NASCAR 2017 - What happened.

I use to watch NASCAR a lot and was a fan. I really did not watch much at all last year. I have been watching F1 and Indycar. Just no time for NASCAR.

I watched this weeks nascar race rebroadcast tonight and really enjoyed the racing and the skill and strategy play out. However when did they start micromanaging dam near every thing. There are so many rules around the pitting that it is just crazy.

My question is why have all these rules been implemented? Was there an incident or something? It was really sad to see some great racing being stopped due to rule violations around pitting.

Some rules that have been adopted I completely understand. Pit road speeds. Fueling rules. Controlling tires and the use of safety gear I completely get. But this race there were violations for things I never heard of.

Is this insurance driven?

I really did enjoy the racing but it kepted getting screwed up buy rule violations that seemed un necessary.

Because NASCAR, they make the rules because NASCAR.Any more questions ?

In reply to dean1484:

They killed the goose that laid the golden egg.

I've followed it a longtime. A really long time. Never understood the irrational exuberance I saw from 1995-2005 but it's been downhill for quite a while. I think all the rules are intended to make it better but nothing is working and it has become far more complicated than it needs to be.

Brian better wake up quickly. He has overseen the creation of Bristol, Martinsville, and Richmond dates that don't sell out. Their marque drivers are bailing on them and I'm curious to see if some sponsors leave with them.

I miss the good old days but honestly, Spec Miata on YouTube is a better show.

What violations and rules are you referring to? I didn't see anything in that race that was anything new or different.

NASCAR attendance is down, but so is Indy Car and a lot of stick/ball sports. People would rather watch at home or on their devices. I also think NASCAR was a "fad" in the later 90's/early 00's where a lot of wine/cheese crowd came to watch. NASCAR followed that money trail, as most anyone would. Now that fad has ended and that group has moved on, leaving a big hole to fill.

Never understand the "good 'ol days" arguments...you mean the days when only 30 out of 43 cars could even finish the race, of which only 9 were on the lead lap? Not to completely defend NASCAR because I agree that even though the cars are better, fewer cars break, more cars finish on the lead lap, etc..., there is still something "missing" from the current racing. I think it has to do with how these cars are set up, they run best in clean air or in single file. Makes for one groove racing. Seems they're trying to change that, and hope they do a better job. I don't know the answer... Perhaps try to "dirty" the air. Take away a lot of downforce, make the tires harder. It'll slow them down, but also maybe make for more entertaining racing. The best racing I saw all of last year was an Xfinity race on a road course where they ran the last 20 laps in the rain. The cars were going very slow, but sliding all around. That was entertaining as E36 M3. I'm not saying make them run on a wet racetrack all the time, but the concept of slower speeds and less grip may work.

Yeah, marque names are leaving, but not for any other reason than retirement. It's happened before...Richard Petty retired, Waltrip retired, Dale Sr. died, etc...new drivers will and are coming and will become the new marque. To me, it's just the quality of racing they need to focus on. It could definitely stand to be better.

There were all sorts of line infractions. On pit in and while driving to there pit box on pit row.

I think you nailed it with the wine and cheese crowd. They have been chasing that group now for at least a decade and as noted they have moved on. It is like the pink hats at Fenway park. I think NASCAR had the same thing happen just on a nationwide level. It was funny to see Rousch/Fenway as it was the ultimate marketing of what was wrong with NASCAR and with the ownership of the Red Sox.

The cars have gotten too good so they've added rules to try to create drama.

Make the cars worse again!

Crew chiefs figured out that you can run with 3 or 4 lug nuts on instead of 5. A 20% improvement on pits tops all at the expense of safety for everyone.

Some of these micromanaging rules are because they are Smokey Yuniking everything.

dean1484 wrote: There were all sorts of line infractions. On pit in and while driving to there pit box on pit row.

Ahhh, got it. The pit in violations were having to do with missing the "commitment cone", which in the case of Richmond is a painted orange box. They don't put an actual cone there because during green flag laps, drivers go low enough on the track that they sometimes run over where the cone would be. So the box has been there for years. I think they may have changed the fact that all 4 tires had to be below the box, where in years past they could have only 2. Trivial detail, but some drivers apparently overlooked it.

I didn't see the entire race, only the last 1/3 of it, so don't know if there were penalties for driving through too many pit boxes. Not sure how long that rule has been there, but it's been a little while now. IMO, they're pretty generous with it, they allow something like 3 pit boxes that you can drive through.

Both the Richmond and Bristol races were quite good.

Regarding all the pit road commitment box violations: there was a change to last year's (and prior) rule. Prior you needed two tires inside the commitment box, this year you needed all four. Apparently it was gone over in the drivers meeting, but you know how that goes.

Probably the biggest change isn't with the rules, but with the enforcement. Last year, they went to electronic monitoring instead of having a marshall in each pit, and computers seldom miss an error. Speed zones have been shortened up, so no more burst of acceleration into or out of the pit box when its between timing loops. No question that they drove through three pit boxes to get to theirs. No question that men were over the wall too quickly.

I think some of the racing this year has been really good.

SuperDave wrote: In reply to dean1484: Brian better wake up quickly. He has overseen the creation of Bristol dates that don't sell out.

And THAT is something I didn't think possible being from there.

When we were running in Nascar, the rule book was like 10 pages long, and those were small pages. Just some jibberish about cage specs and the like, but it was all very vague. And of course the various rules about pits, cautions, etc. Later we learned it was vague for a reason, so they could interpret the rules as they deemed applicable. One week we were told to add gussets, the next week we got in trouble for them being there. The following race back to why don't you have them...etc., etc., etc.. And then we found out our Toyota didn't have to weight the same as other Toyotas, each team petitioned weight separately and it wasn't an across manufacturer lines. I do think this part may be different now as it was pre COT, and a lot changed after that. But before, even templates could be ignored for certain teams. It was crazy stuff. And don't even get me started on the adaptor plates for super speedways. They were not all identical. If you got the "call", that's how you ran better.

I'd probably watch if they went back to bodies that looked like actual cars instead of the car of tomorrow. I dunno, it just all looks the same.

At least you can tell whose who from the paint schemes and the numbers. Maybe if they went more retro, "stock" cars and one car teams. It's become awfully corporate.

The France's own V8 Supercars which I find exponentially more enjoyable than NASCAR anymore.

There is something to having two sprints vs a day long marathon.

Yup, this was just in the local paper this morning.

RIR has become a case study for NASCAR's attendance decline

I've been to races like 3 of the past 4 years, can just walk up and scalp great seats for like $30 and sit damn near anywhere once you're inside as the place is empty.

I can tell you with 100% certainty that my interest in watching a NASCAR race on tv is inversely proportional to how much either of the two Waltrips are commentating. They go away, I will return.

Darnell's idiotic screaming of "boogity boogity ..." was dumb as hell the first time he did it. Much moreso now. Jeff Gordon's insight is truely refreshing, but it is more than undone by Darrell's pointless ramblings that are delivered at near scream levels of intensity. Excited he is, granted, but not insightful.

Moron Mikey's inane pitroad prerace "interviews" (where the drivers look absolutely thrilled to have him blabber at them) suck almost as bad.

Before I get flamed, understand that I truely like the racing (except at the Super speedways), and have been to multiple races. My favorites, probably no surprise, is the fall race at Bristol and the Busch (yea, I know it's not called that anymore ..,) at Road America. I really miss the old Busch race at the Mikwaukee Mile, to be honest. Yes - I am a fan.

I'm done now.

I bet we could start a Gofundme, hire a hitman, and take Mikey out. Darrel I can put up with, but I hit mute the second Mike opens his weird mouth.

Lost interest in NASCAR in the late 70's when they stopped using factory uni-bodies. Same with Trans-Am, IMSA, etc. Don't have cable or I'd be watching the Continental series (or whatever it's called now). If Chumpcar and Lemons were on the ball they'd be doing taped packages on YouTube.

stroker wrote: Lost interest in NASCAR in the late 70's when they stopped using factory uni-bodies. Same with Trans-Am, IMSA, etc. Don't have cable or I'd be watching the Continental series (or whatever it's called now). If Chumpcar and Lemons were on the ball they'd be doing taped packages on YouTube.

ChumpCar has a surprisingly-well-done live broadcast of their races now via Facebook. Live commentating and various in-car cameras of the teams that have them.

einy wrote: I can tell you with 100% certainty that my interest in watching a NASCAR race on tv is inversely proportional to how much either of the two Waltrips are commentating. They go away, I will return. Darnell's idiotic screaming of "boogity boogity ..." was dumb as hell the first time he did it. Much moreso now. Jeff Gordon's insight is truely refreshing, but it is more than undone by Darrell's pointless ramblings that are delivered at near scream levels of intensity. Excited he is, granted, but not insightful. Moron Mikey's inane pitroad prerace "interviews" (where the drivers look absolutely thrilled to have him blabber at them) suck almost as bad. Before I get flamed, understand that I truely like the racing (except at the Super speedways), and have been to multiple races. My favorites, probably no surprise, is the fall race at Bristol and the Busch (yea, I know it's not called that anymore ..,) at Road America. I really miss the old Busch race at the Mikwaukee Mile, to be honest. Yes - I am a fan. I'm done now.

Not going to "flame" you, but I have to say I just don't understand that. You're a fan, but won't watch the race because one commentator does awkward interviews before the race even starts and the other screams something stupid at the drop of the green flag? I fully agree with you on both counts. I don't care for the "grid walk" that Michael does and the "boogity" thing was dumb from day one. However, it lasts all of 3 seconds and it's done. I don't think Darrells commentary the rest of the race is all that bad. It's not top notch for sure, but it's OK. I think Mike Joy does a great job, and am pleasantly surprised how well Jeff Gordon has transitioned to the booth. Besides, FOX only broadcasts the first half of the season. NBC does the rest.

As I said, I agree that the Waltrip stuff isn't my favorite, but I wouldn't quit watching a sport I enjoy because of a few dumb things a commentator says.

Indycar has had the Grid Walk thing for quite awhile.

Probably here Mikey got the idea.

Seems Fox has to find something for him to do.