Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

[cjforumadmin]

http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Barnstormin-Rooting-for-Mayfield-or-Against-NASCAR.html

[BluLightning]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

I personally like watching and attending Nascar races. Could they be better at some stuff? Sure, there's always room for improvement.

That being said, somebody needs to get Nascar, Mayfield and the lawyers together, have him tested in front of all of them and be done with this soap opera already. Must my $.02.

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

mayfield needs rehab
nascar needs big blocks and less down force

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

Sorry Brian I think you missed a few of the implications of Mayfield's accusations back at NASCAR, and the bigger question of why are so many people willing to believe him. NASCAR, especially of late, has been making a lot of decisions and calls that seem to not make sense to any one. Like ways to manipulate a race or drivers, like a WWE script. Speeding down pits is the latest controversy it seems. Debris on the track for cautions is more often another wonder, shipping engines off to behind closed doors tear downs...etc. I don't follow these things that closely, but it's sad I can come up with multiple situations that NASCAR has no accountability and everyone needs to take their call as not only the final say, but the "correct" say. That's the bigger issue I see.

Now for the courts, this has certainly become a one up'ing contest between the two groups, but that's not surprising. Each issue brought up in court is a big issue, and eventually the dust will settle. If Mayfield's "independent" tests prove correct I don't see why NASCAR's timeframe testing remains a big deal, particulary when part of the situation is saying how flawed NASCAR random testing is. I don't see that if Mayfield wins that drug testing in NASCAR is gone, only it has to be re-vamped to a more credible system. Too many closed doors behind the scenes in NASCAR to make them a believable entity.

Historically, Americans have pulled for the underdog and we like to celebrate our famous lost causes. The Alamo and Custer's last stand have special places in our history as moments where people fought to their last breath, despite the fact that the odds were totally stacked against them. In Mayfield's case, he's either the most bold liar in recent American history or a guy who is truly standing his ground against a monolithic opponent in NASCAR.

And this..... You are already calling it a lost cause by citing lost causes : How about calling it a potential great victory by citing unlikely victories? How about the American Revolution? Several battles during the Civil War, and several during each World War where we were out numbered/gunned and won? I'd have to find my history book to cite specific examples, but I know many are out there. I still say if he's being honest (as his appearence suggests) he has a shot to win and majorly bloody NASCAR's nose with proven corruption.

Simple solution still seems like the court should appoint an independent lab to settle it once and for all.

[min301]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

I'd be happy without the restrictor plates, bogus plastic bodies, and FnF wings.

Make em use a factory floorpan, and shell.
Add safety stuff like cages, lexan and such, dis-
allow all the downforce crap, and let em run what they bring.


Shut down all the big money teams, and let em all fight for the win,
not single file bullsh*t.

[38P]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

There are several imbeded and overarching conflicts motivating the "fan boys" on both sides of the Mayfield controversy:

1. Monolithic dictatorship vs. the little guy (the following factors are motivating beliefs and concerns)

a. NASCAR's five decades of crushing those who don't "go along."
b. American individualism and the "underdog" preference.
c. Fear of "crossing" or criticizing NASCAR (see subpoint "a" above).
d. Widespread fear of getting caught up in a similar bureaucratic nightmare/SNAFU and not being able to defend against it.
e. Distrust of accumulations of power.

2. Angst over drug testing vs. worries over the effects of drug abuse on society.

a. Concern over loss of privacy to bureaucratic "War on Drugs" measures.
b. Concern about the "role model" effect of even minor celebrities such as Mayfield.
c. Concern that illegal drugs are making society more dangerous, more selfish, less productive, and less safe.
d. NASCAR's hypocrisy (sport built on the foundation of Southern bootleggers, moonshiners, and tobacco/alcohol money).

3. Hatred of NASCAR for ruining "stock car" racing vs. Unquestioned loyalty to "The Show."

4. "Old" NASCAR vs. "Modern" NASCAR. (i.e. The hope that anything that "brings down" the "Modern" NASCAR could help the return of what was good about the "Old" NASCAR)

5. Libertarianism vs. Support for law & order.

6. Rebellion vs. Conformity.

7. Distrust of NASCAR's objectivity and procedures vs. faith in NASCAR's bureaucracy.

For some, its just personal (e.g. they like Mayfield and/or don't like Brian France). There's also probably a lot of "tweakers" who simply wouldn't want Mayfield (if he's actually on meth) to suffer any punishment for doing the same thing they're doing.

[38P]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

NASCAR's fan base and stakeholders are probably too diverse for there to be a simple solution to what's wrong with the "Modern" NASCAR malaise. At times, I've written long lists of ideas on how to "fix NASCAR." A few of those things, such as double file restarts, have coincidentally been adopted by the Powers That Be in Daytona/New York.

But here would be a simple start based on the idea that for NASCAR to return to relevancy (i.e. cars the fans can identify with):


If it doesn't bolt on or into a mass-produced, production sedan powered by a production V8 engine, and bearing an OEM factory VIN number, you can't use it.

It would seem that several forms of modern "stock car" racing, from NASA American Iron to Grand Am/Koni Challenge are almost in complance with that simple principle. Modern technology would allow for sufficient safety modifications to protect the drivers.

[Mr4Speed]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

The whole mess stinks to high heaven. It also fits right in with everything else that Nascar has been doing of late to keep the small teams down. For Nascar's model to work they need the big teams that always do well to increase their value to sponsors. The higher they keep the value and revenue to the teams the higher the value will be for series, race, and track sponsorships and the higher the value will be of the TV contracts. When a little guy with less sponsorship dollars scores an upset it reduces the value of sponsorship because all of a sudden the companies that paid big money to the big teams didn't get their money's worth. That's also a big reason why it's evolved to the current "spec racing" situation. Keep everybody on the same lap and a loss isn't as bad because the perception is that they were still in the hunt and nobody backed a loser, and therefore wasted their money by sponsoring them. Nascar management may be idiots but they aren't complete idiots-they know this. (It's not that they're idiots it's that they couldn't care less about good racing) This is just another of Nascar's efforts to sweep the small teams to the side before they have a chance to upset the apple cart now that money is tight and their big cash cow is in danger of losing it's value.

Nascar is claiming that their test results show Mayfield to be a massive meth user, and over a long period of time according the "witnesses" they've drug out of the woodwork. ANYONE who's ever been around tweakers knows that they stand out like a turd in a punchbowl and if he was really the meth head they are trying to say he is then he would have never gotten this far. The Nascar community in the pits would have raised hell and gotten him kicked out long ago. It's clear that everyone that's involved in the sport is too afraid of Nascar to say anything one way or the other publicly, but if this was really going on they would have been saying plenty privately. Nascar can't win in this deal. If Mayfield wins they will look like the petty liars that they probably are, and if they win then it shows that this problem went on right under their noses and their testing policies, and management, are worthless. Meth use is one of those accusations that leaves a stain that doesn't go away even if you're acquitted-it ruins people. Nothing good will come of this.

[mopar57]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

every type of racing eventually gets ruined......Indy is different today than the yeras past. NHRA, don't get me started......1000' TF? Pro Stock? Nothing like Sox/Landy/Jenkins in the early 70's....Junior Stockers, Modified Production are gone with no replacements.....to me the issue is this.....if the guy is guilty get rid of him......if that is not the case NASCAR is in a heap of trouble. NASCAR has deep pockets and lots of lawyers, they would not be going this far without something they know for facts.

[38P]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

Racing gets ruined because the sanctioning bodies have not found any way to beat the "cycle."

1. Beginnings -- pioneers of the sport experiment in obscurity and set the basic parameters of the sport

2. Period of grassroots innovation (mostly sportsmen and innovators battling on their own money in front of a few locals or in obscurity. In retrospect, these are usually remembered as the "golden days" of the sport, notwithstanding the carnage that often results from "pushing the envelope" )

3. Emergence of commercial viability (stars, sponsors, professional teams, media attention, sanctioning body bureaucracy, basic rules and parameters take a set)

4. Dominance -- one or a few professionals start to "stink up the show" by "breaking out" to dominate all of the events (this is when the huge haulers and the super-teams emerge, often with factory backing)

5. Shakeout -- marginal teams get tired of getting slaughtered and the sportsmen move on; rules packages start to squelch grassroots innovation as a means to "level the playing field", marginal promoters/tracks ushered out by move to increased "professionalism" and higher event costs (appearance fees, sanctioning fees, prize money).

6. Crisis (some star gets hurt or killed, economic crisis, fad wears off, too many marginal teams leave the sport, older tracks close)

7. Protectionism -- rules are conformed to protect the monopoly of a few professional professional teams and their "stars" and the "loyal" tracks & promoters. Outsiders, grassroots dreamers and nonconformists are excluded.

8. Stagnation -- sport trapped in "feedback loop" of Stages 4-7 as new stars are groomed and older stars/teams are replaced. Mass media and savvy promoters may increase fan base for a while but the novelty often wears off. "OG" fans start becoming alienated as too many traditions are lost. Sanctioning body is focused on maximizing revenue and keeping the super-teams/stars happy.

9. Decline -- lack of innovation, barriers to grassroots entry, and too much stagnation starts killing the sport.

Just name a type of racing and I can show how this "cycle" has occurred.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

Swamp Buggies and LSR.

You're 100% right on your cycle for any truly popular form of racing though. The niche stuff can maintain it's purity as there is minimal commerical investment.

Money corrupts all.

Bang for the buck in my opinion, the ADRL provides the greatest "most pure" mainstream professional racing action in the country. It's reaching the point in the cycle where the potential for "shakeout" is drawing close. If they can figure a way to maintain what they have now, they'll continue on the massive growth curve they have been on for the last few years.



Brian

[BBR]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

Everybody needs a nutkick once in a while to bring them back to reality. Here's hoping Jeremy lands it squarely in NASCAR's family jewels.

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

one less toyota pretender out there is a good thing
wasn't like jeremy was ever going to win a race again anyway
just wanted to start and park like derrick cope

[BBR]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

There's good money to be had by starting and parking.

[38P]

Re: Barnstormin': Rooting for Mayfield or Against NASCAR?

Swamp Buggies and LSR.

You're 100% right on your cycle for any truly popular form of racing though. The niche stuff can maintain it's purity as there is minimal commerical investment.

Money corrupts all.

That's what my boss says every time I ask for a raise . . . .

And if Diamond P's American Sports Cavalcade would have just covered the Swampers a little more (or Sumner Redstone not bought The Nashville Network from the Gaylord family and turned the TNN cable channel into "Spike") maybe even the buggies would have gotten past stage 3 . . . .

It also could be that nearly all forms of "clock racing" (e.g. autocross, LSR, hill climbs, and other non-side-by-side forms) are exceptions to the "cycle" because they never become commercially viable or have such diversity and decentralization that sportsmen never have to directly compete with the stars or the factories.

On the other hand, some fairly unpopular forms of racing (judging from the number of fans in the seats, the TV ratings, and the magazine ink) are definitely subject to the "cycle" (i.e. many forms of sports car racing; dirt oval track racing).