To be frank, NASCAR needed a particular sequence of events to occur at Talladega in order to liven things up, generate more fan interest as the 2009 season draws to a conclusion. Additionally, they needed a clean race, especially after the way the previous two restrictor plate races ended. Basically, they needed an incident-free race with Mark Martin, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Jeff Gordon finishing 1-2-3, and for Jimmie Johnson to finish 43rd due to a blown engine.
The exact opposite was the case. Martin, Gordon, and Montoya were swept up in the final 13-car accident, while Johnson, who spent the majority of the race 30
th or worse, moseyed his way up to sixth without a scratch on his car, stretching his championship lead to 184 points with three races remaining. Moreover, the race featured two horrific accidents within the last five laps, as Ryan Newman and Mark Martin both went airborne in two separate accidents.
In fact, Newman was trapped in his car for several minutes before rescue workers flipped the car over to right side up and cut the roll cage so Newman could climb out of the severely damaged car.
While Newman did not sustain any injuries from the wreck, he was burning with anger towards NASCAR for putting the drivers in this situation.
“It’s not even a good race for the fans, that’s the bottom line, that’s who we’re trying to service is the fans.
They can stand up and cheer when there’s three (laps) to go with a green-white-checker (finish), but that’s not racing.
You’re supposed to be racing all day long.
And I think we’ve lost a little bit of that luster,” he said after emerging from the infield care center.
He continue his rant by saying, “It’s just a product of this racing and what NASCAR’s put us in, in this box with these types of cars, with the yellow line, with no bump drafting, no passing.”
Newman was not alone.
Several drivers voiced their concerns following the race.
NASCAR will receive an abundance of censure throughout the next week and beyond due to the late race carnage.
With dwindling ratings and attendance, and the fact that NASCAR seems to constantly open themselves up to criticism, two hair-raising wrecks, boring nose-to-tail racing, and a cluster of angry drivers were the last circumstances NASCAR needed to face.
Furthermore, it is unlikely that the public appeal will improve throughout the remaining three weeks.
Chances are, we will not see any chilling airborne crashes at
Texas,
Phoenix, or
Homestead, at least we hope not, but with the championship all but wrapped up, fans are likely to find something else to do with their Sunday afternoon.
Oh, by the way, Jamie McMurray won!
Comments
Nascar has become a joke. At one time I was a fan that never missed a race. Today I watch football. The trucks I watch as they put on a show and the commentators know what the fans want. They show all the trucks when nascar shows gordon,johnson,earnhardt,martin. R.I.P. Nascar
I was an avid Nascar fan. Never missed a race. Now I watch soccer. More action better sport. At least in World Cup soccer team USA team is playing for our country's pride and cup not for the same person all the time. See Ya Nascar. Too Boring.
If you don't even watch nascar anymore, then why comment on it? So you don't watch it, big deal, I'm sure they don't miss you as fans since you aren't and never were real fans apparently.
Oh I forgot to add...
GO JIMMIE JOHNSON!!! 4 IN A ROW IS WHAT YOU DESERVE!!
I understand what Michelle says..she is a JJ fan and he has been unstoppable the past few seasons..so yeah for her! BUT Michelle unfortunately you are wrong..NASCAR does miss and NEED the fans it is losing..if all the fans you say "should just go" do leave permanently you won't have anything to watch and we will never know just how many more championships JJ could win. So whether you like JJ or dislike him..or any other driver...the fans need to reach out and let their voices be heard...with some constructive conversation..Whether NASCAR hears or not..other fans and potential fans hear..and people being the humans we are tend to be swept up in the moment. I would hate to see our sport destroyed and tossed by the wayside because we the FANS can't agree to help sway the sport in a direction we ALL feel makes more enjoyable, safer, better, fairer, and in general the sport we know it is meant to be. Maybe if NASCAR sees the FANS do count they will take notice and we will ALL be happy!
This was one BORING Race, and for JJ to run in the back all day, come on, what was that? That's not racing. JJ would have never won 3 in a row and a possible 4th with the old points system, he may have finished in the top 5 but never 1st in the points like he is. He's doing what he can to get him the top 12 and then they start to race. He really wasn't a factor all season long. Some people are starting to say that he's one of the top drivers in NASCAR, I say no way, he's not even in the top 5 of drivers. JJ is turning NASCAR into a 1 man show which is BORING! ! !
The issue boils down to money. NASCAR is broken down into two groups: track owners and the France family. NASCAR (France family) is only concerned about the money. And they make their money through Corporate sponsors, TV contracts, and track owners. The track owners make money off of gate reciepts. NASCAR is going to make their money whether we are there or not so why should they care?
I agree that the Truck series is the best. They have not been contaminated with the big sponsorship (money); multi-million dollar salaries (money); and giant TV deals (money).
If you want to see REAL racing, go to your local track. That is if you are a true enough RACE fan to know where it is.
Josie is correct. Jimmy Johnson is not a champion, never has been, never will be. He does 26 weeks of testing, then races 10 races. How did Nascar think it was going to play out? The teams that do not get into the Chase simply use the last 10 races as testing. Personally, when I use to pay hundreds of dollars to go to the track I actually wanted to see a race. Not a "chase" for the championship. But a race. Huh, go figure. No wonder I don't bother anymore to hit the track.
Nascar is starting to suck, ive been a nascar fan for nearly 40 yrs,and have attended several races and never miss watching them on tv,but this will probably wind it up for me,I dont even like watching them anymore. Wake up nascar before its to late
If any of you are the 'Old School" race fans you say you are, then you remember that in many of the races the winner won by several laps, not thousands of a second. The cars finishing on the lead lap were few but there were rivalries and some fights that kept our interest in supporting our favorite CAR and/or Driver. If you are a true race fan,you will understand that times have changed but still remain the same.
First, Can't SOMEBODY pay Derrick Cope (or the like) to go out and turn Jimmie Johnson at a track where danger is limited, just to make things interesting!!!! Or at least pour some sugar in his tank aka Bobby Allison having it done to his car the year he beat our Waltrip for the championship. Second, What I love is the call by so many people to change (or eliminate) Talladega from the series. Ok, good, let's do that. Let's bulldoze Talladega and never, ever race there again. Then let's give it's two dates to California and Chicago (or pick another 1.5 mile cookie cutter), and I won't have to buy tickets 2 times a year, and I'll have Sunday afternoons open to watch football. AND I WON'T BE ALONE!!!!! I am sick and tired of hearing this crap about changing Dega or not racing there when week after week I watch the WORST, most BORING racing. So what if we saw a long string of cars go around for awhile???? At California, Kansas, Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago, etc, we see the leader go by 5-8
Nascar has dropped the ball with this Chase format. What incentive do the 31 cars in the race, who did't make the chase, have? And what about the teams who raced hard all season and did'nt win enough races or did'nt finish in the top ten every week, should they be penalized by having their season come to an end ten races before the season is over? I can't blame any of the teams or their drivers. It comes down to corporate greed. Maybe they can get the US gov. to bail them out if and when they go under.
Russ-- Get with the program na$crap owns half the tracks. na$crap and ISC = France family. They are getting paid all the way around. But for the record looking back now na$crap jumped the shark when the chase 4 the chumps came out.
I am REALLY sick of all the JJ-haters among NASCAR fans. How bored was everybody when Dale Sr. won 7 championships? Dale was tough on the track, but had no more personality off the track than Johnson. You want colorful? Try Kyle Busch. Oh yeah, you hate him too. The real problem with NASCAR is the boring races, not the drivers who win them. Kasey Kahne had a six second lead midway through one of these snoozefests a couple weeks ago. Pretty much any good car and driver can do it the way the "clean air" works for this car. As for JJ's sixth place finish at Dega, it was lucky, but his strategy was certainly not new or unique. We almost always see good cars dropping to the back to avoid the Big One. Tony Stewart does it regularly. Usually, it does not work out so well. But with the mess NASCAR created Sunday, riding was the best strategy. As Kyle Petty once suggested, fill Dega in with water and make a trout pond.
Ed, your spot on. Nascar needs to wake up. They are really close to having two more long term fans turn their backs on them. I tried to get a friend of mine interested in Nascar this weekend. An old high school buddy. The Washington Redskins were off this weekend because of a bi-week. Perfect timing. No Redskins and Nascar at Tallageda. Dream set-up. Man, I had a winner lined up. We were watching the race. I could come up with NO reason to get him hooked. It simply did not work. More "their just driving in circles in line". So Nascar has upset the hardcore fans like me and the wife. But, they can't attract new viewers. I'd say they have problem.
Joe - your point would be taken more seriously without the infantile name-calling.
As far as NASCAR losing fans, for several years I was part of a group that varied from 3 to 9 people, who traveled from Omaha NE to Texas every year for the spring race. We arrived at the track Thursday morning and left Monday morning. None of us go anymore, mostly due to the various factors that have been cited. How many other groups of similar sized have stopped attending?
GUYS AND GALS THIS IS NOT the sport we all use to love. This today is for money and entertainment. This is so sad,but I guess THE{OLD POOPS} Want what they got. And for me they can keep it. the only reason i watch nascar crap is because my driver is still driving. MARK MARTIN.I will be GONE WHEN MARK IS GONE.
this is not the sport we all use 2 love. Its money and entertainment now. and has been for a long time. That silly chase etc. just dumb. THE {OLD POOPS } as i call them could care less about the old fans,new fans.
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