Racing hasn’t changed. Some venues have come and gone and some rules have been modified and the cars have evolved…
But racing hasn’t changed. It is still drive, pass, survive, win…
Now… There are some “fans” that like to pine on the “old days”… The pre “death of Earnhardt” days… The days of “racing was racing”…
They have no real clue what they are on about. They are romanticizing something they think they believe. Was it different? Yes… But the racing hasn’t changed. So… Are those differences really worth the effort of endless complaining?
Different, maybe, in the sense that more manufacturers were involved. However, some manufacturers don’t exist now. Different, perhaps, in the sense that racing did not have the competition of attention that it does now. There is a lot that exists now that hasn’t before. Gaming, video media, more than four TV channels… Different, in the very real sense that those changes “fans” claim have taken racing away from the roots were brought on by the death of the man they throw back to.
Dale Earnhardt’s death at Daytona changed everything and left everything the same. Nobody ever wanted to trailer away a bent up and broken pile of junk that just hours ago was a showcase of effort, money and a lot of time. The cost to replace or fix that for the next race was a big hit and money was, and still is, a strain.
The differences of rules, mechanics and safety have all had to evolve following the death of Dale Earnhardt. The safety changes alone for the drivers forced an evolution of engineering. The safety of the teams lining the pits made changes. The safety of the fans made changes. Those who complain that racing isn’t what it used to be seem to be complaining for the sake of increased injury or death without actually seeing that the effort on the track is what it always has been. Go faster than the others and win…
There is a lot of talk tossed about on stage racing and the “playoff” format. “Just let them race” seems to be a rally cry. They forget the long, “follow the leader” events as drivers held their equipment for the final laps. They seem to have forgotten that the season champion often was decided well before the season had reached the finale. For the most part, these fans had no real grasp of the points system then and haven’t bothered to try to see it now.
They complain because they want to make noise. They complain because they can. They complain because they always have. They complain because they can’t grasp that evolution of technology forces an integration of that evolution into everything.
They complain because the “good ole days” are gone. Those days were never as “good” as they think unless they actually look at why. With that, is it possible that the “changes” they point to in racing are simply something they can spout about without sounding so obviously short-sighted about the changes happening in society around them…?
NASCAR is evolving forward and, finally, embracing many changes that have already been filtering into other motorsports. Formula 1, IMSA, Indy, Rally, Drags… They have all embraced women, people of color and other nationalities… NASCAR makes some moves in that direction and we get “that ain’t racin’!” and “snowflakes are taking over!” and, well… worse.
For the most part, this is a response to a lot of what was spouted about on social media following the LA Coliseum “Clash”. People complained about the format and location and a lot about the rapping and “half time” entertainment. They moaned about the show, the racing and the time.
Well… The show is back at Daytona for the Duels. Will they find something to fuss about now…?
Yes… Of course they will…