Walk me back from the edge

T

Tosu97

Guest
This is a topic that I've thought on a lot recently. And it's one that I think is relevant as well.

Also just to be clear in this post I'll be referring to not just me but friends and family.

Fellow NASCAR fans... I've almost reached that point. I can't take much more. I'm a multiple decade die hard to the bone fan. I've hated just about every change but I've stayed on for the ride all the way.

This year has been different though.
I've payed even closer attention this year than I have the last couple years. I really wanted to give stage racing and Monster their fair shot.

What I've found is this... no matter how much I want to love and adore my beloved NASCAR I just can't. And now I'm just not sure i can take anymore. This will sound like a terrible and senseless argument but I've been through similar situations. Watching what NASCAR has become is like watching a close, lifelong friend slowly die of some sort of illness and I'm helpless.

Maybe no one will respond but who knows...

The point of this long post is this:

Talk me down from the ledge... what is there to keep me in NASCAR going forward. What positives are out there....
 
Tosu97 said:
This is a topic that I've thought on a lot recently. And it's one that I think is relevant as well.

Also just to be clear in this post I'll be referring to not just me but friends and family.

Fellow NASCAR fans... I've almost reached that point. I can't take much more. I'm a multiple decade die hard to the bone fan. I've hated just about every change but I've stayed on for the ride all the way.

This year has been different though.
I've payed even closer attention this year than I have the last couple years. I really wanted to give stage racing and Monster their fair shot.

What I've found is this... no matter how much I want to love and adore my beloved NASCAR I just can't. And now I'm just not sure i can take anymore. This will sound like a terrible and senseless argument but I've been through similar situations. Watching what NASCAR has become is like watching a close, lifelong friend slowly die of some sort of illness and I'm helpless.

Maybe no one will respond but who knows...

The point of this long post is this:

Talk me down from the ledge... what is there to keep me in NASCAR going forward. What positives are out there....
Click to expand...

if you're a fan who's in a position to attend races... then that alone could be enough. There's million variables to that and I know it's not easy to plan out a race day... and that's even if you live close to a track in the first place.

I would try to say the goal is still the same. Yeah NASCAR has gimmicked this series to hell and back but still the teams and drivers are playing NASCARs ever changing game to try and put their car in victory lane...

One other thing I'd say. If you really have lost touch and can't get excited... mix up the next few races when you view them.. know when they start but maybe purposely do something else you like and then drop into the race somewhere in the middle of it. With the stages dragging things out sometimes it might keep you interested in watching the last couple runs to the finish instead of stage , stage and another stage... gets to be a lot to digest and some of these races have a feeling they'll be on all day day when you start up.

I hope I atleast touched the surface of a way to help out with this stuff. It's tough believe me. I started the year out and I even missed a race or two and didn't really give a hoot either. But I slowly got back involved and made it to the track again. I'm not there for a certain driver these days... it's just fun to take in everything. I feel that's the way it was really meant to be anyhow...
 
Dude, if you're not enjoying it, don't waste your time. As I've frequently said, doing something just because you always have is a lousy reason to continue doing it.

Tastes change, objects of attention change, times change. It's been a couple of decades since I've looked at a comic book, with a major cause being the overall darker direction they've gone in. I haven't seen a Star Trek movie since 'Generations', or a Star Wars flick since 'Phantom Menace'; they just don't appeal to me any more. I'm watching less NFL; last year I only saw four regular season games.

I wouldn't worry about it. Try other forms of racing, ones that include the features you originally liked in NASCAR. Take up something new; I didn't see my first race until I was 36. Delve further into something you're already interested in but haven't looked at in depth before; I've started taking birding more seriously in the last two years. If you have a local college, check out their continuing education offers; many offer recreational classes.

My point is that NASCAR is a form of entertainment, not a job or commitment. Life is too short and there are too many alternatives to spend time on something you no longer enjoy. Jump off that ledge; who knows what you'll find where you land?
 
For me, I miss what NASCAR was before all of the gimmicks. It used to be a sport, now it's more like a scripted reality show.
By not watching this year I miss the racing a bit but the racing isn't the same as it was when I liked it.
I think NASCAR has to take part of the blame for the decline in popularity.
 
Clutch said:
Like @Charlie Spencer says jump and find something new to entertain yourself.

That'll beat the hell outta complaining post after post like a few others do around here.
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yep bud..hitch up your britches, walk on over to the edge suck in a big breath of air take off running over the edge and scream Boogidy, Boogidy, Boogidy, I'm Done with it.
 
Tosu97 said:
This is a topic that I've thought on a lot recently. And it's one that I think is relevant as well.

Also just to be clear in this post I'll be referring to not just me but friends and family.

Fellow NASCAR fans... I've almost reached that point. I can't take much more. I'm a multiple decade die hard to the bone fan. I've hated just about every change but I've stayed on for the ride all the way.

This year has been different though.
I've payed even closer attention this year than I have the last couple years. I really wanted to give stage racing and Monster their fair shot.

What I've found is this... no matter how much I want to love and adore my beloved NASCAR I just can't. And now I'm just not sure i can take anymore. This will sound like a terrible and senseless argument but I've been through similar situations. Watching what NASCAR has become is like watching a close, lifelong friend slowly die of some sort of illness and I'm helpless.

Maybe no one will respond but who knows...

The point of this long post is this:

Talk me down from the ledge... what is there to keep me in NASCAR going forward. What positives are out there....
Click to expand...

Like I've said multiple times before and obviously this is my personal experience but I don't give a s*** about the rules/names/formats etc. I have a extreme passion for the sport, it's just in my DNA and I think the fact that I'm open to change in my life in general it doesn't stop me from having thr passion. I think that if people resent change or can't be optimistic about the positives I think it causes a loss of passion. Obviously we can't re-wire people but maybe we can have different outlooks and it my change for you.
 
Tosu97 said:
Talk me down from the ledge... what is there to keep me in NASCAR going forward. What positives are out there....
Click to expand...

Charlie Spencer said:
Dude, if you're not enjoying it, don't waste your time. As I've frequently said, doing something just because you always have is a lousy reason to continue doing it.

Tastes change, objects of attention change, times change. It's been a couple of decades since I've looked at a comic book, with a major cause being the overall darker direction they've gone in. I haven't seen a Star Trek movie since 'Generations', or a Star Wars flick since 'Phantom Menace'; they just don't appeal to me any more. I'm watching less NFL; last year I only saw four regular season games.

I wouldn't worry about it. Try other forms of racing, ones that include the features you originally liked in NASCAR. Take up something new; I didn't see my first race until I was 36. Delve further into something you're already interested in but haven't looked at in depth before; I've started taking birding more seriously in the last two years. If you have a local college, check out their continuing education offers; many offer recreational classes.

My point is that NASCAR is a form of entertainment, not a job or commitment. Life is too short and there are too many alternatives to spend time on something you no longer enjoy. Jump off that ledge; who knows what you'll find where you land?
Click to expand...

Excellent answer to a question that wasn't asked, at least not by the OP.

On the other hand, I think @JohnHill addressed the question very well, at least for me anyway.

Hopefully you're not the guy who gets the call when someone is threatening to jump off a tall building . . . :rolleyes:
 
Tosu97 said:
This is a topic that I've thought on a lot recently. And it's one that I think is relevant as well.

Also just to be clear in this post I'll be referring to not just me but friends and family.

Fellow NASCAR fans... I've almost reached that point. I can't take much more. I'm a multiple decade die hard to the bone fan. I've hated just about every change but I've stayed on for the ride all the way.

This year has been different though.
I've payed even closer attention this year than I have the last couple years. I really wanted to give stage racing and Monster their fair shot.

What I've found is this... no matter how much I want to love and adore my beloved NASCAR I just can't. And now I'm just not sure i can take anymore. This will sound like a terrible and senseless argument but I've been through similar situations. Watching what NASCAR has become is like watching a close, lifelong friend slowly die of some sort of illness and I'm helpless.

Maybe no one will respond but who knows...

The point of this long post is this:

Talk me down from the ledge... what is there to keep me in NASCAR going forward. What positives are out there....
Click to expand...

Here are some things that have helped me to keep an interest in Nascar:

Record the races so you have flexibility in when you watch and what you watch.

Watch every race as a stand alone event and don't concern yourself with the chase and stage points and that sort of thing.

Expect to see good races from Martinsville and Bristol but keep expectations low for the others and you will be rewarded if you see a good one.

Most of the good racing occurs prior to Memorial Day and can become sketchy after that time, IMO.

Don't watch every race and if you are watching a race that is boring you FF to near the end.

If none of these things work or no one else suggests something that helps then then I would do what millions of others have and put Nascar in the rear view mirror and find something else that interests you.
 
The current youth movement is keeping my interest, if nothing else. I'll enjoy watching Kyle get destroyed for the next 10 years by someone other than Jimmie Johnson.
 
A few years ago I was starting to feel the same as the poster. I was wasting my time watching old time drivers cruise for 2 hours out of 3 and ride around at the back at plate tracks. Those drivers had lost their passion and they were killing mine.
Now we have stage racing and the drivers are racing the whole race because of the points. Also those old timers are not the majority any longer, the young exciting drivers are showing them up and now they are forced to retire or get up on the wheel. IMO the racing is the best since Brian France took over. If your a TV viewer like me who can not go to races in person, then the only gripe I have is the TV production and the attempt the announcers do to make everything exciting. You just can't hype a fly buzzing a light bulb. A car touching the wall doesn't require a caution flag. nor does a car that spins into the grass and keeps going. That BS is on Nascar.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Dude, if you're not enjoying it, don't waste your time. As I've frequently said, doing something just because you always have is a lousy reason to continue doing it.

Tastes change, objects of attention change, times change. It's been a couple of decades since I've looked at a comic book, with a major cause being the overall darker direction they've gone in. I haven't seen a Star Trek movie since 'Generations', or a Star Wars flick since 'Phantom Menace'; they just don't appeal to me any more. I'm watching less NFL; last year I only saw four regular season games.

I wouldn't worry about it. Try other forms of racing, ones that include the features you originally liked in NASCAR. Take up something new; I didn't see my first race until I was 36. Delve further into something you're already interested in but haven't looked at in depth before; I've started taking birding more seriously in the last two years. If you have a local college, check out their continuing education offers; many offer recreational classes.

My point is that NASCAR is a form of entertainment, not a job or commitment. Life is too short and there are too many alternatives to spend time on something you no longer enjoy. Jump off that ledge; who knows what you'll find where you land?
Click to expand...

Comics aren't the same without Jughead, Reggie, Archie and Betty and Veronica. I haven't seen a Star Wars movie since the second installment of the original series as I was not even mildly entertained by Luke, Hans and R2D2. I did like C3PO but not enough to watch more. Star Trek? The one where they ended up in San Francisco was the last one and I am thinking that had to be 30 years or more ago.

Global Rally Cross is fun as well as some British based stuff.
 
When Bill drove, I never missed a race, even in the Wal-Mart car when he had zero chance. All of those rough McDonald's years, I watched, never missed one. He retired, I always caught the last 50 or so laps from then on. When Chase came along, I only watched the Busch Series. Now he's in Cup and I never miss a race. I admit that I PVR them. I guess I'm saying that you need a reason to watch. Mine was and is Elliott. I long for the 80's , but I'm sure there were a lot of stinkers back then that I've blocked out. So many things have changed, safety is Wicked, the tires suck. The cars are fast, which makes them suck. Look at the restarts at Michigan........ what a mess. I love NASCAR, and I hate it at the same time.
 
ReturnTrip said:
The current youth movement is keeping my interest, if nothing else. I'll enjoy watching Kyle get destroyed for the next 10 years by someone other than Jimmie Johnson.
Click to expand...

I am hoping Kyle can go an entire year without a win as he has gone over 11 months now.
 
Tosu97 said:
This is a topic that I've thought on a lot recently. And it's one that I think is relevant as well.

Also just to be clear in this post I'll be referring to not just me but friends and family.

Fellow NASCAR fans... I've almost reached that point. I can't take much more. I'm a multiple decade die hard to the bone fan. I've hated just about every change but I've stayed on for the ride all the way.

This year has been different though.
I've payed even closer attention this year than I have the last couple years. I really wanted to give stage racing and Monster their fair shot.

What I've found is this... no matter how much I want to love and adore my beloved NASCAR I just can't. And now I'm just not sure i can take anymore. This will sound like a terrible and senseless argument but I've been through similar situations. Watching what NASCAR has become is like watching a close, lifelong friend slowly die of some sort of illness and I'm helpless.

Maybe no one will respond but who knows...

The point of this long post is this:

Talk me down from the ledge... what is there to keep me in NASCAR going forward. What positives are out there....
Click to expand...
I'm right their with you, weekends are no longer planed around race day. most times we get home from playing with one of the toys in time to watch the last 30 laps. we went from going to 6 to 8 races a year to not even watching most of them. we still watch the plate races,Martinsville and Bristol.
 
BOWTIE GUY said:
I'm right their with you, weekends are no longer planed around race day. most times we get home from playing with one of the toys in time to watch the last 30 laps. we went from going to 6 to 8 races a year to not even watching most of them. we still watch the plate races,Martinsville and Bristol.
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I don't see my weekends EVER being planned around a race again..... I watch or listen if it's handy..... other than that... I catch the finishing order later ......
 
While I don't like many of the changes that have taken place over the last 13 years (those in the last 4 years in particular), I'm not at the point of leaving the sport. Pretty much the only thing I've written off is the Xfinity Series, but I still enjoy Cup and the Trucks quite a bit.
 
I started watching the races at the Pink Pony, if the race gets boring I call one of the girls over.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
Watch every race as a stand alone event and don't concern yourself with the chase and stage points and that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

Great advice. This is how I watch NFL games anymore. Accept that nothing is static. Nothing. Everything changes eventually. If you don't care for the changes, eventually you have to decide whether or not it's worth it to devote the time and emotional investment. I love baseball. I was a National League guy who grew up in the 70's and 80's. The All Star Game used to be a great chance to pit the leagues against each other. Now you have interleague play which changed all that. The NFL has taken off in some weird directions, as has college FB.

It comes down to deciding what set of aggravations you wish to put up with, because there will always be problems and annoyances with whatever you choose to spend your leisure time watching or doing. Good luck with whatever you choose. I still get a big kick out of Cup racing. A lot of it has to do with my family being involved in it too. We go to races, we're going to a new track this year, it's an event for us. We (for now) have chosen to take all the warts that go along with that but that can and will likely change eventually as well.
 
Tosu97 said:
This is a topic that I've thought on a lot recently. And it's one that I think is relevant as well.

Also just to be clear in this post I'll be referring to not just me but friends and family.

Fellow NASCAR fans... I've almost reached that point. I can't take much more. I'm a multiple decade die hard to the bone fan. I've hated just about every change but I've stayed on for the ride all the way.

This year has been different though.
I've payed even closer attention this year than I have the last couple years. I really wanted to give stage racing and Monster their fair shot.

What I've found is this... no matter how much I want to love and adore my beloved NASCAR I just can't. And now I'm just not sure i can take anymore. This will sound like a terrible and senseless argument but I've been through similar situations. Watching what NASCAR has become is like watching a close, lifelong friend slowly die of some sort of illness and I'm helpless.

Maybe no one will respond but who knows...

The point of this long post is this:

Talk me down from the ledge... what is there to keep me in NASCAR going forward. What positives are out there....
Click to expand...



Watch a Moto-Gp race ........ like the one Sunday that had 105 thousand screaming happy fans !!! no stages ........ no gimmicks ......... just hard racing. I bet that nobody left that race whining. I love racing and will gravitate to whatever racing series provides the action. Nascar killed it with the stage racing ........ I didn't even watch Sonoma but instead watched 5 hours of all three Moto-Gp series. I am happy as I can be ........ no great loss.
 
I've reached your point years ago. Gordon retiring was the point of no return for me.

I still occasionally watch it but I never finish the races for one reason or another. They bore me with the constant stoppages. Besides the points earning I don't understand the stage racing.

Too much disruption for my liking. I find myself twirling with my phone more than I used to when watching a NASCAR race.

Thankfully there are many options and other forms of racing that is available which I do take advantage of.
 
Reck said:
I've reached your point years ago. Gordon retiring was the point of no return for me.

I still occasionally watch it but I never finish the races for one reason or another. They bore me with the constant stoppages. Besides the points earning I don't understand the stage racing.

Too much disruption for my liking. I find myself twirling with my phone more than I used to when watching a NASCAR race.

Thankfully there are many options and other forms of racing that is available which I do take advantage of.
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Stopping a perfectly good race is sinful !! we get more than enough with the hot dog wrapper cautions and then some fool adopts stage racing to try and sell the racing :rolleyes: Its all good ......... the wife and I watch motorcycle races together now ..... the oldest daughter is getting interested as well
 
kyle18fan said:
Stopping a perfectly good race is sinful !! we get more than enough with the hot dog wrapper cautions and then some fool adopts stage racing to try and sell the racing :rolleyes: Its all good ......... the wife and I watch motorcycle races together now ..... the oldest daughter is getting interested as well
Click to expand...

Indeed.

Except for when a major crash happens, racing should run its course naturally.

I haven't watched much of GP Moto this year. Jorge is having a tough time with his new bike.
 
Reck said:
Indeed.

Except for when a major crash happens, racing should run its course naturally.

I haven't watched much of GP Moto this year. Jorge is having a tough time with his new bike.
Click to expand...



Check it out man !! I still have a sore throat from Sunday !!! They are racing again this Sunday ..... Moto-2 is awesome as well
 
You probably need to go with NASCAR's 12-step Disenchanted Program starting 11 steps from the cliff's edge.

If you can't find it within yourself to appreciate the sport then it's probably time to move on to things that you enjoy in life.
 
I gave up on Busch and Trucks (not to be confused with Butch Trucks) many moons ago but I can't see giving up totally on cup even though I may have only a few toes in the water. Things that would make me give up on Nascar immediately would be not participating on this forum as it is wealth of information with many insightful members across different age groups and if I could not record the races it would be game over as for me Nascar broadcasts are unwatchable live.

I still like to see good racing and Cup can provide that plus I am very interested on all the changes that are taking place across the series and how those changes will shape the product we see. I wish the current broadcast deal wasn't in place as I feel it is preventing Nascar from dealing with the reality of today and preventing changes that could make the series much better than it is currently.
 
kyle18fan said:
watched 5 hours of all three Moto-Gp series. I am happy as I can be ........ no great loss.
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Sounds like those races are shorter if you watched 3 in 5 hours. I watched 3 Nascar races in 3 hrs on Sunday and could have shortened it a lot more by using the DVR.
 
I am with Coors9, finding a connection to the sport can really help. There are a lot of really good stories out there in the three major divisions of NASCAR and it does not always have to be about the teams that win and routinely run up front. Try connecting with a smaller team or lesser known driver. You might even find that you can have personal (albeit mostly social) interaction with them. I really enjoy following teams like Jenifer Jo Cobb, Carl Long, Tommy Baldwins and the Nemecheks. Do you enjoy racing at your local track or some of the other grassroot series? Start watching and connecting with them, before you know it one of those drivers might start ascending through the NASCAR ranks. It's been pretty cool to watch some of these guys. I saw Jeff Gordon, literally sitting on a stack of phone books in a sprint car at East Bay Raceway when he was 13. I then was there for his first win at Daytona in a qualifier.

As for the changes in NASCAR, it is what it is. I'll complain about them too, but in the end I am still gonna watch.
 
Team Penske said:
Sounds like those races are shorter if you watched 3 in 5 hours. I watched 3 Nascar races in 3 hrs on Sunday and could have shortened it a lot more by using the DVR.
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Short but exciting !! each of the three series races for an hour and they throw in qualifying highlights.
 
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