Sadly, guys like
@Simple Fan and
@OldTimer are not alone in considering modern racing as a daredevil show that's grown bland because not enough people are dying to keep them amused. There have been others here on R-F talking the same way. I have no numbers, but I'm sure the broader public includes some persons who feel this way.
To all those "fans" I say...
"Good bye and good riddance." You were here for the wrong reasons, and you will *not* be missed. We will gladly adjust to racing without your numbers and without your dollars.
I love racing as a sport, as a contest of skill. I never considered myself a daredevil when I was racing. I know a fair number of racers more successful at it than myself, and they don't consider themselves daredevils either. They are Racers... a completely different mindset from a daredevil show.
A batter trying to hit a 100 mph fastball is a contest of skill. The intensity and fan appeal is not that he can die from taking the ball to his temple. A modern batting helmet does not lessen the worth of the sport. Not to me.
Same thing with a hockey goalie facing a 110 mph slap shot. If a goalie wears a facemask, that does not cheapen what he does as a skill-based sport.
Fans of racing as a sport know... if you screw up, it will take you out of the race, and maybe out of the championship. And it might kill you too, but that's much rarer today... and that is a very good thing.