NBC: NASCAR is Teams of Rednecks Going in Circles
Photo Courtesy NASCAR Media
Is NASCAR really just a bunch of rednecks going fast and turning left for hours on end?
That is what writer Rob Sylvester said in an article posted on the NBC Sports website.
“Look, I’ve never been much for NASCAR, mainly because if I wanted to watch teams of rednecks expel gas while going in circles for hours, I’d turn on FOX News,†said Mr. Sylvester in an article about a renewed interest in putting a NASCAR track in New York City.
Mr. Sylvester even discounted the economic viability of a track in New York. He openly doubted whether race fans would bother attending races there; despite the fact that other tracks in the Northeast like Pocono and New Hampshire have no problems selling tickets.
The article by Mr. Sylvester went on to describe NASCAR drivers as “a few good ol’ boys (and not to mention the occasional California prettyboy).†And his idea of a typical race fan who might visit New York to attend the race is a “tourist… from the Red State region.â€
What’s troubling about the entire article is not Mr. Sylvester’s opinion, however. It is the fact that the story was published on the official NBC Sports website. A company that once made a very good living broadcasting NASCAR races on TV, and likely will again when the current TV contract comes up for renewal.
What do you think about NBC’s view on all this?
What Makes NASCAR So Special to You?
Does NASCAR have a special place in your heart?
What is it about NASCAR that makes it so interesting to you?
Tell your favorite NASCAR story, or tell why you follow NASCAR, or tell how you first got interested.
Do you watch because of the speed involved or the courage it takes to keep the pedal to the metal? Do you watch because of a certain driver or a certain car? Do you watch for the strategy and the action? Do you watch to see the wrecks?
Tell us your NASCAR story and you could win a NASCAR DVD. We’ll draw one random winner from everyone who leaves a meaningful comment to this article.
Update: Mavis is the winner of the DVD but we have plenty more to give away. Please continue to share your comments
Who’s Most Clueless About NASCAR?
Who is the most clueless person you know when it comes to NASCAR?
Enter and Win!
Answer this question and you’ll be entered in the RacingWin contest for to win a free license plate featuring one of NASCAR’s all-time greatest drivers
Sometimes I’ll meet someone who just doesn’t ‘get’ NASCAR. They simply can’t understand why anyone would want to watch “cars going around in circles – and turning left.â€
These people are totally clueless.
They don’t know Brad Keselowski from Brad Pitt
They don’t appreciate the skill it takes to drive a car 4 wide at 200 MPH at Talladega for 3 hours straight. They have no idea how much strategy goes into making split second decisions in the pits that can spell the difference between winning and finishing 15th. They could care less that fabricators spend months hand building the perfect car for drafting at Daytona.
Have you ever met anyone like this? Have you tried to educate them on the inner workings of NASCAR? If so, did you succeed, or is that person still clueless?
Tell us your story and you could win an Officially Licensed souvenir from the RacingWin hauler. The best story wins. So have at it boys and girls.
Update: this contest is now closed. Sharon King is the winner of a Dale Earnhardt license plate. Thanks for playing.
NASCAR Taxes
What Every NASCAR Fan Needs to Know About Their Tax Dollars
It’s not easy paying taxes. It seems even harder to figure out the IRS tax code. NASCAR fans pay their fair share of taxes. But 1 in 4 fans may miss a credit that could save $5,600 this year. Here’s a look at how taxes hit home for race fans.
NASCAR Should Keep Fans Informed
NASCAR Owes Its Fans an Explanation
When NASCAR makes an important decision – especially one that determines the outcome of a race – they owe it to the fans to tell them in person.
When NASCAR decided to call the Daytona 500 due to rain a NASCAR Official should have came out and explained exactly why the race was being called, and why they felt there was no hope of resuming the race. Instead NASCAR chose to hide behind its TV and radio partners and let them make the announcement.
NASCAR and Fox both seemed to stick their heads in the sand when it came to telling fans it was raining at the race track. They came back from a commercial break and it was business as usual with cars riding around under caution and TV announcers getting a few sponsor plugs in. It wasn’t until one camera picked up rain pouring off one pit box that anyone even admitted it was raining.
There were zero updates on the real condition of the racing surface. No close-ups of what the track looked like in the turns, on the backstretch or through the tri-oval.
When it came time to throw the red flag and stop the race the only warning were race cars rolling to a stop. There was no official word from NASCAR.
NASCAR never provided any sort of opinion on whether this was a brief rain shower or a hurricane coming through.
Fans deserve to be kept informed of what’s going on. Nobody likes surprises like these.
Maybe NASCAR needs an official to come out and make announcements about race conditions the way the NFL does.
Fans want information. NASCAR needs to give it to them.
Do you get all the information you need from NASCAR?
