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[Lantern]

I've been a fan since the 70's, every year it gets harder to hold my interest.
Just glad Danica is gone, hopefully forever.

Besides losing track of what the draw to "stock" car racing is NASCAR has brutally failed at what got them a strong fan base to start with. To be able to walk outside and see a car that resembles the one on tv is a powerful thing. Adults feel it, but MOST importantly children feel it and grow attached to drivers and their cars. On top of that having fewer drivers that the fans can relate to and follow their story without it feeling like you're being fed a line to help a charity that a driver has started for tax purposes. At least Larson, Blaney and Elliott feel MUCH more genuine than what has been coming through.

Also, they chased money from the TV networks having ZERO clue how willing their base would be to jump around channels trying to find their races. And if you know anything about people...... if they miss one time the percentage of chance they return next week PLUMMETS. And their goes your attachment and storylines.

[LowSlowJoe]

I was in the midst of a Online race, on my Playstation ( 40 laps at Texas Motor Speedway 'road course' ) at the start of the Daytona 500...   Turned on the 500 just in time to see the end of segment two, stayed until the crash with Brad K and Chase... after that, I didn't hardly know any of the names in the top 10, and quite honestly didn't care that much at that point.  I went back to my online racing , tuned back in just in time to see Austin Dillon and the #3 in victory lane...   If #3 wound up in victory lane more often, I might watch a bit more... just for old time sake.

Seriously... if/when Jimmy retires... unless someone steps up and shows real consistent talent and likeability, I probably won't watch too many more NASCAR races, unless I have absolutely nothing else going on that I would like to do.

 Spec air guns?   Why not spec jacks , spec... well why not restrict more stuff?  ( NASCAR in their effort to achieve uniformity, is largely what's lost my interest )

[pmillen]

I lost interest in NASCAR quite some time ago.  I usually watch the Daytona 500 but this year I was sequestered in my office preparing my income tax details.

I lost interest at about the time the Car of Tomorrow was introduced.  Win on Sunday, sell on Monday didn't seem relevant anymore.  The cars, even the engines, aren't what we can buy off of the showroom floor.  Toyota had to manufacture a pushrod engine specifically for NASCAR.  It wasn't available to the public.  That may have changed—I've quit reading about it and watching.

That coupled with the promotion of grudges and payback (like World Wide Wrestling), and bogus yellow flags to bunch the field near the end of the race finished it for me.  IMSA and motorcycles are much more interesting.

They might be able to win me back with a series based on showroom stock cars.  Establish a displacement limit, strip the interior and glass, install a fuel cell, roll bar, seat and harness, weld the doors shut, maybe modify the suspension and brakes—go racing.

[Bentley]

I cant say I was ever much of a fan, I never quite got the allure of seeing fast cars go round an oval or tri-oval, but maybe it is like hockey for me, never got it on TV, went to a game, could actually follow the puck live...now Sonoma, Watkins Glen, Riverside (RIP) where I used to live...even the Mid American or the course in Ohio...Or give Me Detroit Grand Prix or Long Beach, at least you see some driving!

[LowSlowJoe]

My first experience in like live in person racing was at Michigan International Speedway.   I was born and raised in Jackson Michigan, my dad would drive over to Brooklyn Michigan and watch when they were building the track and after they started racing on it... I saw them running Superbirds at MIS when I was just a young lad ( probably around 7 years old ).   

  My dad had always liked racing, mostly motor cycles...   He'd actually went down and watched them race motor cycles on the beach at Daytona when he was a young man... he new a lot of guys out of Saginaw Michigan and/or Bay City, who raced various kinds of motor cycles, flat track, side car, jack pine... if they could race them , he and his buddies would have been there... is love of racing had me watching whatever was racing was ever on TV, which back when was usually only NASCAR...

  Anyway,  I'm a bit like Paul, in that I really started a slow decline of my interest in NASCAR when they got away from running something resembling a car you could buy in the showroom... for me, that really started when they were running two door Ford Taurus cars , when you could not buy a two door Ford Taurus from the factory....  it's been getting further and further from 'stock' cars for a long time now... and yeah, my interest has been getting more and more remote as the changes were made...   Old time drivers and names kept me going for a long time... but all those guys are either dead, in a rocking chair somewhere,  or in the 'booth' calling races.

   NHRA still gets my interest... but then , I still haven't been actually keeping up with that sport either... but as far as I'm concerned, those guys are still doing it right... 

[ylr]

The "Chase" did me in; all you had to do is get hot at the end of the year, and win a championship.

[Bobitis]

Many years ago I won a Ridge Tool giveaway at werk. All expenses paid weekend to, from, and during the Phoenix 500.
I gave it to the next guy in line. Never understood the allure of the sport.

[SmokinHandyman]

The "Chase" did me in; all you had to do is get hot at the end of the year, and win a championship.

I don't like the new Championship format either.

[Bentley]

Only been once, it was Pomona Raceway, something like Winterfest or Winter something, in the pits no less...

I won't even try an put the feeling into words.  It is the only "sport" I can remember literally feeling in my body without participating in it.  I guess anyone that has been close to a Top Fuel when it starts might understand, if you haven't, I am not enough of a Word Smith to make you understand...

NHRA still gets my interest... 

[Lantern]

Just wanna get this out there. Although I'm totally whining and crying about NASCAR right now I AM a HUGE race fan.


I simply love racing and always have. F1, WRC, WEC, Australian V8 Supercars, IndyCar, Rallycross, Hillclimb, Touring Cars, Isle of Man TT.....Ect. I can't get enough of the speed, the skill, the sound, the smell......the women.


Maybe that's why I'm whining so much. I feel like  something I look forward to is being taken away by the people that are SUPPOSED to WANT to deliver the sport to US.

[Conumdrum]

I like watching the racing.  The new camera locations add a lot.  What car doesn't have a steerable camera?  The ones buried in the track are cool as heck.  The thing that is a problem to me, is all the cars are the same.  Same frame and engine with a plastic hobbyland body with stick on stickers like I used to build when I was 10. 

All the cars are generic now.  It's science folks, and being fair to the next guy so all the cars are the same. 

How many cars are under $20,000,000 yearly budget?  Which ones win?  $30,000,000.

To put it lightly, there is no balls to the walls hard knock racing.  It's a global empire now, and slowly dying.  Folks want Xbox, new phones, and less pollution.  Times are changing, ahh well I'm old and will let the new folks decide what to do.

Let's not forget local racing though, most USA places have a fun dirt or asphalt 1/4 mile track close enough to make it a race.  Tickets are a bazillion $$ cheaper, beer is cheap, many have places right outside the track where you can setup and BBQ.  Just watch out for the random rubber chunk in the smoker.

Racing is still fun as heck to watch, it's the $$$$$$$ TV and teams with A Friggin Dannon Yogurt Car (YOGURT???) on TV.

BTW, RALLY USA racing is staring up soon on TV, it's a blast to watch, look it up.  6 cars on a small track slamming over jumps and each other.  good times.