My Last Bristol (Rant)

[DMark]

Gang,

I've been going to races at Bristol since before there was a DW (showing my age). I have had tickets to the spring race for near 20 years and the fall race for the past five.

I'm done with it.......

I hate the COT - - - might as well call it IROC racing now. I hate the new track layout - - - no more rubbing & racing. I hate the 160k "fans" that crowd their way into a track that should have never exceeded 80k. I hate a race that now only gets interesting in the last 20 laps. I hate drivers that need to be corp spokesmen over racers. I hate teams that find finishing in the top 35 in points more important than racing for the win. I hate the chase that has made the fall race a "hold your points position" parade.

It ain't my Daddy's NASCAR anymore.

See ya at the next NHRA race.

Rant Mode Off......

[WydGlydJim]

Yeah, I hear ya on the overcrowding........they've oversold those NASCAR races like Jimmy Bakker and Tammy Faye oversold Heritage Park.......it should be just about as illegal. People will get tired of that chit, it's just a matter of time. First race at Texas, people could not get out of the parking lot for 12 yes 12 hours. It was fck'n unbelievable. I wasn't there, but heard the reports. People were shot as tempers flared.....hell NASCAR was directly responsible to some extent, as that track, the egress, and ingress was not even close to ready to open!

[RICHARD TILL]

i hear ya DMark. been to the past 8 talladega races and this fall is my last. i hate the cot too. i think more people feel that way than we know. about a month ago when i ordered tickets the man said that sales were off quite a bit. and i was`nt one of those who threw a full beer at jeff gordon when he won. i could`nt throw that far and was afraid i`d hit and innocent fan.

[DMark]

For all my Rants in the first post the one that really impacts my view of what NASCAR has become is the "Top 35 in Owner's Points."

Talk about reinforcing "Just Good Enough."

What became of the comment from driver's such as "I'm going to the FRONT...."

Now days they are afraid they'll wreck and fall out of the top 35 and they'll have to qualify on speed (isn't that a concept - - - fastest times race, slowest times go home).

[tomtom72]

Jez, seems like I fell into a like minded group.....okay I'll show my age too

I started watching when ABC WWSports on Sat's showed Grand National Stock car racing at places like Darlington & Rockingham which were super speedways...back then. Even saw the race where Cal Yarbourgh(?) @ Darlington went over the fence out of the track. At least I could tell a chevy from a ford from a buick....well you get the idea....I guess that went out somewhere in the early 90's?? Oh yea, before restrictor plates & Dollar Bill @ Talladega @ 211 mph....scary stuff but ya could tell a ford from a chevy!

Closest track to me was Dover....had tickets in Sept for 10 yrs & then turned them in back in the early 90's when T-birds & Luminas started to look like the same car with different decals for headlights.

Winston was a nice addition....I laugh everytime I hear Junior tell the Winston story, "no Junior, we were thinking of spending more money than that..." I guess the marketing guys got a little carried away towards the end. Oh well, I'm sure nobody is gonna miss me at the track & watching on TV...it's marketing progress & a different traget audience now a days, I guess?

Only thing that bothers me is that I keep thinking as long as I didn't understand the technical aspect of the rules ( a little at least ) I thought I was watching guys with the most get to the front?? Maybe I was just ignorant, but it seemed to be more exciting to watch.