Talladega was a merry-go-round of sheet metal. A number of cars were damaged and put off or out. There were five yellow flag situations. Cautions and crashes. On average, a bit light on yellow for Talladega.

Then came Darlington. Green flag racing for the first half of the race. The last half of the race brought the yellow but for the most part it was a NASCAR call for “debris”. There were some spins and wall slides but no real field-changing sheet metal bang-ups.

Fan excitement. The debate is on… Again.

At some point in the week following Richmond on the way to Talladega one of the many “race talk / preview / review” shows on TV brought forth the subject of fans and attendance and viewing. One of the sub-topics included was cautions, crashes and what fans want to see. It seems the 2012 season is below average for crashes and cautions. Apparently, there is just too much green flag racing to keep the “fans” interested.

Really…?! Is NASCAR merely supposd to be a high horsepower boxing match? Is that all fans want to see?

Apparently, it is. Tickets and TV viewing are reported to be low for the average. Forget economic factors and an ever busier lifestyle and increasing competition for ratings with 3,000 channels…  Forget all that because it has to be the lack of crashes…

Consider the Nationwide or Camping World series of races. If fans are so caught up with seeing crashes why are the “support” races not selling out? There has been quite a bit of damaged sheet metal and broken machinery at these events for less than half the price of a Sprint Cup ticket.  Just ask Eric McClure. Not that he remembers much…

Are we all “race” fans or are we “crash” fans…? Do we talk about going to the “race” or going to the “crash”…? Are fans in the stands with their fists pumping “Go, Junior, Go!” or are they yelling “Crash, Junior, Crash!”…?

As a photographer I know that crashes make good photos which in turn goes with good copy for the writers. The spectacular roll or good shot of the “big one” sells papers, so to speak.

However, there are also many other opportunities for other shots. The lead changes, key passes in the field, the progressive move forward from back in the pack, three wide in the turns, pit stops (green flag or otherwise) are all race events that make good photos.

But is it enough for fans that can remember racing before the “COT” which leveled the field so much that it’s like racing photocopies of the same car. The only real difference is a manufacturer logo over the grill and sponsor titles on the hood and quarters.

The simple answer, from our view, is that the sport of NASCAR is evolving into a more technical type of racing. So many factors have come into play off the track that the “race” has evolved to accommodate these changes. Economics, sponsors, points, safety…

From a driver’s standpoint it is a tactical advantage to maintain the car and equipment and “drive” to the best possible finish rather than be overly aggressive. On any given “race day” there is more at stake than the “win” on that day. Bumping and pushing risks damage that could take your car to the garage. The sponsors did not pay to have their logo in the garage. Drivers did not start the race with the notion of not finishing. Teams did not build the cars to be crashed out. Making “The Chase” means keeping the car running and collecting points.

Drama doesn’t have to mean big crashes. A Hitchcock suspense is a better movie than a “Jason” slasher film. However, if all you want is a boxing match then go to a boxing match.

Tony Stewart, following the Talladega race, expressed it best. Straight-faced deadpan sarcasm as only Stewart can do…

  • “I’m just sorry we couldn’t crash more cars today,” he added. “We didn’t fill the quota for Talladega and NASCAR.”
  • “That’s what the fans want… They want to see that excitement. I feel bad that as drivers, we couldn’t do a better job of crashing enough cars for them today.”
  • “I’m upset that we didn’t crash more cars… That’s what we’re here for. I feel bad if I don’t spend at least $150,000 in torn-up race cars going back to the shop. We’ve definitely got to do a better job at that.”

That is the honesty, humor and style that is Tony Stewart. It’s not smoke and mirrors… It’s just “Smoke”. We think he is straight up correct on the point.

Look at your ticket. It says “race”. When you tell your friends what you’re doing you tell them you are going to the “race”. When you’re favorite driver goes under the checkered flag in front you cheer because they won the “race”.

Face it… “Race Fans” need to be “race” fans and not “crash” fans.

If you want crashes… Here’s an idea! Support your local Saturday night racetrack. All of those “weekend warriors” racing out of barns and back yards hauling their car to the regional track which is just down the road. Late-Model stocks and Modifieds and others are racing week to week at the smaller tracks all over the country.

And they crash… And they spin… And they fight…

Support your local drivers and tracks for the crashes. Go see the “big boys” run NASCAR and admire the skill of driving that got them there.

And if you want to see a fight just tell the guy in front of you at the beer stand that the guy behind you said his hat looks stupid…