MRM
Team Owner
I'm older than most on here. I grew up watching Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, and the likes. I thought those were tough, fearless men. Even though the sport became more commercialized, you still had Dale Earnhardt, Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott, and the likes that were also considered tough. Jeff Gordon was never considered that, but he captured a new generation of fans that helped the sport explode because it was a stark difference between he and Earnhardt.
It wasn't until you started seeing Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and drivers like that who were great drivers, but didn't come off as tough. Then you had the wave of unproven kids that got rides because they had sponsors and not resumes. Going into the early 2000's, you thought those drivers were risking injuries and even their lives to race. Once Earnhardt was killed followed by Adam Petty, NASCAR has taken a lot of danger out of the sport. Too many drivers seem like rented suits these days and fans have a hard time connecting with that.
It wasn't until you started seeing Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and drivers like that who were great drivers, but didn't come off as tough. Then you had the wave of unproven kids that got rides because they had sponsors and not resumes. Going into the early 2000's, you thought those drivers were risking injuries and even their lives to race. Once Earnhardt was killed followed by Adam Petty, NASCAR has taken a lot of danger out of the sport. Too many drivers seem like rented suits these days and fans have a hard time connecting with that.