NASCAR too regulated?

[SpeedPagan]

First off, this rant is fueled by Hydrocodon (a very powerful pain medicine), so I may go off here or there...but hopefully this rant will remain about 98% coherent. Oooo a Unicorn.....

Am I the only one who thinks that NASCAR has become too regulated? This thought first occurred to me last year during The Chase when Clint Boyer got in trouble for a minor infraction (which isn't coming to me right now). The thought occurred to me again when Busch got in trouble for his car riding too low.

It just seems like nowadays everything in the sport is regulated, from the chassis right down to the nuts and bolts. Wasn't there a time when stock car racing was about experimenting with your car to try to get the best run possible? Wasn't experimentation with your car at one time promoted in the sport?

I mean I get that NASCAR wants to have an even playing field and to have as tight of a race as possible, but it's also trading in excitement and innovation for the sport for...drivers driving around for 200 laps or so.

I dunno, I think at some point, the rules become silly and pointless other than to snag drivers in pre and post race inspections. I say as long as it doesn't put anyone in danger and he didn't put nitro in his car, then it should be fine!

Once again, this rant was brought to you by Hydrocodon, Hydrocodon, when you just want to sleep through the pain. *Zzzzz*

 

[dpkimmel2001]

I can't think of any successful sport that isn't highly regulated. I'll take things just the way they are. I don't see the rules as degrading the sport at all. While I see many on this board complain about the racing week after week, I've been enjoying the races I watch and especially the ones that I attend.

 

[buckaroo]

Personally I agree with you Speedy, but I also understand why there are regulations. I don't like them, but they are a must if the sport is to continue to be what it is. You should remember when the different manufacturers were complaining about how disadvantaged they were compared to other models. And that goes back a long way. Remember how the earlier Monte Carlo's came out with the sloped rear window, something that was allowed only if the manufacturer produced so many on the assembly line. Had they not been allowed to use that sloped rear window, Chevy would have been in a real rut. But even then, the cars were very different and the complaints continued. NASCAR tried to make the cars so very identical so as to even the playing field. I haven't heard any of the teams complain about the shape of the cars with the exception of the nose, and that is about the only sore point now. Other than that, the cars are almost exact copies of each other and most use the same templates through inspection. And you can blame all of this and other regulations on the root of all evil, money.

 

[MoMike]

Nascar is trying to put a cap on technology, or at the least, govern it.
If they had their way, they'd govern the crew chiefs IQ to 125.
MoMike

 

[talley]

I agree with the notion that all the NA$CAR series races are too regulated.

To me it is the equivalent of the old IROC series - identical cars, identical set ups and the only thing different is the driver....

Add to the above the caution rules (field frozen/first car down a lap gets a 'free' pass around instead of having to race for it), etc., etc.....

These are why we gave up our tickets at three different venues and quit spending money RVing to NA$CAR races at the end of 2005.

I think of the whole thing now as the "National Association of SPEC. Auto Racing".

 

[Mopardh9]

I agree with the notion that all the NA$CAR series races are too regulated.

To me it is the equivalent of the old IROC series - identical cars, identical set ups and the only thing different is the driver....

Add to the above the caution rules (field frozen/first car down a lap gets a 'free' pass around instead of having to race for it), etc., etc.....

These are why we gave up our tickets at three different venues and quit spending money RVing to NA$CAR races at the end of 2005.

I think of the whole thing now as the "National Association of SPEC. Auto Racing".

Agreed we used to go to Vegas every year from 1999-2006, gave up awesome seats, it just wasn't worth the expense any more, the fun factor just wasn't there like it used to be.