NASCAR loosing core fans?

robkinuk
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Edited Date/Time 1/26/2012 7:16pm
Saw this posted on LinkedIn motorsport group discussion

The Future of racing: Has it come to this?
From Autoextremist.com

Racing. Fox Sports chairman David Hill recently told the Sports Business Journal that “the biggest problem facing NASCAR is that young males have left the sport.” Fox reports that ratings among men 18-34 have declined 29%. This isn't just NASCAR's problem, folks, this is racing's problem. If new life isn't injected into the sport in terms of technology and overall interest - and soon - before you know it there will be nothing left but vintage racing all across the country. For that Hill gets our AE Quote of the Week, Part II.

We have known this, and accepted it, for some time. Now the outside world is catching on as well.

How long can it last?
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yota
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9/22/2010 8:49am
many of our youth are more interested in gaming online than reality. it is sad really. this is the case with one of my son's, the other rides with me.
Blake
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9/22/2010 9:02am
Half the fans can't afford a car.

Sounds like this sport.
Racer92
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9/22/2010 9:09am
Theyve sobered up and figured out that open wheel is 1000X more exciting and watching heavy, rolling barges for 2+ hours is worse than taking vicodin with a few beers.
526
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9/22/2010 9:11am
All Star Nascar ....Nascar who decides who is the Hero of the year

The Shop

jmx411
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9/22/2010 11:18am
Nascar is to expensive for people to get into. I think most guys 18-30 are watching more action type racing like motocross. Plus a dad can still afford a dirt bike to it takes tons of money to race a car or even go-karts
9/22/2010 11:22am
Nascar is declining because it isn't a real sport. They reset the points halfway through the season, that's just stupid. If I had a great first half of the season, they reset the points and I have a bad race or two and I'm out. Or what about the guy who has a crappy first half and comes in at 10th, they reset the points and now he has a good race, he goes from 10th to first in one race??? WTF

Imagine in baseball if they reset the score in the 7th inning.

In golf after the 12th hole, everyone becomes equal. Football, 4th quarter, the score goes to zero.

That freaking sport may as well be like kids soccer where the hippy parents don't keep score. I mean what's the point...

Just have races every weekend like a traveling circus and don't have a championship.
kwhite199
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9/22/2010 11:44am
I gave up watching NASCAR because I couldn't stomach the never ending commercials any longer. I think I would rather visit the dentist than have to sit through an entire NASCAR race. It doesn't help that they have a guy with very little personality that has won the championship the last four years in a row.
flarider
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9/22/2010 11:52am
NASCAR out grew itself and it's ego somewhat.
Ticket prices went through the roof and then the musical chairs of TV coverage became confusing....what channel is the race on this week? NBC? FOX? TNT? ESPN? Univision? MTV? It has become hard to even find the races on TV

and the primary reason NASCAR is losing viewership and fanbase?

1.5 mile cookie cutters like California, Las Vegas, Chicago, Michigan and more. Too many tracks no longer have personality.

NASCAR needs more Bristol's, Rockingham's, Darlington, Dover, Lowes, Texas and more superspeedways like Daytona and 'Dega

Kill the cookie cutters or they'll kill the sport
Cutter
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9/22/2010 12:03pm Edited Date/Time 9/22/2010 12:05pm
I don't know if they are loosing thier core fan but they lost me years ago. Today's Nascar is a only a commericialized PC version of the sport I followed so avidly through the late 70's until the early 90's.
What made it so great then?
During the Earnhart/Bodine feud in the eighties, Dale Earnhart was chasing down Geoff Bodine in Junior Johnson's Budwieser car, when Junior was asked if he thought Dale would catch Geoff, Junior replies " yeah no doubt, should be a helluva a wreck when he tries to pass him".
I never was an Earnhart fan but when the sport lost him, it lost it last true stock car driver.
tiddlermx23
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9/22/2010 12:15pm
Because the younger audience was smart enough to realize they only turn left! GrinningSillyCheerfulGrinning
tcannon521
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9/22/2010 12:22pm
Nascar is declining because it isn't a real sport. They reset the points halfway through the season, that's just stupid. If I had a great first...
Nascar is declining because it isn't a real sport. They reset the points halfway through the season, that's just stupid. If I had a great first half of the season, they reset the points and I have a bad race or two and I'm out. Or what about the guy who has a crappy first half and comes in at 10th, they reset the points and now he has a good race, he goes from 10th to first in one race??? WTF

Imagine in baseball if they reset the score in the 7th inning.

In golf after the 12th hole, everyone becomes equal. Football, 4th quarter, the score goes to zero.

That freaking sport may as well be like kids soccer where the hippy parents don't keep score. I mean what's the point...

Just have races every weekend like a traveling circus and don't have a championship.
Ummm, I hate to tell you but all sports reset to determine a champion.

Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey and even Golf now has a playoff format to choose a winner.
Motodave15
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9/22/2010 12:31pm
Nascar is declining because it isn't a real sport. They reset the points halfway through the season, that's just stupid. If I had a great first...
Nascar is declining because it isn't a real sport. They reset the points halfway through the season, that's just stupid. If I had a great first half of the season, they reset the points and I have a bad race or two and I'm out. Or what about the guy who has a crappy first half and comes in at 10th, they reset the points and now he has a good race, he goes from 10th to first in one race??? WTF

Imagine in baseball if they reset the score in the 7th inning.

In golf after the 12th hole, everyone becomes equal. Football, 4th quarter, the score goes to zero.

That freaking sport may as well be like kids soccer where the hippy parents don't keep score. I mean what's the point...

Just have races every weekend like a traveling circus and don't have a championship.
tcannon521 wrote:
Ummm, I hate to tell you but all sports reset to determine a champion. Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey and even Golf now has a playoff format...
Ummm, I hate to tell you but all sports reset to determine a champion.

Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey and even Golf now has a playoff format to choose a winner.
yea but when you have playoffs you have won enough points to be considered in the playoffs, the nascar is just like reset.
peelout719
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9/22/2010 12:34pm
tcannon521 wrote:
Ummm, I hate to tell you but all sports reset to determine a champion. Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey and even Golf now has a playoff format...
Ummm, I hate to tell you but all sports reset to determine a champion.

Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey and even Golf now has a playoff format to choose a winner.
umm, i hate to tell you but in the sports you listed you have to have a good enough standing in the points/rankings to even have a shot at the playoffs.

now once the playoffs start then yeah you are reset to even per se'. however, depending on your standings before the playoffs started determines who you play.

but i'm sure you knew that already Wink
SteveS
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9/22/2010 12:42pm
Racer92 wrote:
Theyve sobered up and figured out that open wheel is 1000X more exciting and watching heavy, rolling barges for 2+ hours is worse than taking vicodin...
Theyve sobered up and figured out that open wheel is 1000X more exciting and watching heavy, rolling barges for 2+ hours is worse than taking vicodin with a few beers.
Actually they are too busy twittering about MMA.

Or texting their weed dealer.
Motodave15
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9/22/2010 12:43pm
Racer92 wrote:
Theyve sobered up and figured out that open wheel is 1000X more exciting and watching heavy, rolling barges for 2+ hours is worse than taking vicodin...
Theyve sobered up and figured out that open wheel is 1000X more exciting and watching heavy, rolling barges for 2+ hours is worse than taking vicodin with a few beers.
SteveS wrote:
Actually they are too busy twittering about MMA.

Or texting their weed dealer.
Lmao...Epic!!
drummer dude
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9/22/2010 12:45pm
Nascar is declining because it isn't a real sport. They reset the points halfway through the season, that's just stupid. If I had a great first...
Nascar is declining because it isn't a real sport. They reset the points halfway through the season, that's just stupid. If I had a great first half of the season, they reset the points and I have a bad race or two and I'm out. Or what about the guy who has a crappy first half and comes in at 10th, they reset the points and now he has a good race, he goes from 10th to first in one race??? WTF

Imagine in baseball if they reset the score in the 7th inning.

In golf after the 12th hole, everyone becomes equal. Football, 4th quarter, the score goes to zero.

That freaking sport may as well be like kids soccer where the hippy parents don't keep score. I mean what's the point...

Just have races every weekend like a traveling circus and don't have a championship.
good point. they should race all year and whoever has the most points at the end is the champ. also,you got the cup drivers racing in the nationwide series.its not right. those guys go in and win the races and it screws the up and comming drivers to get points and good finishes. the sport is f-ed up. i use to be a fan,but now,i could give 2 shits less about nascar. a bunch of whinners in that sport also. kyle busch is one of the many.. use to be cool to watch dale sr. put the bumpers to those guys. he was what stock car racing was all about. period...just my 2 cents...
NetMXer
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9/22/2010 12:56pm
flarider wrote:
NASCAR out grew itself and it's ego somewhat. Ticket prices went through the roof and then the musical chairs of TV coverage became confusing....what channel is...
NASCAR out grew itself and it's ego somewhat.
Ticket prices went through the roof and then the musical chairs of TV coverage became confusing....what channel is the race on this week? NBC? FOX? TNT? ESPN? Univision? MTV? It has become hard to even find the races on TV

and the primary reason NASCAR is losing viewership and fanbase?

1.5 mile cookie cutters like California, Las Vegas, Chicago, Michigan and more. Too many tracks no longer have personality.

NASCAR needs more Bristol's, Rockingham's, Darlington, Dover, Lowes, Texas and more superspeedways like Daytona and 'Dega

Kill the cookie cutters or they'll kill the sport
I agree with you about the cookie cutter tracks. All the new tracks they add are clones of Michigan. They shut down a lot of the historic tracks that have character, then add another Michigan clone. Heck, this time last year they were talking about taking Darlington off the schedule.
Sondy132001
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9/22/2010 1:01pm
I also think it's a case of being too popular. That does tend to hurt you, look at Oakley back in the day everyone and their neighbor had one of those "O" stickers on the back window of their car, people were starting to get burnt out on Oakley, and they saw it too and reinvented themselves, going in different directions. Over saturation can be a bad thing ! Fox did the same thing with Janet Jackson I believe, she bought their clothing for her concert tour and Fox reimbursed her and asked her not to use it, people (core fans) were tired of seeing Fox clothing in music videos etc.

S
Racer92
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9/22/2010 1:07pm
Racer92 wrote:
Theyve sobered up and figured out that open wheel is 1000X more exciting and watching heavy, rolling barges for 2+ hours is worse than taking vicodin...
Theyve sobered up and figured out that open wheel is 1000X more exciting and watching heavy, rolling barges for 2+ hours is worse than taking vicodin with a few beers.
SteveS wrote:
Actually they are too busy twittering about MMA.

Or texting their weed dealer.
Motodave15 wrote:
Lmao...Epic!!
HAR !
Matt Wozney
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9/22/2010 1:12pm
I was just in Dover today and the motorhomes are quickly filling up the place.
indy_maico
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9/22/2010 1:23pm
flarider wrote:
NASCAR out grew itself and it's ego somewhat. Ticket prices went through the roof and then the musical chairs of TV coverage became confusing....what channel is...
NASCAR out grew itself and it's ego somewhat.
Ticket prices went through the roof and then the musical chairs of TV coverage became confusing....what channel is the race on this week? NBC? FOX? TNT? ESPN? Univision? MTV? It has become hard to even find the races on TV

and the primary reason NASCAR is losing viewership and fanbase?

1.5 mile cookie cutters like California, Las Vegas, Chicago, Michigan and more. Too many tracks no longer have personality.

NASCAR needs more Bristol's, Rockingham's, Darlington, Dover, Lowes, Texas and more superspeedways like Daytona and 'Dega

Kill the cookie cutters or they'll kill the sport
Let's not forget the cookie cutter cars.

Even NeckCar fans aren't stupid enough to think that those fugly taxicabs bear any resemblance to a Fusion or Camry or whatever.
tcannon521
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9/22/2010 1:43pm Edited Date/Time 9/22/2010 1:54pm
tcannon521 wrote:
Ummm, I hate to tell you but all sports reset to determine a champion. Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey and even Golf now has a playoff format...
Ummm, I hate to tell you but all sports reset to determine a champion.

Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey and even Golf now has a playoff format to choose a winner.
peelout719 wrote:
umm, i hate to tell you but in the sports you listed you have to have a good enough standing in the points/rankings to even have...
umm, i hate to tell you but in the sports you listed you have to have a good enough standing in the points/rankings to even have a shot at the playoffs.

now once the playoffs start then yeah you are reset to even per se'. however, depending on your standings before the playoffs started determines who you play.

but i'm sure you knew that already Wink
Umm, I hate to tell you but they only allow the top 12 in points to be counted in the points for the playoff or the last 10 races.



While other drivers are out there they aren't in the championship.
Racer92
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9/22/2010 1:47pm
indy_maico wrote:
Let's not forget the cookie cutter cars. Even NeckCar fans aren't stupid enough to think that those fugly taxicabs bear any resemblance to a Fusion or...
Let's not forget the cookie cutter cars.

Even NeckCar fans aren't stupid enough to think that those fugly taxicabs bear any resemblance to a Fusion or Camry or whatever.
Yes, they are that stupid. Template based rolling suppositories in commie-style racing where innovation is discouraged because its not fair if someone has a better idea and get an advantage.

Lets keep all the barges clustered together for hours on end so when a noob hits some marbles we take out half the field.



peelout719
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9/22/2010 1:49pm
meh, nascar is gayer than watching richard simmons eat a hot dog
tcannon521
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9/22/2010 1:54pm
Nascar is declining because it isn't a real sport. They reset the points halfway through the season, that's just stupid. If I had a great first...
Nascar is declining because it isn't a real sport. They reset the points halfway through the season, that's just stupid. If I had a great first half of the season, they reset the points and I have a bad race or two and I'm out. Or what about the guy who has a crappy first half and comes in at 10th, they reset the points and now he has a good race, he goes from 10th to first in one race??? WTF

Imagine in baseball if they reset the score in the 7th inning.

In golf after the 12th hole, everyone becomes equal. Football, 4th quarter, the score goes to zero.

That freaking sport may as well be like kids soccer where the hippy parents don't keep score. I mean what's the point...

Just have races every weekend like a traveling circus and don't have a championship.
tcannon521 wrote:
Ummm, I hate to tell you but all sports reset to determine a champion. Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey and even Golf now has a playoff format...
Ummm, I hate to tell you but all sports reset to determine a champion.

Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey and even Golf now has a playoff format to choose a winner.
Motodave15 wrote:
yea but when you have playoffs you have won enough points to be considered in the playoffs, the nascar is just like reset.
The Chase for the Cup was implemented in 2004 to involve more drivers in the championship hunt, and intensify fan interest and drama during the season's stretch run.

The first 26 points events of the 36-race season determine the drivers eligible for the Chase and, ultimately, the series title. After race No. 26 the top 12 drivers will qualify for the Chase.

Chase drivers' point totals are adjusted prior to the season's final 10 races -- the Chase. The adjusted totals distinguish the Chase field in the final season standings.

Each of the 12 Chase drivers begin with 5,000 points; each then receive a 10-point bonus for each victory during the first 26 events. Chase drivers are "seeded" to start the Chase based on the number of wins amassed in the first 26 events.

However, Chase participants compete with all other drivers during the final 10 races. Each week, all 43 drivers battle for victories and prize money and continue their seasons under the standard point system.

The driver who tops the Chase standings at the end of the final 10 races will be crowned the Cup Series champion.



Per Nascar's Site, anyone else got a bitch with the way they do it? Guess Nascar isn't as dumb as we thought.

http://www.nascar.com/news/features/chase.format/index.html
9/22/2010 1:57pm
Sucks to see NASCAR declining...born in Charlotte, (dad worked as a gas man for a few teams), and still have a bunch of friends that work in the sport. The problem is they got too far away from their original fans...it's too big. It doesn't help that all the drivers seem like they are cut from the same mold. Here is my suggestion:

1) Do away with qualifying and run qualifying races every week like they do at countless local tracks across the country.

2) Do away with the stupid points system. Championships are rewarded with consistency. I know the aim was to put more of an emphasis on winning, but all it does is give teams in the top 5 who get locked in early a chance to test during the season. Don't believe me? The 48 car might have everyone wondering why he wasn't dominating the latter half of the season..trust me when I say they knew what they were doing.

3) Like was mentioned before, get rid of the terrible look alike tracks on the schedule. We only need so many 1.5 mile tracks, not more than half the schedule.

I always wonder if MX could go through the same thing later on down the road. Jeff Gordon ruined it for NASCAR in a way; everyone started pushing their children to race at a young age, make sure they are well spoken, hoping their kid would be the next JG. Kinda sounds like what we have going on in MX right now...people pushing their kids at a very young age to emulate a great champion (RC), leading to very vanilla personalities. Not trying to be negative or anything, just trying to "Add to the debate"
MXR
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9/22/2010 3:00pm
Lets sell Nascar to China and throw in Supercross for free .
9/22/2010 4:10pm
I quit paying attention when the sport became so "pop culture". Talent shows, red neck country concerts and game shows on Speed TV made me sick. It is a car race not american Idol and TMZ. On top of that, the biggest names in the sport are mid pack drivers (Dale Jr). And dont get me started on Danica P.
mx-4-2
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9/22/2010 8:11pm
I used to go to several races per year.

What killed it for me was the race for the chase format and the car of tomorrow. Nascar kept working to minimize any advantage a team could develop (templates, constant changing spoiler angles, restricter plate adjustments, etc...).

The sport ended up too much like the dull IROC format for my taste and so now I watch no Nascar races and certainly would not pay to attend one. I now spend my $ and time on MX races.

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