NASCAR has Lost Its Soul

Sorry, Mr. Jitters. Earnhardt was an old school star. He didn't grow the sport much beyond its origins. Earnhardt's death was the moment at which the sport was launched on its recent trajectory of national growth (2001-2005). And Gordon, even by Earnhardt's accounting, was NASCAR's first crossover star.

 

Mac, if you think that boom started in 2001 when Fox showed up you're ill-informed. Fox, TNT and NBC showed up because the boom had been happening for quite a while before that and they wanted to catch a piece of it while they could. Earnhardt was at the forefront; indeed, the legend he made could well be seen as the cause of it.

 

I would like to point our a regional factor in NASCAR;s national profile. The insane suceess of the races at the Loudon, N.H.. speedwau facilotated the organization's expansion nationwide. Those crackers just loved the way the ultimate Yankees loved their sports.

 

Redneck right-wing zealots. I'll pass

 

Uh, not to let facts get in the way of your theory, it should be noted that Gordon is leading the points, as he has for the last three weeks.

As for the author of the Times story, some years ago she arrived on the NASCAR beat and announced that she thought she was better than everyone else on the beat, given that they were all a bunch of lazy fucks only in it for the buffet line and free SWAG.

"I'm so good, you can find my name in the dictionary under the letter 'R' for reporter," the very self-confident scribe said.

"Maybe that's my problem," retorted Bruce Martin. "I was looking under 'C.' "

 

NASCAR's growth had been steady and unspectacular through the early 90's. The networks you name began to pick the sport up after Gordon arrived, not before. The mega-boom, the phenomenon under discussion here, began after Mr. Earnhardt's death.

As to the Earnhardt/Gordon quesion: How many new tracks did ISC or SMI have to build before Gordon arrived in the sport?

 

Was Bruce driving a pace car replica that week?

 

NASCAR might be able to build up its base in the African American community if it honored Wendell Scott the way MLB honored Jackie Robinson.

 

I don't think NASCAR's interested in diversity. NASCAR's interested in the appearance of diversity.

 

You may have something there but NASCAR officials say otherwise.

 

And have been saying the same thing through every "diversity initiative" of the last fifteen years. I've never known a single NASCAR official to speak the entire truth on any matter, on or off the record. As for diversity, it's a lot easier and cheaper to print brochures and issue press releases than it is to actually change the culture of the sport.

 

And you witnessed this personally? Or heard it from a friend of a friend of a hairdresser's friend?