Photo – AP
If you can remember a televised race without a leaderboard when, after going to use the restroom coming back and just assuming the car being shown on television was the leader, maybe you can relate to this.
A lot of negativity, concern and speculation are very present for some NASCAR fans about the steadily diminishing ratings and numbers on all fronts of the sport year after year. An in-depth investigation into the continued trends of what is happening could lead one to believe there won’t much of a sport left in a few more seasons. What the statistics cannot show and express is an overwhelming rise in popularity for the sport and the slow decline and aftermath that has followed from that point.
At the height of Dale Earnhardt’s career and during Jeff Gordon’s early stardom there was a lot of growing interest for the sport of NASCAR which was continually gaining and spreading across the country. By the turn of the century, uproar of new fans and a myriad of businesses were ready to affiliate themselves and join the bandwagon of professional stock car racing.
From this quick climb into mainstream sports, the fans that have been around for a while were almost in disbelief from the sight of the beautiful new tracks, enormous media attention and incredible innovations to the broadcast. A conversation about Sunday’s race could now happen with a casual fan (which did not exist before this time) as well as with the long time followers. Popularity at this level for the sport became uncharted territory and felt as if the sky was the limit for NASCAR during this era.
The constant comparison of numbers from that time to now is not completely justified due to the tremendous spike of new fans gained during this surge. The fans which were already there and watched everybody join – will also watch everybody leave and still enjoy NASCAR with whatever car, driver or track that is available.
The recent trend for the present state of the sport is having every other NASCAR related media outlet raving about the great racing from the new rules package. To the fan that truly has the sport in their blood it does not matter if the cars run tandem on superspeedways, restart single file or drive in the rain – they are going to watch and enjoy all the race. Reactions to the low downforce in the cars is that it has created great racing, but the racing was good before the changes and before those changes too. No matter what they experiment within the sport, there are always fans excited from the natural competitive aspects present in any NASCAR event. In the form of a fuel mileage race, a race won in the pits or good old-fashioned bumping and hard-driving – these staples of the sport will continue to entertain through the ages.
In a metaphoric race for NASCAR against the world of sports — the fuel tank has an infinite amount to stay on the track without stopping. After a sustained presence in auto racing for over 60 years, the roots of NASCAR have created a strong foundation which is not easily taken down or pulled apart. There are highs and lows in the sport and many changes will continue. But, for as long as the love for stock car racing exists — NASCAR will be there to entertain and be enjoyed.