Jimmie Johnson is blowing by competition (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Raise your hands if you think this championship chase is interesting. I cannot physically see anybody reading this piece, but I can almost guarantee that there more far more hands that are not raised. Jimmie Johnson is enjoying a remarkable run at NASCAR history, do not get me wrong, but this is exactly what NASCAR does not need to aid its fledgling ratings.
Regardless of how superlative Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team have proven to be, the majority of the fans just do not give a ‘you know what’. From the feedback I have received, fans are tuning away from NASCAR and more towards the NFL, which is, as much as I hate to say it, a much more interesting form of competition. As a NASCAR loyalist, I feel terrible having to say that, but I vowed to only speak the truth when I began writing. The Denver Broncos overtime victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon, and the Miami Dolphins game-winning touchdown over the New York Jets last Monday night with some six seconds remaining is far more absorbing than Jimmie Johnson flourishing while all other championship contenders bang their fenders in, or drop a valve. Most members of the media have to dig to find something interesting out of this Chase for the Championship. That is their job. However, I cannot allow myself to act as if this is engrossing. I appreciate what Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 is achieving, it is remarkable, but that does not make it interesting. Under the traditional format, Tony Stewart would unofficially own a 109 point lead over Johnson with five races remaining. Mesh Stewart’s lead with Johnson’s momentum, and you potentially have a heck of a championship race. Johnson unofficially owns a 90-point lead over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin, and a 135 point lead over teammate Jeff Gordon. While the lead is not insurmountable, we have seen this story before. If anybody believes that Johnson is not going to win a fourth consecutive title without much of a fight is completely fooling themselves. If you have any hope of a Johnson demise, just glance at the schedule,
Comments
A generic driver dominating races in a generic car on generic tracks is not something that interests the majority of race fans. The terrible Tv coverage with Hendrick loving announcers will bore anybody to tears. How do you stay awake for the night races or stay at home for the day races?
obviously you are just a casual race fan
Just go back to Monster trucks and demo derbies. Leave the subtleties to real fans of racing.
The traditional points race is usually more exciting than this contrived method used over the past 5-6 years. But stock car racing is exciting regardless of the track, car or ridiculous points system. There are wonderful battles all through the field and true fans of the sport look for those.
NASCAR Makes this so ..............
I wish I could make myself enjoying what's going on...I love watching races of almost any type..especially NASCAR. But..something seems way off...and I just can't get a handle on it. I am sure Jimmie is a great guy and obviously a great driver..but this good? I just can't believe it. Putting all "black helicopters" aside..something is wrong here...and it's stinking up the "show" and I wonder if NASCAR is kicking their own butts now after letting the 48 and 5 teams "sneak by" with the "almost illegal" tolerances a few weeks ago. If NASCAR thought it would "taint" the Chases by penalizing the cars a few weeks ago..I wonder what they are thinking now? Whooopppss..too late..looks like NASCAR has backed themselves into a corner and has to sit by and watch their ratings and fans slip away.
The final nail was driven into the NASCAR coffin last night.
I changed the channel while watching a race last night. I have been a Nascar fan for over 50 years and never done that before. I'm drained from the exhaustion of trying to remain committed to a sport that is no longer committed to me.
A classic example of nas$car "chasing" it's tail. A non-stop attempt at fixing what wasn't broken has cost them a boatload of fans (including me). After a 30 year run as a die hard fan I've lost interest. I haven't even watched the last two races. Rigged "debris" cautions, a generic driver driving a generic car on mostly generic tracks. Homogenized racing at best. Until something is done about the lack of real racing I won't be back.
Don't get me wrong. I'm still watching racing. Just not this form of racing.
When Johnson pulled out to a 7 second lead or so on the restarts I was done. After the second restart, and another huge lead I simply turned off the tv and went to bed. I already knew who was going to win. NO excitement. Johnson is going to win the Championship, a fourth in a row, this year. All by racing in 40 races. Who cares. Earnheart, Gordon, Petty all won four championships by racing 144 races. And yes, I know Earnheart and Petty won more then four. Just making a comparison. 40 races vs 144 races for the same four Championship trophys. It means nothing to me. I'm glad they raced last night, just get it out of the way. On to an exciting sport today. Last nights rae was a snoozer. Off track drama no longer matters. I don't care about Danica, I dont care about the wrecks. I just care about the racing. And there is none anymore. Did everyone see how empty the stands were? Last time I was there for a fall race it was packed. Does Nascar sit on their brains??
How can this team always improve within the last 20-30 laps & come back to win? Are they holding back trying not to raise too many eyebrows? The term "Superman" is insulting with the "grey area" having been abused in the past. For myself, I have grown tired of watching "reruns" & chosen to turn the page. I won't watch or attend Sprint Cup races anymore. I have let my tickets to Talladega Fall race go, which we have held since 2000. I won't watch them play "Follow the leader" anymore. The art of racing is gone & when they try to show personality NASCAR snuffs it out.
watching someone run this good does stink up the show and is no fun to watch sorry but its just human nature to feel that way
I am still a fan, but I wish they would go back to something like the old points system. I don't like the COT and I don't like the boring tracks like Fontana. I have been a fan of stock cars for 45 years. I also have raced them and built them professionally.
The 48 team is just this much better than the rest of the field. They have a few more "tricks" up their sleeve than the other guys and they save the best until the chase. In the old days fans would be applauding a team that could come up with clever "tricks". Remember Smokey Yunick? How about Bobby Allison and Gary Nelson? That team used more "tricks" than you could shake a stick at and everyone still loves Bobby. Stop picking on the 48 team.
People are crying because Jimmy Johnston is going to win 4 championships in a row. Don't be surprised if it is 5 or 6 in a row before he slows down. I think him and his team are that good. This is modern racing folks. Go watch football if it bores you or give NASCAR time to fix it.
Mr. Dunn...being in the media maybe you an answer...Does NASCAR really care about the sentiments of the average fan? If you poll (like you have the time) but if you could poll every fan going into Martinsville this weekend..I would bet over 1/2 would say they are in some way "disenheartened" with NASCAR. NASCAR has..in bits or pieces..i.e. double file restart..wave around..lucky dog..1:00 p.m. start time.. given us tidbits..but what I think what most fans want...is consistency and fairness given to all competitors...whether it's equipment inspections, race penalty rulings, or the ever present debris. Granted it's their ball..they can do what they want..and they sure have alot of the media "pumping up" their causes (I guess it's to the benefit of their own jobs)...but do they care? Does the media care? Is there honor among thieves? I guess as a fan I forget NASCAR is a corporation and is in it for the money..but all good things must come to an end..and for NASCAR it's coming!
The racing in nascar at best is boring. My wife and I have watched for over 20 yrs and the chase has helped sink nascar. Year after year the fans are thinning out. They have "sterilized the racing with lucky dog rules and COT cars. And whatever happened to Nascar saying when they first introduced the COT cars...Quote there are no gray areas.Didn't Jimmie and Marks cars fall in the gray area just 2 weeks ago. I guess the rules don't apply to them. Or maybe nascar can't deceide if it would add to the excitement to penalize them.
To the people who say they have been a fan for over 20, 30 years and then tp say they are no longer fans I say B.S. You either were never a true fan or you are still a fan cause you wouldn't be here posting about it if you weren't. I am a fan. I am a Kurt Busch fan and a fan of Dodge. To say the racing is boring means you don't really watch the racing. The last few races have been dog fights [maybe not for the win, but from 2nd all the way back to say 10-12th has been some really tight side by side, fender rubbin, fight for that one extra position racing. I guess people want to return to Richard Petty and David Pearson being the only two people on th lead lap fighting all the way to the end. That happened once. As fo me. I will keep watching. Keep cheering for my guy, team or manufacturer. The drivers and teams will take care of the competition. With or without a few fans who have a supposed beef witht he rules and NASCAR.
To Bill and German Cars Only,RIGHT ON! To the rest of you,including the author of this article,BOO HOO!! WAHHHHH !!!Change your Huggies,they need it.Yeah the chase did not work out the way it was supposed to,but it is not the 48s fault.They did not change it.All they did was adapt to it better than anybody else. If Dale Earnhardt SR.was racing now in his prime and winning like this, he would be "The MAN"and "The Legend". The 48 is the best and everyone knows it.
Those complaining about boring races: have you been watching the same races I have? Go to Youtube and compare some of the 'classic' races of the 90's and you'll see what you see today: the top cars stretch out a lead and start lapping cars, except for the restrictor plate races. Even the awesome '99 Daytona finish between Sr. and Gordon has been replayed twice this season, both ending up with the lead car going airborne. I think the COT idea has some merit, but I don't like spec cars. But I think once GM and Chrysler collapse, the COT will be eliminated to lure other manufacturers in. Get ready for big changes: Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, etc will want engines and bodies that are at least somewhat comparable to what they have built in the past 20 years. Don't be surprised to see fuel injected V6's in the next 5-10 years.
Nascar is only going to change the cars when it hurts their wallet and the fans quit coming to the tracks. I like the COT for the safety features. But as for the racing aspect. You might as well bring back the iroc series. Right now ...if you watched saturday nights race race there were alot of empty seats. As for attracting new car companies to the sport....hmmm would you spend your companies money in a sport that is struggling to fill seats??? Atleast 20 years ago there was some personalities in the sport. Nascar has sterilized the racing and the drivers to satisfy corporate america. A little more work in that direction and you can forget being the #2 spectator sport in america. Maybe they will hire a dead fly as their mascot. Boring racing yawn... yawn....So sad so sad.
What Nascar doesn't get is that many fans dont really care about the points race or a season champion. Each race has its own winner and that is just as important. I would rather my driver win 7 races every year, and not win the championship. The overall points winner is irrelevant--especially as the point system changes every few years.
GDL says:
"To Bill and German Cars Only,RIGHT ON! To the rest of you,including the author of this article,BOO HOO!! WAHHHHH !!!"
Well GDL, most of us don't want to watch cookie cutter drivers, cookie cutter tracks, cookie cutter cars, and cookie cutter racing.. And, as someone who is actually pashionate about the sport I will not sit back and accept the current Nascar format. Unless voices are spoken, change will never happen. So, I'll put on some new Huggies if that is what is required for you. Personally, I'll keep watching, and keep pushing for change. You sit, and watch the rest of us force it to be better. Nascar will eventually respond to the fans, unless the fans refuse to speak up. Fans pushed to start the "new/old" double file restart. "Ps: they were always double file, just the laped cars were on the inside". But the fans pushed for the top runners of the race to start double file up front. Had fans put Huggies on, this would not of happened.
Jon p has got it right on. Fans just want some excitement and flavor in the racing. If we don't speak out then Nascar will sit on its can and do nothing.People are speaking out and they need to continue to voice their opinions. Debating whether the 48 team is great is irrelevant. The facts are they are stepping up in the 10 races that count towards a championship. I'm not a 48 fan. But I'm also not going to cry over them using the current points system to their advantage. Every driver knows what the system is when they sign up to drive at the begining of the season.If you don't like the current points system then speak up and let nascar know it.
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