What an Earnhardt win would mean for NASCAR, and for Jr.

The Coca~Cola 600 is running today amongst a full card in the racing world.  F1 is in Monaco for the Grand Prix, Indy is running the Indy 500 and NASCAR is running their longest endurance race of the year.  In a wo4rld full of racing how does one series find a way to make themselves stand out in the crowd?  NASCAR has seen their ratings rise and fall over the past few years and even with the tightest championship victory ever was won by Tony Stewart in the 2011 season, their ratings have not reached the pinnacle of their glory days.

So what has changed?  Well we've seen faces and names come and go, we've seen rookies winning top tier races, drivers getting their first wins at marquee events, and yet the views seem to be tuning out more and more. (Personally I blame the 4 laps of racing to 9 laps of commercials ratio... but that's just me)

Back in the glory days when it was the Dale (Earnhardt Sr.) and Dale (Jarret) show every week there were rivalries that kept the fans returning to the tracks and glued to their seats every week to see who was going to come out on top.  Fans love the rivalries, they love the drama and they love their drivers with a passion.

What NASCAR needs is something to shake things up again, something the fans can get behind, maybe even a little controversy so spice things up again.  What NASCAR needs is for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to get back to Victory Lane again.

Now don't get me wrong here, I am not saying that NASCAR need to orchestrate a win for Jr.  What they need is for Jr. to get there and stay there. 

Last weeks All Star Race showed us that Jr. still remembers how to do it.  He dominated the Showdown race to get himself into the All Star race, not wanting to depend on the fan vote, which he most assuredly would have won.  He wants to race his way in, to prove to himself and all the naysayers that he could do it.

Then as if to prove his point, he drove from the back of the field up to the front in time to win the 4th and final segment of the All Star race, giving himself position and a chance for another win.  We all saw how hard he drove that car but with older tires and a lot more wear and tear on the car from the extra 40 laps of racing he had done before the All Star race, settling for a 7th place finish was all he was able to manage.

So what would happen if Jr. were to win the Coca~Cola 600 in Charlotte?  This is his home track.  He lives barely 35 min from the track and he grew up here.  His Jr. Motorsports facility is around the corner, and Hendrick Motorsport is literally just around the corner from here.  This is home for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

A win for Jr. is a win for NASCAR.  His fans are the most loyal in NASCAR today, so getting back to Victory Lane anywhere would be good, but to do it at home, well that would be something special.  It would bring fans back to their sets for the next week to see if he could do it again, to see their drivers confidence renewed, and to see the crowds cheer him on as he takes the lead, as they cheer from their homes, everyone on their feet, all across the nation.  Jr. Nation would rise up and scream in delight as their driver shows them what they knew all along, that he is a winner.  That he didn't lay down and give up after being absent from Victory Lane for so long.  That he is able, and will continue to be able, to win races for himself, for his fans, and for his Daddy.

Fans vs Haters, The Great Debate

As with any Major League sport, NASCAR has long been the breeding ground of on track rivalries.  Drivers have an on track incident which follows into the garage, words are exchanged, punches may fly, they may even spend some time in the NASCAR hauler.  Those rivalries run over to their fans as well. Fans of one driver poking fun at the drivers that other fans pull for.  It is not uncommon at tracks around the country to hear fans poking fun and tossing jabs back and forth, friends and strangers alike.

But in this day and age of anonymous internet postings, the fun poking and good natured ribbing has been taken to a new level.  Now I am sure that these people have always existed, but they never really had a forum with which to spew their derision so far and wide, without the possibility of taking a haymaker to the face from someone who took their comment personally.  Haters are simply looking for attention, and their method for getting that attention is to make anonymous posts on other peoples fan pages or fan sites and run away.  Posting pictures or profanity on forums boards and facebook pages, tweeting anonymous comments from twitter accounts, these people are very brave in their anonymity.  Page administrators have a busy task ahead of them trying to stay on top of the hate posts and removing them and/or banning the poster who, in most cases, is posting from a hastily made fake account.

Often these haters will try to make it out as if their drivers they are posting about have the same feelings as they do.  Claiming that Dale Earnhardt Jr. hates Kyle Busch, or that Ryan Newman and Juan Montoya are planning to meet out behind the school yard after the race. It is grade school mentality that we, as adults, should have grown out of years ago.  The level of maturity displayed by these anonymous posters is about equal to that of a teenager in high school, a mean girl if you will.  The only way they know to make themselves feel better is to tear down something that they know others love.  To make others feel badly is the only happiness that they can understand.  To b honest, these hater need help.

True fans take the time to get to know the subject of their adoration and the qualities they display.  They are drawn to a personality and the way they handle adversity, or any tough situation is shown by them backing their drivers even more.

Here's just 2 examples.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has not been to victory lane in almost 4 years. 138 starts to be exact.  However his fans are behind him, not because he is on a winning streak, but because they see how he has handled the situation.  Fans pull for him because he is not seen whining or complaining and blaming others for his bad luck, but taking responsibility for his mistakes, and having an "it is what it is" attitude for the things beyond his control.

Dale Earnhardt Jr is probably the driver under the largest of media spotlights after being voted the most popular by the fans for 9 years running.  The media scrums where he is available are the busiest at the track, and the attention focused on him is immeasurable.  Yet he handles the pressure with grace under fire.  He may lash out with his words if something happens on the track, but he always talks it out with the driver he had issue with.  We've seen this with Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, and even Kyle Busch.  Those qualities are what draws his fans in and keeps them pulling for him week in and week out.

Tony Stewart is known for his surly attitude towards the media, and sometimes even the fans.  If you catch him in a good mood at the track, he is a great guy to talk to.  If you catch him with what he perceives as a silly question, he will let you know in no uncertain terms.  Yet the 3 time and current reigning champion has a loyal fanbase who recognize that no one is perfect.

With a nickname like Smoke do you expect him to have an easy temper?  Stewart has made gaffes at track that have made some media members reluctant to talk to him, photographers stop shooting him, and fans walk away mad, but at least he is consistent.  But when it all comes down to it, Stewart is simply saying exactly what he feels.  He is blunt, he is honest, and he tells it like he sees it.  That is what his fans see in him and that is why they are drawn to him.

Then there is the other side of the coin.  The drivers who draw the haters to their side, the drivers who enjoy the boos from the crowd as much as others enjoy the cheers.  The Busch brothers are an excellent example here.

Both of the Busch brothers have had numerous encounters with the media and other drivers.  Both of these brothers have immense skill behind the wheel which no one can deny, their attitudes towards the fans and media however have left them with a very limited fan base, and even gets them booed ant their home track in Las Vegas.  You do not have to think hard to remember something that one of them has done that has taken up space in the media.

At the conclusion of the 2011 season Kurt Busch was caught on camera by a fan as he ranted at Dr Jerry Punch because it was taking too long to go live with the broadcast.  Dr Punch, to his credit, walked away and gave Busch no press time.  That incident combined with flipping off the camera in his car in the same race was too much for his team owner to handle.  Roger Penske terminated the contract and left Kurt without a ride as he entered into the 2012 season.

Kyle Busch's name is synonymous with controversy.  Where ever he goes the boos follow. His infamy is only outweighed by his sullen attitude at the track.  Last season it almost looked as if he had finally matured and grown out of his immature rants when something bad happened on the track, until he decided to run Ron Hornaday into the wall in a truck race while under caution.  Unable to control his frustration with what was a simple racing deal on the track, Kyle Busch let his temper and anger get the better of him and destroyed any good feelings the fans had been developing towards him for an entire season, in the 3 seconds it took him to lose his temper.

Now look at the fans these 2 different driver types draw to them.

Earnhardt fans and Stewart fans are true and loyal to their driver.  They don't necessarily bash other drivers, but they will defend their drivers if you talk bad about them.  They will admit the failings of their drivers and know their weak points, but pull for their driver regardless and make no apologies for their failings, but understand that they are not perfect and can make mistakes.  As long as their drivers make amends or honest apologies for their actions that are deemed heart felt, the fans stay with them and keep pulling for them week after week.

Busch Brother's fans however are few and far between.  They draw the annoying element of the fanbase at the tracks to their sides.  They type of people who revel in the negativity and enjoy the in your face conflict that their drivers bring in tow wherever they travel.  Where Jr and Stewart are in the running for most popular driver each and every season, the Busch Brothers are names never mentioned.

A quick look at facebook will show the difference.  Kyle Busch's official page has just a bit over 90 000 fans, Dale Jr has 1.3 million and multiple fan run fanpages.  Kurt Busch has no official presence on facebook, and Tony Stewart has almost 450 000 fans.

Another glance at Kyle Busch's page shows very little fan support even when he wins a race.  Dale Jr however has people wishing him luck week in and week out even after a 138 race losing streak.

So what conclusions can we draw from this?  Well much like politicians, the ones who are most charismatic and seem to be the most honest are the ones who are the winners.  In the case of fans and haters, the fans are the ones wishing well, the haters are the ones who's limited vocabularies leave them with nothing but profanity to defend themselves.  The haters are generally uninformed and angry people.  The fans take the time to learn about their drivers, and back them for the good qualities as well as their skill on the track.

So remember NASCAR fans, as you interact with fans of other drivers, be a fan, and not a hater.  Show your colors, wear them with pride.  Find the good in the people you pull for and ignore the negative.  Be true to yourself and set a good example for the others around you.  Ignore the name calling and cheap shots from the haters, rise above, and don't give them the attention they are looking for.

Big Wrecks Vs Excitement, What IS The Excitement That We're Looking For?

For the past few weeks many in the media, myself included, have been complaining about the lack of excitement in NASCAR of late.  Not enough rough driving, not enough aggression, not enough on track action, and of course not enough wrecking going on out there.  But what is the excitement that we're all looking for really?

Is it the wrecks that draw us to the track like lemmings to the cliffs?  Or is it the close racing, the bumping and grinding, the "rubbing is racing" attitude, and the controlled aggression?  Where do the lines cross?  When is danger too dangerous?

NASCAR is an inherently dangerous sport with the speeds getting faster each season despite the attempts by NASCAR to keep them below 200 mph.  Talledega and Daytona are known for their extreme speeds, and when speeds are that fast, and drivers are all getting greedy towards the end of a race, tempers flare, mistakes are made, and safe driving goes out the proverbial window.

Eric McClure is the first driver this season who needed to be airlifted after his serious wreck during the Saturday Aaron's 312 Nationwide race at Talledega.  McClure's No. 14 Toyota was turned to the left during a pileup off Turn 3 with a few laps remaining in the race, and the car rocketed toward the inside wall at what seemed nearly full speed.  McClure hit the SAFER barrier at virtually a head-on angle. After coming to a stop, safety workers scrambled to the car and removed the window net, which is usually lowered by a driver after a crash to indicate they are OK.

The roof was peeled off the car to help aid extrication of McClure, who was placed on a stretcher and taken to University of Alabama Birmingham Medical Center. The Twitter account for McClure's Hefty Reynolds Wrap Racing team posted an update shortly after 9 p.m. ET that McClure "is alert and taking to family members. He is being kept overnight 4 further observation."

So was that excitement enough for the fans?

Each and every week these drivers head out there, concentrating on the win, wishing it to happen, and knowing that some things are beyond their control.  They understand the danger involved in the sport and yet they go out each and every week without showing fear.  They are not worried about ratings, or any of the numbers that NASCAR is concerned with.  They are concentrating on getting to the end, in one piece, as close to the front as they can get, period.

Now personally, I love the aggression, the me first attitude, and the rubbing and bumping that goes on out there.  I love the fact that they are as close to the edge of control as they can possibly get.  Wrecks, when they happen are a part of the sport, always have been, always will be.  We don't wish for them to happen, but when they do we turn into the sports worlds version of rubber neckers slowing down to take a look at the accident on the other side of the highway as we drive by.

As fans we do not want our heroes to suffer pain or injury from these incidents, but there is always an undercurrent of excitement at each and every race, waiting for something to happen on track.  NASCAR has done so much work on this current generation of racecar that the danger for those inside has been greatly reduced.  At first it seemed to make the drivers more aggressive after seeing drivers walk away from what would have been devastating wreck and injuries from times before these safety features were made mandatory.  Then NASCAR made changes to the points system, and drivers are more wary of their points position than ever before, especially after the 2011 season ended in a tie, to be broken by the driver with the most wins.

Points racing has always existed, but with fewer points to be had at each event there seems to be a more cautious approach at the track.  You can gain in points if your car is removed by the wreckers.  You certainly cannot win a championship with too many DNF's in a season.

So where do we find the balance?  How do we as fans help NASCAR give us more excitement, more of what we want?  NASCAR has shown that they are listening to fans more of late.  With the advent of Social Media, Facebook and Twitter, the fans have the ability to tell their drivers and the officials what it is exactly that they are looking for, how the races made them feel, and especially to let their feelings be known when they feel NASCAR has made a mistake in the direction they have chosen.  We as fans have more power in our hands then ever before.  So don't let things you don't like ruin a sport you love, take control, let them know by whatever means you can, and maybe, just maybe, we'll start seeing races that interest us again.

Are Caution Free Races Costing NASCAR Their Fan Base?

In the past 4 races in NASCAR sprint cup I have heard the same things repeated by the fan feedback, the races were way too slow, too boring, not enough action.

Could it be that the electronic age we live in has created a situation where long races are simply not what we want to see now?  Are the safety advances which have come into effect in the last 10 years created boring races?  Have the point system adjustments changed the way the drivers are racing now(points vs. wins)?  Or is it simply the economy as many of the NASCAR officials and management have been claiming?

In this day of instant media and instant news it does not take long for one to see the feelings of those who are watching your programming.  Watching a NASCAR race and running Race Buddy on your PC you can follow the comments from Facebook and Twitter in the scrolling comment feed and see the fan reaction immediately during a race.  The fans have no reason to hold back their true feelings in the world of anonymous  posting, and the fans really say how they feel.  The words "Boring" and "Dull" are often floated through their posts.  Long green flag runs cause a lot of sleepy fans on their couches to fall asleep during the long endurance style races that NASCAR has become synonymous with.

Track owners like Bruton Smith have taken notice of what the fans are saying and are trying new things to change the racing experience.  Immediately following the spring race at Bristol, where for the first time in years, fuel mileage was discussed at a short track.  There were no accidents at all, most of the race was under green flag conditions, and the fans were dismayed at the lack of on track action.  To the casual fan who might now appreciate the subtleties of the mid field passing going on this may be so, even the hard core fans expressed their displeasure in the product NASCAR had delivered them.  At a track known for on track action, big wrecks, and drivers tempers flaring, no one could have predicted that there would be almost 200 laps of green flag racing.

So Bruton smith announced that he would make changes to the track and remove the progressive banking to try and reduce the racing grooves and force the cars back to tighter racing conditions where there should be more "action" as the fans have asked for.  Will this be the change that brings the action back to Bristol?  Only time will tell.

NASCAR has also introduced a number of safety measures since the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr back in 2001.  They have introduced S.A.F.E.R. (Steel And Foam Energy Reduction) Barriers, made H.A.N.S. (Head and Neck Support) mandatory, introduced the COT (car of tomorrow) which has gone through a few chassis designs itself since being put on the track, and put foam inside the cars as well to help contain and reduce the energy, directing it away from the driver, during a wreck.  While one might think this would give a driver more confidence to drive a little more aggressive since they are less likely to get hurt, it seems to have had the opposite effect.  The drivers may feel safer but they are also driving safer, taking less chances, making less mistakes, and keeping their cars intact until the end of the race.

So if the safety advances are not to blame, is it the points system that NASCAR has put into place now?  Drivers have always raced for points in NASCAR on their way to chasing down a championship.  When they introduced the Chase system, a sort of play offs for the drivers, the fans immediately reacted in the negative, but as time has worn on they have come to accept the new points system.  In 2010 NASCAR changed the system again making it easier for the fans to keep up with the points and made the math more simple.  Giving just one point per on track position plus bonuses for winning, leading a lap, and leading the most laps. Making every point count seemed to have a dulling effect on the drivers.  Since each and every point is harder to attain now, drivers are staying safe, taking less chances, and doing what they can to maintain position without hurting their car so they can make it to the end of the race.  Less chances means less aggression, less aggression means less wrecks, less wrecks equates to less on track action to the fans.

Mention any of this to NASCAR management and they will dismiss it immediately and tell you that it is the economy that is killing the races.  Fans will tell you that they simply can no longer afford to go to the races.  NASCAR has responded by helping the track reduce ticket prices, concession prices, and giving more value for the dollar.  At the same time however they did nothing about asking the hotels and service providers in teh area to stop hosing the fans during their visit to the races.  Granted the hotels make more money on these weekends than any other time time of the year, they still are way out of control.  An average hotel room near Daytona which would rent for $75 per night during the rest of the year will rent for $275 a night during race week. Vacation  homes for rent in the Daytona area which you can rent for a weeks vacation for $800 a week normally, jump up to $2500 for a week stay during race week, putting the average fan out of contention for renting.  No lodgings, no fans at the race.  There's definitely a relationship there.

All in all NASCAR continues to be a fan favorite, even with their declining numbers of late, and continues to deliver their races week after week.  However ignoring the wishes of their fans has proven to be a ratings killer for the largest Autosports conglomeration in North America.  It seems that just a little bit of each of the above mentioned points plays a part in the declining ratings and seat/ticket sales.  Hopefully someone will find the winning formula and start NASCAR on it's way to bringing a solid product to the fans again, bringing more fans back to the races, and bring the ratings and sponsors back.  Only time will tell.