Was There Ever A Time When...

[robbybee]

Was there ever a time when everyone agreed on the mission, the direction or the future of NASCAR?
There have always been reputations, opinions, self-interests and money at stake, so my guess would be no.

I find it quite interesting reading all of the opinions on:

What makes for good racing.
What to do with Bristol.
What to do about restrictor plates.
Whether or not to accept "new blood" into the sport.
Whether Driver X is more deserving of a ride than Driver Y.
Whether or not the Rebel Flag should be waved in pre-race festivities.
Are there too few butts in the stands?
Are there too many cheaters?
Are there not enough rules in place to eliminate cheating?
Is the COT a POS?
Is Kyle Busch an ass?
Is Kevin Harvick a bigger ass?
Which matters more? Where a car is built or which country holds title to the brand name?
Does The Chase make things better or worse?
Is GoodYear doing a good job?

In the end, do any of these really matter?

The fact is that drivers always have put their lives on the line for our entertainment. The winner still gets a trophy and the second-place driver is still the first loser.

Sure, NASCAR is a business these days (always has been). It's a multi-billion dollar business! And the drivers (some of them anyway) are VERY well compensated for their efforts. Owners make arrangements with manufacturers, sponsors and drivers in an effort to sieze the spotlight.

The Ring Is The Thing!!!

But at the end of the day, whether we like a track's configuration, whether we hate that (name your brand or driver) won the race or crashed out in a spectacular fireball, it's still Man and Machine vs Man and Machine.

The aroma of unburnt hydrocarbons in the air (even corn oil fumes) is still stimulating.
The sounds of an 850HP V8 engine turning 9,000 RPM is still music to the ears.
The sight of 43 fire-breathing monsters taking the Green Flag is still a thing of beauty.

Face it, y'all. We love this sport. We are passionate about this sport. Will it ever be perfect? Will we all ever agree as to what makes NASCAR great? Will we ever agree as to why NASCAR sucks? Will we ever agree as to whether Kurt Busch or Jimmy Spencer is the bigger clown? Will there come a day when we are all happy to see Driver W win the championship?

Who the frak knows!

But isn't that in and of itself what makes NASCAR so great?!

 

[Greg]

Good points there has always been problems, and there will always be problems.


But almost everything else has changed. The iron hand of the France's is still strong but nothing compared to the past.


Now we have TV, the internet and everything gets worked over. Compared to the 70s MRN was our eyes, and I still love them, but we still accepted their word more with less of a challenge.


But those eyewitnesses still had the memories of Talladaga 1969, and a banished Curtis Turner, so less pleasant matters were hush hush.


The drivers were more accessible or closer to being mill hill folks themselves , while still capturing a certain mystique that is missing today. They drove cars with at least some stock parts, and it was a bloodier era.


Joe Weatherly, Fireball, McTavish, Teage, Hassler, Smith, Lund, Lindley, Ard, Evans, Charlie J, Shampine, DeSaro. (apologies for missmellings).

They had courage, and they were more common (or real). Not pretty just more manly in the sense of living by their own rules.

So an old fart like me will always be a sentimental fool. Cliche but we respected them more, they had more scars and blood invested.


It not always fair, we (I) usually give WW II vets more love than our contemporary solders. Life just works that way.

 

[robbybee]

So an old fart like me will always be a sentimental fool. Cliche but we respected them more, they had more scars and blood invested.

Fabulous observation and opinion, Greg! From one Old Fart to another...

 

[FlFlash]

Yall don't spread the Old Fart Love to far the youngens around here will jump your backside.