The morning after the Amp Energy Juice 500 was as muddled as the race. It required a long drive home to get the old thoughts in order.
This race featured 87 lead changes. It ended in a side-by-side finish, though, oddly, not at the finish line. The last-place driver in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Clint Bowyer, became the only driver so far to win two of its races. Of course, the reason Bowyer is buried so deeply is the absence of 150 points due to a NASCAR penalty.
See what I mean by muddled?
But what fired my ruminations was the question of declining interest in NASCAR. Many opinions have been offered, most by folks who, in some way, have a specific interest in the view they offer. Those who are having trouble economically blame the economy. Those who love Dale Earnhardt Jr. blame his struggles. Those who loathe Jimmie Johnson blame his dominance.
It can’t be contended that the sport hasn’t reacted. Ticket prices have been slashed. Rules have been changed to promote excitement. Nothing seems to work. The NASCAR estimate of the Talladega Superspeedway crowd was 110,000. In 2003, it was 170,000. Those who point out how convenient it is to watch on TV fail to account for why TV ratings are declining as rapidly as attendance.
I’ve pondered and addressed all these issues and offered a few of my own, but the truth is, I don’t know, either. And I don’t think NASCAR does.
One word occurred to me while driving the interstate: “bubble.”
In the stock market, there was a “dotcom bubble.” I’ve heard of mortgage bubbles, real-estate bubbles and Indy 500 qualifier who are “on the bubble.” The world is one big bubble bath.
The idea is that something grows too rapidly. The perception of prosperity creates something of a feeding frenzy. Everyone gets on board, so much so that growth is artificially enhanced in a way that can’t be maintained.
And the bubble bursts.
All that “Fastest Growing Sport” rhetoric, which NASCAR so enthusiastically circulated, may have burst. “Burst” may be too harsh a word. In the stock market, there is often a “fallback position.” Maybe that’s where NASCAR is right now. It’s still big, but not as big.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
VIR
Paul Edwards drives his No. 90 Sprint of Daytona Racing Chevrolet through a turn at Virginia International Raceway on Friday in Alton. Edwards claimed the pole for Saturday's Bosch Engineering 250.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
LEMANS: 2011 24 Heurs du Mans Primer
Sounding like the proverbial Broken Record... It?s totally amazing to Mwah that its already time for the yearly running of the legendary Sports Car race, which to me always signals that half of the year has already slipped by; SHEISA! Not to mention that very shortly we here in the Northern Hemisphere will quickly have that dreaded day called Summer Solstice ? which means Daylight will henceforth begin receding... Which I don?t know ?bout Y?all; BUTT! Seeing how Seattle has just had its first two days of SUNNY, WARM weather last weekend, (6/4-5) when we finally broke the 70deg-f temperature barrier for the first time since September, 2010 ? a scant 9-months prier; Oh Never Mind, eh? As its pretty DAMN funny that I still DON?T know who won this year?s 12hrs of Sebring...
Thus it seems kinda funny that the ?Kuhnadiun Grand Prix will be occurring the same weekend, as I haven?t checked le Telescreen guide yet to see what?ll be what? Timewise that is; OH SHIT! This?ll be the first of the summer?s four BASTARDIZED FOX F1 broadcasts; SHEISA! Not to mention those riveting Twin 275k Ovaltrack IndyCar races in ?lil Texas Saturday night; which I guess is why ?Marky-Marc? (Marco Andretti) has been replaced in the No. 12 LMP1 Rebellion Lola/Toyota by Jerome Blekamolen, alongside last year?s teammates Neil Jani and Nicolas Prost; but I digress...
LEMANS: Wall to Wall coverage ?N more
And the usual ?Heavy Hitters? once again are back; this time with Audi running three of its newest R18 TDi variants vs. Peugeot?s dominating 908 turbocharged diesels, as Peugeot?s formidable ex-Formula 1 laden driver line-up?s return, with the nine ?French Lions? drivers remaining the same as last year?s runners. Plus for insurance, Oreca will once again campaign a ?Privateer? 908 with ex-Formula 1 ace Oliver Panis as part of the lineup.
AUDI unveils new R18 racecar Peugeot?s New 908
And I?m somewhat disappointed by my ?Ol standby Planet Lemans Spotters guide this year, which used to feature a tiny thumbnail pic of each entries chassis... Although it appears this has been rectified for Mwah by SPEED?s Le Man correspondent John Davies who?s doing a Car-by-Car preview which you can peruse here:
GT Preview LMP Preview
NOTESThus, I wont try covering all of this year?s entrants, especially since Messer Davies has already done all of the heavy liftin? in his class previews. (See above) Yet I?ll toss out a few tidbits, as I was totally unaware that once again the GT category structure has been revised ? which makes sense, since the deletion of my favourite category GT1, as the bigger cars apparently fell outta favour? At least with the Manufacturer?s, eh? Thus there?s now just GTE, with the ?E standing for Evolouzione... With the class broken into Pro and Am divisions, i.e.; Pro = Professional and Am = Amateur.
And while I?m personally hoping that the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia chauffeured by ?FishyFella, a.k.a. Giancarlo Fisichella, Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander ? I?m MOST interested to see how their stable-mate? Mikey ?Aw Shucks? Waltrip does aboard his No. 71 Ferrari. DAMN! The life ?O a RASSCAR Team Owner & SPEED Talking Head, eh? Just hope he remembers ?Thar AIN?T NO Lucky Dog over there; Hya! Waltrip will co-drive with Rui Aguas and Robert Kauffman...
Once again Vanina Ickx is behind the wheel of a potent LMP1 Prototype, driving for Kronos Racing in the No. 22 Lola-Aston Martin.
Adrian Fernandez returns again with his crowd pleasing Aston Martin V-12 powered LMP1 Prototype with the Aston Martin ?Works? team, this time part of a two-car lineup. Fernandez will pilot the No. 009 AMR1 alongside Andy Meyrick and Harold Primat. While the No. 007 sister car features Darren Turner, Stefan Mucke and Christian Klien. Although I?d guess they?ll be hard pressed to beat the Audi?s and Peugeot?s...
Y?all can check it out on SPEED, who?ll be devoting major chunks ?O time Saturday/Sunday ? beginning at 5:30AM PACIFIC...
SPEED TV Coverage
Thus it seems kinda funny that the ?Kuhnadiun Grand Prix will be occurring the same weekend, as I haven?t checked le Telescreen guide yet to see what?ll be what? Timewise that is; OH SHIT! This?ll be the first of the summer?s four BASTARDIZED FOX F1 broadcasts; SHEISA! Not to mention those riveting Twin 275k Ovaltrack IndyCar races in ?lil Texas Saturday night; which I guess is why ?Marky-Marc? (Marco Andretti) has been replaced in the No. 12 LMP1 Rebellion Lola/Toyota by Jerome Blekamolen, alongside last year?s teammates Neil Jani and Nicolas Prost; but I digress...
LEMANS: Wall to Wall coverage ?N more
And the usual ?Heavy Hitters? once again are back; this time with Audi running three of its newest R18 TDi variants vs. Peugeot?s dominating 908 turbocharged diesels, as Peugeot?s formidable ex-Formula 1 laden driver line-up?s return, with the nine ?French Lions? drivers remaining the same as last year?s runners. Plus for insurance, Oreca will once again campaign a ?Privateer? 908 with ex-Formula 1 ace Oliver Panis as part of the lineup.
AUDI unveils new R18 racecar Peugeot?s New 908
And I?m somewhat disappointed by my ?Ol standby Planet Lemans Spotters guide this year, which used to feature a tiny thumbnail pic of each entries chassis... Although it appears this has been rectified for Mwah by SPEED?s Le Man correspondent John Davies who?s doing a Car-by-Car preview which you can peruse here:
GT Preview LMP Preview
NOTESThus, I wont try covering all of this year?s entrants, especially since Messer Davies has already done all of the heavy liftin? in his class previews. (See above) Yet I?ll toss out a few tidbits, as I was totally unaware that once again the GT category structure has been revised ? which makes sense, since the deletion of my favourite category GT1, as the bigger cars apparently fell outta favour? At least with the Manufacturer?s, eh? Thus there?s now just GTE, with the ?E standing for Evolouzione... With the class broken into Pro and Am divisions, i.e.; Pro = Professional and Am = Amateur.
And while I?m personally hoping that the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia chauffeured by ?FishyFella, a.k.a. Giancarlo Fisichella, Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander ? I?m MOST interested to see how their stable-mate? Mikey ?Aw Shucks? Waltrip does aboard his No. 71 Ferrari. DAMN! The life ?O a RASSCAR Team Owner & SPEED Talking Head, eh? Just hope he remembers ?Thar AIN?T NO Lucky Dog over there; Hya! Waltrip will co-drive with Rui Aguas and Robert Kauffman...
Once again Vanina Ickx is behind the wheel of a potent LMP1 Prototype, driving for Kronos Racing in the No. 22 Lola-Aston Martin.
Adrian Fernandez returns again with his crowd pleasing Aston Martin V-12 powered LMP1 Prototype with the Aston Martin ?Works? team, this time part of a two-car lineup. Fernandez will pilot the No. 009 AMR1 alongside Andy Meyrick and Harold Primat. While the No. 007 sister car features Darren Turner, Stefan Mucke and Christian Klien. Although I?d guess they?ll be hard pressed to beat the Audi?s and Peugeot?s...
Y?all can check it out on SPEED, who?ll be devoting major chunks ?O time Saturday/Sunday ? beginning at 5:30AM PACIFIC...
SPEED TV Coverage
Bayne to miss Charlotte races
Roush Fenway Racing will hold Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne out of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the fifth consecutive week he'll miss because of an inflammatory condition.
Ryan Truex plans first Nationwide start at Gateway
Defending NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion and current points leader in that series, Ryan Truex, will make his Nationwide Series debut this month when he climbs behind the wheel of a Michael Waltrip Racing entry on July 17 at Gateway International Raceway. He will pilot a NAPA-sponored No. 00 entry and will be a [...]
Another No. 3 heads to Goodwood
For the second-consecutive year, a No. 3 driven by the late Dale Earnhardt will be a part of the festivities at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Earnhardt’s daughter Taylor drove the famed No. 3 in the festival last year. This year, the car Earnhardt raced to his 1995 Brickyard 400 win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway [...]
Who knows why the bubble burst?
The morning after the Amp Energy Juice 500 was as muddled as the race. It required a long drive home to get the old thoughts in order.
This race featured 87 lead changes. It ended in a side-by-side finish, though, oddly, not at the finish line. The last-place driver in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Clint Bowyer, became the only driver so far to win two of its races. Of course, the reason Bowyer is buried so deeply is the absence of 150 points due to a NASCAR penalty.
See what I mean by muddled?
But what fired my ruminations was the question of declining interest in NASCAR. Many opinions have been offered, most by folks who, in some way, have a specific interest in the view they offer. Those who are having trouble economically blame the economy. Those who love Dale Earnhardt Jr. blame his struggles. Those who loathe Jimmie Johnson blame his dominance.
It can’t be contended that the sport hasn’t reacted. Ticket prices have been slashed. Rules have been changed to promote excitement. Nothing seems to work. The NASCAR estimate of the Talladega Superspeedway crowd was 110,000. In 2003, it was 170,000. Those who point out how convenient it is to watch on TV fail to account for why TV ratings are declining as rapidly as attendance.
I’ve pondered and addressed all these issues and offered a few of my own, but the truth is, I don’t know, either. And I don’t think NASCAR does.
One word occurred to me while driving the interstate: “bubble.”
In the stock market, there was a “dotcom bubble.” I’ve heard of mortgage bubbles, real-estate bubbles and Indy 500 qualifier who are “on the bubble.” The world is one big bubble bath.
The idea is that something grows too rapidly. The perception of prosperity creates something of a feeding frenzy. Everyone gets on board, so much so that growth is artificially enhanced in a way that can’t be maintained.
And the bubble bursts.
All that “Fastest Growing Sport” rhetoric, which NASCAR so enthusiastically circulated, may have burst. “Burst” may be too harsh a word. In the stock market, there is often a “fallback position.” Maybe that’s where NASCAR is right now. It’s still big, but not as big.
This race featured 87 lead changes. It ended in a side-by-side finish, though, oddly, not at the finish line. The last-place driver in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Clint Bowyer, became the only driver so far to win two of its races. Of course, the reason Bowyer is buried so deeply is the absence of 150 points due to a NASCAR penalty.
See what I mean by muddled?
But what fired my ruminations was the question of declining interest in NASCAR. Many opinions have been offered, most by folks who, in some way, have a specific interest in the view they offer. Those who are having trouble economically blame the economy. Those who love Dale Earnhardt Jr. blame his struggles. Those who loathe Jimmie Johnson blame his dominance.
It can’t be contended that the sport hasn’t reacted. Ticket prices have been slashed. Rules have been changed to promote excitement. Nothing seems to work. The NASCAR estimate of the Talladega Superspeedway crowd was 110,000. In 2003, it was 170,000. Those who point out how convenient it is to watch on TV fail to account for why TV ratings are declining as rapidly as attendance.
I’ve pondered and addressed all these issues and offered a few of my own, but the truth is, I don’t know, either. And I don’t think NASCAR does.
One word occurred to me while driving the interstate: “bubble.”
In the stock market, there was a “dotcom bubble.” I’ve heard of mortgage bubbles, real-estate bubbles and Indy 500 qualifier who are “on the bubble.” The world is one big bubble bath.
The idea is that something grows too rapidly. The perception of prosperity creates something of a feeding frenzy. Everyone gets on board, so much so that growth is artificially enhanced in a way that can’t be maintained.
And the bubble bursts.
All that “Fastest Growing Sport” rhetoric, which NASCAR so enthusiastically circulated, may have burst. “Burst” may be too harsh a word. In the stock market, there is often a “fallback position.” Maybe that’s where NASCAR is right now. It’s still big, but not as big.
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