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Like what made NASCAR explosive in America in comparison to other racing leagues(F1, IMSA, IndyCar, etc)?
Some say it was the accessibility, others say is the simplicity, others say because it is a sport born out of rebellion and underground establishment
Whatever it is what could be the most significant answer onto this?
Also the fact that NASCAR used to be an automotive testing ground for American manufacturers here and there? Again so many different perspectives, answers and theories
To help understand the rise of NASCAR, read Tom Wolfe's "The Last American Hero." It was published in Esquire magazine in 1965. It introduced NASCAR to the world at large, and it changed everything. When Wolfe died a few years ago, NASCAR and Junior Johnson said it was probably one of the most important things that contributed to NASCAR's rise in popularity. It's a great read. It begins:
Ten o'clock Sunday morning in the hills of North Carolina. Cars, miles of cars, in every direction, mil- lions of cars, pastel cars, aqua green, aqua blue, aqua beige, aqua buff, aqua dawn, aqua dusk, aqua Malacca, Malacca lacquer, Cloud lav- ender, Assassin pink, Rake-a-cheek raspberry, Nude Strand coral, Honest Thrill orange, and Baby Fawn Lust cream-colored cars are all going to the stock car races, and that old mothering North Carolina sun keeps exploding off the windshields.
Seventeen thousand people, me included, all of us driving out Route 4~1, out to the stock car races at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, 17,000 going out to a five-eighths-mile stock car track with a Coca-Cola sign out front. This is not to say there is no preaching and shouting in the South this morning. There is preaching and shouting. Any of us can turn on the old automobile transistor radio and get all we want:
NASCAR was smartly promoted to women, back in the 1980's. The women LOVED the soap opera that NASCAR had become. It has since been replaced by "Married At First Sight" and other shows. The lives of the drivers had become more interesting than their track driving. This drove males away from the "sport."
Next, enter in the "spec" racing that NASCAR had become, and it lost any semblance of "stock" car racing, that NASCAR was founded upon. Traditionalists fled.
Lastly, it became politicized. Politics will KILL every/any sport it touches. It's a cancer.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,327 posts, read 54,350,985 times
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Originally Posted by NORTY FLATZ
NASCAR was smartly promoted to women, back in the 1980's. The women LOVED the soap opera that NASCAR had become. It has since been replaced by "Married At First Sight" and other shows. The lives of the drivers had become more interesting than their track driving. This drove males away from the "sport." Next, enter in the "spec" racing that NASCAR had become, and it lost any semblance of "stock" car racing, that NASCAR was founded upon. Traditionalists fled.
Lastly, it became politicized. Politics will KILL every/any sport it touches. It's a cancer.
Completely agree, I was a fan when they actually raced cars built from factory 'bodies in white' and didn't need decals to tell the fans what kind of cars they supposedly were.
And they totally lost me as a fan when they took away points earned on the track from Jr. for something he said in the winner's circle. That's not a meaningful racing championship to me.
NASCAR was smartly promoted to women, back in the 1980's. The women LOVED the soap opera that NASCAR had become. It has since been replaced by "Married At First Sight" and other shows. The lives of the drivers had become more interesting than their track driving. This drove males away from the "sport."
Next, enter in the "spec" racing that NASCAR had become, and it lost any semblance of "stock" car racing, that NASCAR was founded upon. Traditionalists fled.
Lastly, it became politicized. Politics will KILL every/any sport it touches. It's a cancer.
How did NASCAR still maintain its southern vibe until the 2000s then?
Completely agree, I was a fan when they actually raced cars built from factory 'bodies in white' and didn't need decals to tell the fans what kind of cars they supposedly were.
And they totally lost me as a fan when they took away points earned on the track from Jr. for something he said in the winner's circle. That's not a meaningful racing championship to me.
Indeed. For me it was Good old boys like Earnhardt, it was military fly overs , family, Patriotism and a Prayer, usually in Jesus name, It was beatin and banging in American made cars. Wasnt anything else like it as far as sports go. Then came the political correctness, all the young kids that were the next big thing rushed up to cup and Toyota...
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,327 posts, read 54,350,985 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by silas777
Indeed. For me it was Good old boys like Earnhardt, it was military fly overs , family, Patriotism and a Prayer, usually in Jesus name, It was beatin and banging in American made cars. Wasnt anything else like it as far as sports go. Then came the political correctness, all the young kids that were the next big thing rushed up to cup and Toyota...
When I was a kid it was people like Curtis Turner and 'Fireball' Roberts, he and so many others in that era taught me what a cruel sport racing can be, thankfully it's become so much safer over the years. Somehow I don't think Curtis would've got on too well with the modern NASCAR bureaucracy.
How did NASCAR still maintain its southern vibe until the 2000s then?
Because they rarely raced outside of the south.
Now.. Pre 1972.. They kinda went everywhere. I was reading a story about Richard Petty's first year racing in 1958. His first race was in Canada! His entire first year racing (not his rookie year) was throughout the northeast US.
But look at the 1990 NASCAR schedule
The races outside the southeast were Dover, DE, Pocono, PA, Watkins Glen, NY, Brooklyn, MI, Sonoma, CA and Phoenix, AZ, which was a pretty new race itself. Previously, they had gone to CA as well, Riverside and Ontario.
Right around this time, they started expanding out more.. In the later 90's, the great expansion happened. Chicago, California, Kansas.. And all cookie cutter tracks. All 1.5 milers pretty much. Though, yes, California was modeled after Michigan. And.. New Hampshire was around the corner.
I believe that there were race fans all over the country.. But because most of the races were run in the southeast, there were many more per capita there. Which is why it was considered a 'southern sport'
We don't consider Americans to overly be F1 fans. Because.. Well.. Not any F1 races in the US. But, that's not the case, there are plenty of F1 fans in the US, they're just not.. Congregated in an area. It's just that people tend to follow more what they can attend. So.. With any of the races being in the southeast.. you had more people following it there?
Long way of saying "I dunno" but this is my theory on it.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,327 posts, read 54,350,985 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Labonte18
Because they rarely raced outside of the south.
Now.. Pre 1972.. They kinda went everywhere. I was reading a story about Richard Petty's first year racing in 1958. His first race was in Canada! His entire first year racing (not his rookie year) was throughout the northeast US.
But look at the 1990 NASCAR schedule
The races outside the southeast were Dover, DE, Pocono, PA, Watkins Glen, NY, Brooklyn, MI, Sonoma, CA and Phoenix, AZ, which was a pretty new race itself. Previously, they had gone to CA as well, Riverside and Ontario.
Right around this time, they started expanding out more.. In the later 90's, the great expansion happened. Chicago, California, Kansas.. And all cookie cutter tracks. All 1.5 milers pretty much. Though, yes, California was modeled after Michigan. And.. New Hampshire was around the corner.
I believe that there were race fans all over the country.. But because most of the races were run in the southeast, there were many more per capita there. Which is why it was considered a 'southern sport'
We don't consider Americans to overly be F1 fans. Because.. Well.. Not any F1 races in the US. But, that's not the case, there are plenty of F1 fans in the US, they're just not.. Congregated in an area. It's just that people tend to follow more what they can attend. So.. With any of the races being in the southeast.. you had more people following it there?
Long way of saying "I dunno" but this is my theory on it.
Uh, currently we have Austin, and for many years Watkins Glen, Long Beach, and a variety of short lived temporary circuits. And Montreal is an easy trip for many millions of Americans and not only a great race venue but a great city to spend a weekend or more visiting.
Uh, currently we have Austin, and for many years Watkins Glen, Long Beach, and a variety of short lived temporary circuits. And Montreal is an easy trip for many millions of Americans and not only a great race venue but a great city to spend a weekend or more visiting.
Oh yes, COTA has returned after the COVID skipping of it.
One race a year in the US.
But. This proves the point, to an extent. Montreal is an 'easy trip' that is thousands of miles away for most, involving air travel, hotel rooms and ticket purchases where you only see portions of the racing action.
Whereas the US, and mainly congregated in the southeast, had 25 or so races within a days drive. And hardly any of those pesky road courses. At least, that was the thought at the time. Road course racing is experiencing a revival in NASCAR over the past few years, mainly because it's the best racing. No, or little, pesky aero issues preventing passing.
Even Milwaukee, when they had the Packers playing a game a year there back in the 80's.. Didn't consider that 'their' team.
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