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VaDirt

VaDirt

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Great article, although it's interesting how he compares Baby Boomers ("anything they wanted they worked for") to Millennials ("seem to feel a sense of entitlement").

As I recall, that's pretty much the same comparison made in describing the Baby Boomers to the generation that came before it, those who lived through the Depression and WWII.
 
pjmolo said:
Great article, although it's interesting how he compares Baby Boomers ("anything they wanted they worked for") to Millennials ("seem to feel a sense of entitlement").

As I recall, that's pretty much the same comparison made in describing the Baby Boomers to the generation that came before it, those who lived through the Depression and WWII.
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I'd like to add to this and say that the cars that Boomers had available vs the cars that Millennials have available are two different animals. I think this is a big opportunity to save the auto industry in general. Boomers loved cars because they were relatively affordable and it became their hobby. Millenials hate cars because they are too expensive to purchase and insure, and they are nearly impossible to work on at home. If auto companies could make their cars more accessible to work on rather than less accessible, the car hobby and craze would return to the population. Until this happens, Uber, Lyft, and auto driving cars are the future for Millenials. This obviously hurts autoracing of all kinds.
 
LouieLouie said:
I'd like to add to this and say that the cars that Boomers had available vs the cars that Millennials have available are two different animals. I think this is a big opportunity to save the auto industry in general. Boomers loved cars because they were relatively affordable and it became their hobby. Millenials hate cars because they are too expensive to purchase and insure, and they are nearly impossible to work on at home. If auto companies could make their cars more accessible to work on rather than less accessible, the car hobby and craze would return to the population. Until this happens, Uber, Lyft, and auto driving cars are the future for Millenials. This obviously hurts autoracing of all kinds.
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I might be the rare person who loves auto racing but doesn't care about cars.......
 
The Nature Boy said:
I might be the rare person who loves auto racing but doesn't care about cars.......
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There are exceptions to every rule! :D
It certainly doesn't mean you aren't wanted. Also, I'm willing to bet that you know more about cars than you think you do and probably more than the average bear.
 
LouieLouie said:
I'd like to add to this and say that the cars that Boomers had available vs the cars that Millennials have available are two different animals. I think this is a big opportunity to save the auto industry in general. Boomers loved cars because they were relatively affordable and it became their hobby. Millenials hate cars because they are too expensive to purchase and insure, and they are nearly impossible to work on at home. If auto companies could make their cars more accessible to work on rather than less accessible, the car hobby and craze would return to the population. Until this happens, Uber, Lyft, and auto driving cars are the future for Millenials. This obviously hurts autoracing of all kinds.
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There is hope though. My neighbor kid and some of his buddies have cars that look just like those Global Rallycross cars. I don't know what they are but I have to admit, the little suckers sound pretty BA!
I never saw them race until this last Sunday but now I see why the kids have them. Somewhat affordable. Something they can relate to. And they put on a hell of a show!
 
Old 97 said:
There is hope though. My neighbor kid and some of his buddies have cars that look just like those Global Rallycross cars. I don't know what they are but I have to admit, the little suckers sound pretty BA!
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IMO, one of the best sounding cars you can buy today is the Subaru WRX STi. They're only 4 cylinders, but those things sound better than a lot of V-8's.
 
LouieLouie said:
Boomers loved cars because they were relatively affordable and it became their hobby. Millenials hate cars because they are too expensive to purchase and insure, and they are nearly impossible to work on at home.
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I blame some of this on the rampant technology craze that seems to have taken over the auto industry.

At the rate they're going it shouldn't be long until the newer models have the ability to wipe your butt. :eek:
 
There's also a lot of little factors like how far technology is coming... for crying out loud the cup cars don't even need a tachometer or even a single gauge now...

To jump ahead, you have to consider the idea of "self driving" automobiles for the public...young people want everything to be done while they just sit there holding a smart phone... driving a car years down the line "could" end up being an afterthought...

With things like that happening, how does anyone expect young kids out there in masses to get interested in auto racing, let alone the NASCAR brand...technology is making auto racing a little tougher for young kids of the future to relate to..

Just my 2 cents.
 
ToyYoda said:
IMO, one of the best sounding cars you can buy today is the Subaru WRX STi. They're only 4 cylinders, but those things sound better than a lot of V-8's.
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Say What! :confused: :D

There ain't nothing like a Nascar Race Car going up through the gears to speed, nothing. (JMHO) Second to this was the sound of the "CART" Series Indy Cars.
 
Pat said:
The sponsors rule. The broadcasters rule. NASCAR doesn't control the sport anymore. That's my 2 cents.
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Disagree.

The at track experience vs the TV experience is the big conundrum now.

Look at what just happened to Richmond. Overwhelming majority of fans on here thought that race was great. But the fans who went to see it in person thought it was terrible and hated it so they're going back to holding night races.
 
There are lots of reasons as to why Nascar finds itself in its current position that have been discussed ad nauseum. IMO it's greatest need is adding new fans in the 15-30 age group that will enjoy the product and introduce others to it. A couple of things I have heard loud and clear is that when younger people congregate they want to have good WiFi, have an experience they can enjoy with their friends in person and through social media and receive what they perceive as good value.

Young people often get a bad rap for having short attention spans but I think it is more about providing action and excitement on a more regular basis then Nascar currently does. A lot of these people have grown up with computers, phones and tablets and are used to being able to access what they want immediately so telling them to pay a hundred bucks to watch cars go around in circles at a volume where they can't communicate verbally or through social media due to crappy WiFi ain't gonna get it done.

As a geezer (not a redundant old geezer) most of what the young people want goes over my head but as a businessman I know that I have to keep my existing base of customers happy while still appealing to the next generations. Nascar already has several strikes against it but I think they could cultivate a smaller but dedicated new crowd to the series but they need to find out what these people want and implement the changes. Nascar has a tremendous opportunity to remake itself while still under the protection of it's current broadcast deal.
 
Until they admits they fixed it until they broke it, nothing changes. The floor will be somewhere around 300,000 households, 15,000 ticket sales, and 21 car 'non Daytona 500' events. The COTs were a dud, the cookie cutters were a dud, the chase chased people away, the segments turned the points system into a convoluted mess, the TV commentators suck, the at track experience is too expensive, getting to and from the track ages a person 20 years, there is no home team to root for, the days of getting close enough just to take a picture of your favorite driver are over, it takes a secret VIP pass just to get close enough take a picture in front of their car, promotional items are a thing of the past, the camera angles on tv are always zoomed and rarely capture any racing, sponsors no longer hand out free samples, the drivers are vanilla or brats, it costs $200 just to get a popular driver to sign something, and you have to donate thousands of dollars to a charity just to get close enough to shake their hand, and these are just a few of the things that have went to crap since the 1990 Daytona 500, when I started watching and attending races.
 
pjmolo said:
Great article, although it's interesting how he compares Baby Boomers ("anything they wanted they worked for") to Millennials ("seem to feel a sense of entitlement").

As I recall, that's pretty much the same comparison made in describing the Baby Boomers to the generation that came before it, those who lived through the Depression and WWII.
Click to expand...
Funny, that's right where he lost me. There are a lot better generational comparisons to make. Let's start with young boomers having access to cars that were easier for them to work on.
 
pjmolo said:
Great article, although it's interesting how he compares Baby Boomers ("anything they wanted they worked for") to Millennials ("seem to feel a sense of entitlement").

As I recall, that's pretty much the same comparison made in describing the Baby Boomers to the generation that came before it, those who lived through the Depression and WWII.
Click to expand...
Probably since the beginning of time, every generation has thought they are superior to the generations that followed.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Look at what just happened to Richmond. Overwhelming majority of fans on here thought that race was great. But the fans who went to see it in person thought it was terrible and hated it so they're going back to holding night races.
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They did? Why? How do you know this?
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Disagree.

The at track experience vs the TV experience is the big conundrum now.

Look at what just happened to Richmond. Overwhelming majority of fans on here thought that race was great. But the fans who went to see it in person thought it was terrible and hated it so they're going back to holding night races.
Click to expand...

Track is always going to come first. If no one is in the stands people are less likely to watch the race on TV.
 
Simple Fan said:
Track is always going to come first. If no one is in the stands people are less likely to watch the race on TV.
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Problem is, what the fans at the track want is completely different from what the fans watching on TV want.

Saturday night races are not just bad races, but they pretty regularly get bad ratings.
 
I know that even though I try to attend 2-3 races a year I still prefer to watch at home. I have my own food, bathrooms and climate control. Until NASCAR renovates every track to be a grade A experience like they renovated Daytona to be, not sure attendance will improve.
 
sdj said:
Say What! :confused: :D

There ain't nothing like a Nascar Race Car going up through the gears to speed, nothing. (JMHO) Second to this was the sound of the "CART" Series Indy Cars.
Click to expand...
They all sound the same once I put the headphones on.
 
LouieLouie said:
I'd like to add to this and say that the cars that Boomers had available vs the cars that Millennials have available are two different animals. I think this is a big opportunity to save the auto industry in general. Boomers loved cars because they were relatively affordable and it became their hobby. Millenials hate cars because they are too expensive to purchase and insure, and they are nearly impossible to work on at home. If auto companies could make their cars more accessible to work on rather than less accessible, the car hobby and craze would return to the population. Until this happens, Uber, Lyft, and auto driving cars are the future for Millenials. This obviously hurts autoracing of all kinds.
Click to expand...

It has been my experience that new cars cost a years salary to buy. As a young man a 64 chevy hardtop cost about $3900 CDN and we made about $4000 a year. Today people pay $45000 for a vehicle and they make about $50,000.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I'm going car shopping next year with a $30,000 cap, and I'm positive I can find something that more than meets my needs for that.
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Sure you can, Just not in Canada. If I buy a car made in Oshawa, Ont. and pick it up at the dealer across the street, I pay $650 delivery charge plus a $1000 bonus to USA called import tax. That's the kind of deal free trade gave us and Trump wants to increase.
 
Ad nauseum pretty much describes how I feel about the TV coverage. I'm sick of all the ads. Have not been to a race in 40 years, could not afford it with 3 kids. Won't go now because I am not able to set on a bleacher for 3+ hours, or willing to pay $75-80 to do it.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Disagree.

The at track experience vs the TV experience is the big conundrum now.

Look at what just happened to Richmond. Overwhelming majority of fans on here thought that race was great. But the fans who went to see it in person thought it was terrible and hated it so they're going back to holding night races.
Click to expand...
I will always choose a night race over a day race. In fact yesterday there was a big modified race at the Lee New Hampshire USA Speedway, and since my hotel is only 30 minutes from the track I figured I would go check it out. I drove over to the facility on Fri to see how nice it was and it was a very nice pavement track. But, the race was going to be during the day on Saturday. I got up Saturday morning but I just couldn't get excited enough to go. If it had been ran Sat night I would have been there with no hesitation. I ended up driving around New Hampshire and Maine sightseeing all day.
 
joe h said:
Until they admits they fixed it until they broke it, nothing changes. The floor will be somewhere around 300,000 households, 15,000 ticket sales, and 21 car 'non Daytona 500' events. The COTs were a dud, the cookie cutters were a dud, the chase chased people away, the segments turned the points system into a convoluted mess, the TV commentators suck, the at track experience is too expensive, getting to and from the track ages a person 20 years, there is no home team to root for, the days of getting close enough just to take a picture of your favorite driver are over, it takes a secret VIP pass just to get close enough take a picture in front of their car, promotional items are a thing of the past, the camera angles on tv are always zoomed and rarely capture any racing, sponsors no longer hand out free samples, the drivers are vanilla or brats, it costs $200 just to get a popular driver to sign something, and you have to donate thousands of dollars to a charity just to get close enough to shake their hand, and these are just a few of the things that have went to crap since the 1990 Daytona 500, when I started watching and attending races.
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Good golly Miss Molly, very well stated. I couldn't possibly have said it better myself. I can't disagree with a single point from top to bottom. As a fan since '83 everyone of these points has taken a turn for the worse and turned NASCAR from a fan friendly experience to what could be described as a dumbed down expensive shadow of its former self.
 
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