What makes NASCAR interesting?

[JonasW]

The drivers. To me it's always been about the personalities, or lack thereof, of the drivers that makes Nascar interesting. There are lots of other forms of racing that are more interesting to watch but the access to drivers is much much less. That's the difference to me.

[979Texan]

It's most definitely something you have to experience in person to first appreciate unless you grew up watching NASCAR. I used to make fun of what I thought were idiots sporting the #3 or #88 decal on their vehicle's back window. Then I went to a race with a group of friends to a race in 2008. After that I was hooked a little bit. Then it grew and grew on me.

Once you start paying attention to what goes into putting a stock car together to run a race, it becomes pretty impressive. So much engineering and driving skill goes into those cars. It's so much more than laps on an oval. One week a team fields are car to run on a 2.5 super speedway like Daytona, then it is on to a short track that requires a totally different set-up to race around a half mile short track. Twice a season, the drivers really have to step it up and race on a road course. I wish there were more road races honestly.

The personalities involved are interesting as well. I find there are d-bags and there are decent everyman types who you can't help but root for. You have a driver like Jimmy Johnson who is basically the New York Yankees of NASCAR who you don't want to win every week but can't help respect the near-flawless racing he does most every week. Some drivers are seemingly crappy and you can't understand how they are sponsored by major businesses every week. Some drivers have a ride because they sell merchandise.

I've found myself changing opinions of drivers after watching the sport a few years. I used to hate on Dale Jr. for being so popular for doing squat, but he seems to have found some competitiveness this year he's been lacking. The personalities on the track really are as colorful as the liveries and sponsorships on the cars themselves.

In short, it's really hard to explain unless you experience a race for yourself and walk around the infield and pits. You must get up close to one of those stock cars to fully appreciate it.

[valley slacker]

I never really followed NASCAR until I went to a Sprint Cup race in person a few years ago. The experience at the track is impressive. Like any other sport; learning the strategy, the rules, and the rivalries/history take some time.

[Native Transplant]

I've followed it on and off throughout the years. I'll admit for a while, I didn't like the fairly recent action of NASCAR to regulate bodywork so much. In my childhood back in the 80's, I could tell the difference quite well between a T-bird and a Monte Carlo. Now, everything looks almost the same, and frankly I am losing interest in newer cars, anyhow, so I'm not sure which model each make campaigns.

I do love the paint jobs on the cars, and I love the suspense of a pit stop. As well, passing can be a lot of fun to watch, especially if it's done in a non-ideal way.

I don't have much time to watch nowadays, but I still like NASCAR. I follow Dale Jr., simply because hid dad was my favorite as a kid. I don't care how popular he is. Same is true in IndyCar. I grew up watching Bobby Rahal, so now I like Graham. But as far as motorsports goes, most of what I follow these days is either rally (Rally America or WRC), or sports cars (Tudor USCC).