pretty quick for a 4 banger,,only let me drive it once since she got it last year.:( Coming from a die hard GM fan I have to say it's a nice ride.
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nice ride. Tasca on the front..ol time drag racing..tell ya what racing pays, I live half a country away and I know the name Tasca Ford from the 60's. Bought all my house carpeting from Emmitt Hahn, long time dirt track driver and now promoter of the chili bowl, back when he had a carpet shop.
 
StandOnIt said:
might need to look at the pic above..pretty close. Matter of opinion..and a play on words..probably should have defined it as a RACE car that is similar looking to a street car, but changes are made for safety and speed.
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Ok great, changes are made for safety and speed. Then please tell me what is safer and faster about a solid axle truck arm rear suspension at over 200mph.
 
If the cup series wants to appease to a younger crowd while still keeping to their coupe roots, the chevys should race the camaro, the ford the mustang & toyota their scion sports car. The nationwide cars look better than the cup cars.
 
BenzTech99 said:
Ok great, changes are made for safety and speed. Then please tell me what is safer and faster about a solid axle truck arm rear suspension at over 200mph.
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what..is it dangerous. I know it goes 200 MPH and seems to be pretty sturdy for a RACE car.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
If the cup series wants to appease to a younger crowd while still keeping to their coupe roots, the chevys should race the camaro, the ford the mustang & toyota their scion sports car. The nationwide cars look better than the cup cars.
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The Nationwide COT could use a makeover really. The Camaro and Mustang don't look as close to their real-life models as they should.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
If the cup series wants to appease to a younger crowd while still keeping to their coupe roots, the chevys should race the camaro, the ford the mustang & toyota their scion sports car. The nationwide cars look better than the cup cars.
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kinda answered your own statement. They do race the Camaro, Mustang, and whatever the Toyota's came up with. Costs a lot less to go to a N'wide race so the younger crowd don't have to pay an arm and a leg to go to the race.
 
Let's quit beating to death the stock in stock car thing....These are race cars. Period. Attract the younger crowd by teaching them why they should want to watch. If you don't have an answer when they ask why, you have the problem.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
If the cup series wants to appease to a younger crowd while still keeping to their coupe roots, the chevys should race the camaro, the ford the mustang & toyota their scion sports car. The nationwide cars look better than the cup cars.
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I'd be fine with that. But why cant NASCAR and the manufacturers team up and dovelop cars like what the manufacturers have done for drag racing. Check out these factory drag cars, built specifically for racing, and available at your local dealership.





 
Bobw said:
Wife's new ride, '13 Fusion S . She went from a Bonneville to this and likes it better. Pretty quick for a 4 banger,,only let me drive it once since she got it last year.:( Coming from a die hard GM fan I have to say it's a nice ride.
fusion_zps95646aee.jpg
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Yep. I lean towards the bowtie & when I saw him first drive by I had to hold back from dropping my jaw ;)
 
BenzTech99 said:
I'd be fine with that. But why cant NASCAR and the manufacturers team up and dovelop cars like what the manufacturers have done for drag racing. Check out these factory drag cars, built specifically for racing, and available at your local dealership.





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Cuz there aint nothin stock about stock car racing
 
It is difficult to say what the fix is. But it is easier to see what created the problem - the lack of parity with track types. The casual fan may not really notice a difference between watching Cali, Michigan or Chicago, Kansas. The safety innovations have been great for saving many lives but they have taken that danger factor away a little....not saying they should make the cars more dangerous its just a comment.

Most of all tho when they show an in-car cam of a driver racing an oval it doesn't really look like they are struggling.... maybe lends to the "athletes?" conversation. Why not get rid of the power steering?
 
I agree with the overall consensus here. It's a combination of snooze fest 1.5 mile tracks with little to no action, a giant panzer tank looking car that in no way resembles a stock car, and IMO it's a lack of promotion for some of the young up and coming stars that the younger crowd could better relate too.
 
Here is an article that has opinions of experts who have a skin in the game Track big wigs, sponsors, media etc. about where Nascar should look for growth. might raise some opinions to keep it going. a lot of people here think it is a problem for some reason. I don't go with that as you can tell, solutions and changes are occurring all the time with the sport. You can see by reading this article that many changes are and have been made.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/02/17/In-Depth/Survey.aspx
 
Wrangler1 said:
It is difficult to say what the fix is. But it is easier to see what created the problem - the lack of parity with track types. The casual fan may not really notice a difference between watching Cali, Michigan or Chicago, Kansas. The safety innovations have been great for saving many lives but they have taken that danger factor away a little....not saying they should make the cars more dangerous its just a comment.

Most of all tho when they show an in-car cam of a driver racing an oval it doesn't really look like they are struggling.... maybe lends to the "athletes?" conversation. Why not get rid of the power steering?
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In all reality, I dont think getting rid of power steering will make the cars harder to drive. Having owned a fox body that I put a manual steering rack in, its not really that hard. A car that is set up for manual steering will actually have more feedback to the driver. A car that is supposed to have power steering that fails however, is a different story.
 
There is no discernible difference between the majority of the tracks on the current schedule. Michigan, Kansas, Chicago, Fontana, Texas, Charlotte etc. All 1.5 to 2 miles with little to no racing for the lead under green, phantom debris cautions and gimmicky GWC fueled "excitement", and strung boring ass racing. Not to mention a racecar that more closely resembles a tank than a stock car, that's got too much horsepower, too much downforce, and not enough give up. Get these cars off the ground, get rid of the stupid ass splitters and put a real nose on there, dial back the engines and let's get back to sliding around and bumping and banging.
 
The all star race needs to be more exciting again as well. Invert the field like a few years back.
 
JBone88 said:
There is no discernible difference between the majority of the tracks on the current schedule. Michigan, Kansas, Chicago, Fontana, Texas, Charlotte etc. All 1.5 to 2 miles with little to no racing for the lead under green, phantom debris cautions and gimmicky GWC fueled "excitement", and strung boring ass racing. Not to mention a racecar that more closely resembles a tank than a stock car, that's got too much horsepower, too much downforce, and not enough give up. Get these cars off the ground, get rid of the stupid ass splitters and put a real nose on there, dial back the engines and let's get back to sliding around and bumping and banging.
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I know I can't tell the difference between trucks going 175 and cup cars going 200 on the same track, and the road races at slower speed have consistently had better side by side action. Racing in general doesn't have much passing, never has and probably never will. But the days of winning the race by two or three laps are gone..except races like Lemans and Sebring do sometimes..
 
BenzTech99 said:
In all reality, I dont think getting rid of power steering will make the cars harder to drive. Having owned a fox body that I put a manual steering rack in, its not really that hard. A car that is set up for manual steering will actually have more feedback to the driver. A car that is supposed to have power steering that fails however, is a different story.
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Fair enough, my basic point was make the cars more physical to drive with less stability. Not for the reason of increasing accidents but to help give credibility to the drivers that what they do is difficult, demanding, etc. I know many naïve people that truly believe they could succeed in NASCAR because they think street driving is a comparison.... I often tell them to go ahead and pursue it if its so easy, they wont find a easier/higher paying job ;)
 
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