Well, here we are, only days away from the 52nd running of the Daytona 500 and the start of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Even though racing fans endure a much shorter off season than other sports, they are eager, craving, and "geared up" for the waving of the green flag on February 14th, Valentines Day(you lucky gals), signaling the start of "The Great American Race." But do you know there was a time when the Daytona 500 was the second race of the season?
Yes, it is true. With almost no exception and until the 1982 Daytona 500, Florida was the host to the second race in the NASCAR series bowing to January starts in Riverside California. NASCAR has certainly come a long way since its beginnings in 1948. Born out of "bootleggers" trying to outrun the law in their whiskey laden trucks during the Prohibition visionary, Bill France Sr. put together a circuit of 8 races which has blossomed into a grueling 36 stop series attracting millions of fans. Named the NASCAR Strictly Stock Division in its first year all the NASCAR tracks were dirt with the exception of a small portion at Daytona until Darlington Raceway opened its doors in 1950 with the first fully paved track. Rules and safety were secondary to giving the race fan what they wanted with the good ol' bumping and banging and rivalries that produced occasional fist fights. The sixties and seventies were NASCAR's hay day producing exciting races and strong competition from drivers like Richard Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarbourough, Bobby Allison, Benny Parsons, Buddy Baker, and later Dale Earnhardt.
Today thanks to the vision of Bill France Sr., all the great drivers of the past, and great marketing, NASCAR is one of the most exciting and popular spectator sports. Instead of just an occasional TV broadcast 40 years ago it is now broadcasted every week of its season with different networks getting in on the action. Safety of the drivers has improved greatly with many of us wondering how these drivers walk away from major crashes unharmed. They have changed the old point system with the "Race To The Chase" format making for a more exciting and competitive finish to the season. But all is not well with NASCAR. The introduction of the COT(car of tomorrow) has added to the safety of drivers, but also has left some race teams struggling to compete. Although viewership in the last 15 years has generally increased, the recession left attendance down last year. Many sponsors find themselves under increased economic pressure to restrict or end all together their cash flow into the sport. Many smaller race teams find themselves unable to compete with larger teams with deeper pockets and last year's restrictions on bumpdrafting left many fans feeling NASCAR was restricting the driver's ability to race. Bad weather and late starts also contributed to lower attendance last year and the struggles of Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sport's most popular driver for many years, may also be contributing to the drop of interest. This year NASCAR has taken away the restrictions on bump drafting, opened up the restrictor plates, and gone back to one o'clock local race times for day races in hopes of stopping decreases in viewership. NASCAR, it appears, is realizing that perhaps they have put too many restrictions on both the car and the drivers and need to go back to what made it popular...bumping and banging, rivalries, and plain old "good ol' boy racing'."
So what does the future of NASCAR hold? Well let's hope not electric or hydrogen cars. The day I go to a race and can't smell the fumes from racing fuel or hear the roar of the engines is the day I start watching figure skating. But I don't think I really have to worry about that. It appears that NASCAR does realize that in order for them to survive hard economic times, just like any other business, they must give their customer, the fan, exactly what they want. And that is the plain old good racing complete with heroes and villains, the ever present chance for "the big one," and a good mix of controversy. Even though viewership may be down, the sport enjoys a strong fan base and will continue to enjoy good ticket sales, adequate sponsorship, and TV revenue. Soon I think you will see even more tracks open up on the Sprint Cup Series, however, I am afraid that tracks in smaller markets like Darlington are in jeopardy. I think they will have to come up with something better than the present Chase format if they are to bring true excitement to the end of the year, but they are certainly headed in the right direction. In short, although there are a few dark clouds on the horizon there is nothing but blue sky behind it. NASCAR will endure. So on Valentines Day this year, give your sweetheart a real treat, quench your thirst for racing, and tune into the 52nd running of the Daytona 500 with him/her by your side. It's a must see and they will love ya for it!
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