Read all about it.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070830/SPORTS0601/708300339/1027/SPORTS06


It appears as if NASCAR is finally about to sweep the last traditional stock
car racing fans right out of the grandstands.

I must say, Brian France and Co., you have done a nice job if this is what
your intention was.

Just look at what old school NASCAR fans have had to endure over the past
decade:

.. The closing of North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway and Rockingham (N.C.)
Speedway.

.. The moving of Darlington (S.C.) Raceway's traditional Labor Day race to
California, which struggles to fill half its grandstands.

.. The absolute riddance of anything involved in promoting NASCAR that is
perceived as having the slightest bit of a Southern twang or is related to
country music.

.. The contrived Chase for the Nextel Cup -- NASCAR's version of a playoff
series in which the sport's controlling body resets the top 12 drivers'
points with 10 races left in the season and then blares on and on about how
close and exciting its championship battle has become.

.. The introduction of Japanese manufacturer Toyota into the Nextel Cup
Series this year. I would have liked to have seen NASCAR attempt this in the
1960 and '70s, when the majority of its fans were veterans and blue collar
workers.

.. Most recently, the Car of Tomorrow and the demise of fender-crunching
action at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The funniest thing is, as TV ratings continue to dwindle and it desperately
tries to find a new title sponsor for its fledgling Busch Series in time for
2008, NASCAR does not understand that it is killing itself.

The final straw for NASCAR traditionalists, which believe it or not make up
the bulk of its fan base, might actually be infiltrating the sport right
now -- coming in the form of foreign open-wheel drivers who have decided to
take a "step down" to compete in NASCAR.

If NASCAR is banking its future on attracting a vast amount of
beyond-their-prime foreign drivers into its racing series then it is asking
for trouble.

Now before everybody starts sending me e-mails about being racist,
ethnocentric and such, let me explain.

Actually, perhaps Jim Hunter, who handles media relations for NASCAR,
explained it best in "The Unauthorized NASCAR Fan Guide," an informative
book by Bill Fleischman and Al Pearce.

"One of the most unique things about our sport is the link to our fans,"
Hunter said. "Everybody drives a car or some vehicle. They all think they're
good drivers, and they all can identify with someone who races a car.

"Everybody can't pitch a baseball or catch a football or skate like a hockey
player or shoot a basketball. Also, our fans identify with our drivers who
they view as down to earth, family folks."

It is just hard to see Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya or Canadian Patrick
Carpentier as people you'd sit down at the neighborhood bar with and soak up
some suds. Now, Australian Marcos Ambrose, that is a different story. That
guy is a character.

And it doesn't appear as if the foreign influx is about to go away.

This week, Canadian Jacques Villeneuve tested a Craftsman Truck Series
Toyota for Bill Davis Racing and there are rumblings that Scotland's Dario
Franchitti is starting to get the NASCAR itch.

Now if these guys don't push NASCAR light years away from such legendary
names as Speedy Thompson, Fireball Roberts and Cotton Owens, nothing will.

A.J. Foyt has witnessed the downfall of America's open-wheel series and sees
a simple reason for it. He believes that keeping American drivers is
essential to keeping its fan base strong.

"The problem is that a lot of the American fans like to see American
drivers," Foyt said.

Defending Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson doesn't see it that way.
In fact, he thinks it can only help the growth of NASCAR.

"The heart of it all, we're all racers," Johnson said. "I don't see how that
could hurt motorsports. It doesn't matter where you live, race car, gender,
none of that should matter. We're all racers and it's all for motorsports.

"So in my eyes, I only think it would help. I see great benefit from these
drivers coming in from all types of racing."

That figures, since Johnson comes from that stock car racing hotbed of El
Cajon, Calif., and seems to have been professionally groomed to sell
hardware for Lowe's his entire life.

Yes, one by one, NASCAR is sweeping away its longtime fans.

Maybe I could catch a ride with some of them.

What NASCAR needs desperately now is another Dale Earnhardt Sr., not another
foreign retread.

Contact Mike Finney at 734-7945 or mfinney (AT) delawareonline (DOT) com.

On Aug 30, 4:38 pm, "Wolffer" <wolffe... (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:
Maybe if those "real NASCAR fans" you speak of would have continued to
sell out those venues, they would still be on the schedule.

Maybe if those "real NASCAR fans" you speak of had kept selling out
the fall race, it would still be run there.

WTF are you talking about?

Maybe if the competition was such that the championship wasn't mostly
decided by Labor day, and if NASCAR had something people would watch
instead of football, you "real NASCAR fans" wouldn't have the chase.

Hey retard, Jaguar won a NASCAR cup race in 1954.



NASCAR hasn't had "stock car racing" in decades, get over it.


That's because NASCAR is swimming in money that you "real NASCAR fans"
continue to fork over hand over fist for what you call racing.


That's because NASCAR IS a step down.

Name one "past their prime" foreign driver currently racing in NASCAR.

Why email you, it's far more fun to expose your stupidity in a public
forum.

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 20:38:00 GMT, "Wolffer" <wolffer96 (AT) gmail (DOT) com>
wrote:

blah blah

How would you propose to keep foreign-born drivers out of NASCAR?
What will be the test criteria?

Daniel <sabot120mm (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote in news:1188516427.664137.231380
@x40g2000prg.googlegroups.com:

Like you just did. Stupid ass Garbage Grooper.

--
A: Because it disturbs the logical flow of the message.
Q: Why is top posting frowned upon?