Richard Petty: NASCAR has gone from "race time" to "show time"

pjmolo

pjmolo

Director of driver attitude adjustments . . .
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Obviously a great deal has been posted about what Petty said about Danica, but what I found most interesting is what he said concerning the true nature of NASCAR in this day and age.

Petty doesn't seem to either condone or condemn what NASCAR has turned into, rather he seems to be just calling it like he sees it.

"Petty spent much of the time in a media scrum discussing how NASCAR has evolved over the years from 'race time' to 'show time' . . . "

"Petty said NASCAR has grown so big that much of the attention paid to the series and the drivers these days has moved the actual racing into the back seat."

". . . Like I (Petty) say, it’s become a show-time deal.”

I'm sure Brian France could talk for hours why phantom debris cautions, the ever evolving Chase, and continuous changes to the rules are necessary, but I see these things as being nothing more than attempts to enhance "the show" as opposed to promoting bonifide racing.
 
finally someone prominent in the sport calling it like they see it. I have been unable to find any dissent about the new chase rules by people in the sport. its like they have a muzzle on everyone else.
 
hidesert cowboy said:
finally someone prominent in the sport calling it like they see it. I have been unable to find any dissent about the new chase rules by people in the sport. its like they have a muzzle on everyone else.
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I posted numerous examples in the thread on the rules change.
 
Petty is right, the sport has moved more toward entertainment. For those of us who have watched the world go by for more than a couple decades know that pretty much everything we knew back in the day has evolved into something different. Most of it for the better. Sometimes changes don't work and new changes evolve from the experience. NASCAR has been trying changes and so far most of the changes have been for the better (safer car, safer restraints, safer barriers, better TV coverage, double file restarts, and we'll see if qualifying is better - the Chase is still evolving).
 
On another note , Bout time we heard what the King said ! We all know it, nobody wanted to say it, Finally somebody had the nuts to just come out and say what he thinks.
He will take a beating I'm sure from certain people/ sources. I really don't think he cares one bit.
 
I know it is entertainment but keeping credibility is part of that deal.

Resetting the points for the last race is to much of a disrespect for what transpires during the other 35 races.
A cheap late caution effectively does the same for that race.

Too many desperate band aids that are more about getting the big tv contracts than nuturing good racing. After the product is gutted to the core the tv folks will go bye bye, Brian will probably leave with his gozillions too.

He is a pimp in my opinion, he isnt a racer, he doesnt love the product. His disrespect for it couldn't be any more obvious.
 
pjmolo said:
I may be in the minority but I've always found high school and college level wrestling to be entertaining also.

WWE . . . not so much.
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wish i'd come up with that!

as much as i enjoy nascar, i will always prefer the local short tracks.
 
good thread Pjmolo. I said something about that, the drivers being muzzled, they made an example out of Hamlin last year and when he took a stand about not paying the fine, none of the other drivers stuck their neck out. About the only driver they can't mess with is Jr. and over the years he has said some things that the others wanted to say. Petty came out of left field, I was surprised he laid it all out about the show time and the Danica, but he is another person, one of the very few who can say something to validate what the more in tune fans are thinking and saying. If Brian and his yes men tried to do anything publicly to Petty, it would hurt their checkbook, as it would if they messed with Jr. But I wouldn't put it past them to do it on the sly
 
StandOnIt said:
they made an example out of Hamlin last year and when he took a stand about not paying the fine, none of the other drivers stuck their neck out.
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Eh that's the one thing I dont agree with. When NASCAR fines you, you pay it.

Hamlin made his situation worse by trying to face NASCAR. In the end he paid for it and looked like a moron by having to backtrack.
 
humpy wheeler has said same thing petty said.......for decades !
 
hawg dawg said:
humpy wheeler has said same thing petty said.......for decades !
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and humpy was one of the first to line his pockets with the proceeds from his promotional stunts. not sure if he was averse to the idea of the show being more important than the race, or just wise enough to cash in.
 
I've said basically the same thing to Nascar in the fan surveys , but I think Petty is an a hole for saying it to millions of people .
 
klemmabyna said:
and humpy was one of the first to line his pockets with the proceeds from his promotional stunts. not sure if he was averse to the idea of the show being more important than the race, or just wise enough to cash in.
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had ta put on a show......ta get folks ta attend race.
both went hand-in-hand . symbiotic .
even big bill -n - bill jr realized that.

infield at plate races is good example.
not all there for race only .
 
reck said:
Eh that's the one thing I dont agree with. When NASCAR fines you, you pay it.

Hamlin made his situation worse by trying to face NASCAR. In the end he paid for it and looked like a moron by having to backtrack.
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So just how much control over what you say should they have?? The King said what he thought about another driver, Thats been going on for years. If they were to penalize him in any manner I would be very surprised. You may hear him back off his statement a bit but thats all I suspect. Hamlin said something about their new car. Thats their product. Huge difference IMO
 
what petty said just mirrors what most of his ole fans are sayin........thinkin.
he knows where his bread is buttered......always has. good for him.

nascar won't touch it.
 
They will not publicly rebuke Petty, the cowards do not want the backlash of bad press hurting the ultimate, the mecca aka the quarterly profits.

The chikenfeces will just probably tech his cars harder while feigning dissapontment over his dilemma.

Still the same Petty will always be Petty. Brian and Helton will always be who they are, losers. A bunch of screwed up insecure control freaks that cant bear desenters and criticism.

They work off exacting fear to keep their little stepford wives in line. The same fear will assure their unworthy entrances into the Hall on the first eligible ballot. They will be the excrement and puke in comparison to the likes of Pettys worthy presence.

But their overall Historical legacy will put them just slightly over Tony George's level. They need to feel that pain and disgrace while they have enough presence of thought to be bothered.

I hope Petty keeps calling them out. Figurativly putting the knife in the gut and twisting it.
 
I love this new, outspoken Richard Petty. He's been calm and reserved for as long as I can remember, but maybe he's finally getting to the point where he's looking at what the sport has become and has decided he's had enough. I personally can't wait to hear what he has to say next.
 
greg....brian...fear....stepford wife...may not be good example ?
 
ToyYoda said:
I love this new, outspoken Richard Petty. He's been calm and reserved for as long as I can remember, but maybe he's finally getting to the point where he's looking at what the sport has become and has decided he's had enough. I personally can't wait to hear what he has to say next.
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They always run the best just before they blow up...
 
ToyYoda said:
I love this new, outspoken Richard Petty. He's been calm and reserved for as long as I can remember, but maybe he's finally getting to the point where he's looking at what the sport has become and has decided he's had enough. I personally can't wait to hear what he has to say next.
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new ? only said what he's said whole career......it's a show for fans.....which is why he always stayed ta sign autographs ........til last fan left !
 
pjmolo said:
I may be in the minority but I've always found high school and college level wrestling to be entertaining also.

WWE . . . not so much.
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And yet WWE is huge business while colleges keep cutting their wrestling programs.

But the Nascar=WWE critique is BS. And outdated. Nascar isn't scripted.

A better comparison is UFC vs college wrestling. College and olympic wrestling is great. But not a draw with fans. It has a niche audience, but the mainstream ignores it. UFC takes wrestling as it's base and throws in striking. Get some blood going and some head trauma KOs -- and now you have a huge business.

And to further the gimmick comparison, Dana White and the UFC have been known to cut "boring" fighters that win mainly by out-wrestling their opponents. Guys who keep the fight on the ground and grind out a victory aren't popular with the fans, so UFC cuts them even if they win under the rules of UFC.

UFC hard-core fans make the same gimmick complaints that Nascar hard-core fans do. The hard-core fans can appreciate the wrestling and the grappling. But the casuals just want to see a wreck, I mean a knockout. Casual fans will go crazy for guys who stand and bang and fight like drunken idiots -- and boo an all-american wrestler who uses elite technique to force the fight to the ground and control his opponent.

UFC does everything they can to try and force fights to be "exciting" -- as defined by the tastes of the casual fans. Same thing Nascar is doing. Same thing baseball has been doing by expanding playoffs and adding wildcards.

Hard-core fans in every sport hate the gimmicks their sport invents to attract the casuals. They'll always complain. And the sports will always chase the casual fans. Cause that's where the $$ is.
 
hawg dawg said:
greg....brian...fear....stepford wife...may not be good example ?
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We will just have to agree to disagree, he wants programmed robots for drivers and he believes that racing fans and stupid enough to accept his shenanigans.
 
Greg said:
We will just have to agree to disagree, he wants programmed robots for drivers and he believes that racing fans and stupid enough to accept his shenanigans.
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greg----was talkin bout brian's own wife ! ......married...divorce...remarried....etc.
 
StoneTown said:
And yet WWE is huge business while colleges keep cutting their wrestling programs.

But the Nascar=WWE critique is BS. And outdated. Nascar isn't scripted.

A better comparison is UFC vs college wrestling. College and olympic wrestling is great. But not a draw with fans. It has a niche audience, but the mainstream ignores it. UFC takes wrestling as it's base and throws in striking. Get some blood going and some head trauma KOs -- and now you have a huge business.

And to further the gimmick comparison, Dana White and the UFC have been known to cut "boring" fighters that win mainly by out-wrestling their opponents. Guys who keep the fight on the ground and grind out a victory aren't popular with the fans, so UFC cuts them even if they win under the rules of UFC.

UFC hard-core fans make the same gimmick complaints that Nascar hard-core fans do. The hard-core fans can appreciate the wrestling and the grappling. But the casuals just want to see a wreck, I mean a knockout. Casual fans will go crazy for guys who stand and bang and fight like drunken idiots -- and boo an all-american wrestler who uses elite technique to force the fight to the ground and control his opponent.

UFC does everything they can to try and force fights to be "exciting" -- as defined by the tastes of the casual fans. Same thing Nascar is doing. Same thing baseball has been doing by expanding playoffs and adding wildcards.

Hard-core fans in every sport hate the gimmicks their sport invents to attract the casuals. They'll always complain. And the sports will always chase the casual fans. Cause that's where the $$ is.
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Well I dont watch the UFC. But your post is well written, and logical.

Sad but true.
 
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