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.