Nascar charter system

[Orange65]

I did not see a thread on this so I decided to start one to get opinions. So Nascar has awarded "charters" to 36 teams, guaranteeing them a starting position each week so that team sponsors would be guaranteed a return on their $$. This means that 4 of the 40 starting teams will have to race their ways into the race each week- including the Woods Brothers who had been running on a part time basis the past few years. Mind you that due to Michael Waltrip racing folding after the end of last year, they were able to sell their two charter positions, ensuring that a couple of teams that did not have enough starting positions for their teams would have. So what do you think about this move? IMO, this cements the move from NASCAR being a racing series to being an entertainment series- on par with WWE. They are more concerned about money than racing- afraid that a sponsor will get their feelings hurt when a team has a slump or basically sucks all around. Now they are ensured that their name will be seen on Sunday, regardless how pathetic the team runs. To me, this whole deal is just a participation award with the intent of keeping the teams lining their pockets with $$. What happened to racing? Why can't they just let the fastest qualifying teams race? And what does qualifying mean now? Pretty soon, they will just allow them to line up with each team taking their turn as the pole position. You don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, do you? As I said, this whole thing wreaks of a cash grab- you ensure my product gets on TV and I will shower you with $$. Bye bye racing. It was nice knowing you.

[Dan Barlow]

I say draw the names out of a hat for the starting grid . Let them drive around for 2 hrs and give them all a trophy . They can all split the money equally and since they wouldn't have to actually try and then tear stuff up so expenses will be down .

[Big Dave]

They also reduced the field to 40 cars knowing that there would be times that they couldn't field 43 spots. I watched last nights Unlimited race to see what the turn out in the stands would be, turns out nearly empty. NASCAR has lost its luster and grabbing for anything to stay afloat. There's no more racing because racing entails door handle to door handle bumping and banging and the cost are to high for that anymore. There simple aren't any "stock cars" anymore and that's a shame. There's nothing on a Nascar car that you can buy from a dealer. Their all special built and exactly the same car, no more Fords or Chevys and what the hell is Toyota doing in it any way. Let the manufactures build cars and team modify and race.......gee that worked pretty well for a long time. I also watched that ARCA race, all low buck teams racing a variety of different car bodies over several years. They put on a better show as far as racing but they too are hamstrung with stupid rules. Bottom line big time racing is on it's last legs and even the France family knows it, I believe that the new construction at Daytona was in part to allow other entertainment venues to be held there. Got to earn money some how. IMO

[Deaf Bob]

I'd like everybody to qualify for a race.. No guarantee..
Hit a wall during qualifying.. Tough! Use the backup to requalify or start in the back..
Guess the kids racing now are the ones who got a trophy for playing on a team..win or lose..

In derbys we used to have to qualify for the main thru heats and a consi..
Now there is just enough cars for a on shot derby.. Nobody wants to see 5 car heats..
Days of 40 car shows are gone.. Now they hover around 20 cars..

Spots need to be earned!

[silver_bullet]

Lets just kick the France family out of it, and run the way they used to when stock cars were win on Sunday, sell on Monday...Kind of like the european/australian touring car series...

[pdub]

I just wish they'd PAY me to drive on a race track. Seems it always goes the other way. And amazingly it's worth it, whatever it costs. That, and motels and gas and tires....

[SuperBuickGuy]

NASCAR is about the drivers. Imagine that all NBA teams were told that they had to reserve 2 starting positions for people who walk into the arena on game day... this 4 thing is merely a nod towards the privateers to either start being competitive or go home - quite simply the idea that you can get cash for starting the race then DNF is appalling so this doesn't seem too far out of line. Especially since the major teams spend a vast fortune playing in this field - only to occasionally have a DNF because one of the privateers bathed the track in oil.... sorry, this is professional level sports - there is no handicap parking or affirmative action for NASCAR teams.

Of course, I still think NASCAR is merely roadrage in a circle so take the prior paragraph with a lump or block of salt.

[Deaf Bob]

I just wish they'd PAY me to drive on a race track. Seems it always goes the other way. And amazingly it's worth it, whatever it costs. That, and motels and gas and tires....

Daytona. Pole sitter (as of when I was watching FOX) was a 20 year old, driving Jeff Gordon's old car..

[DanStokes]

They don't want to put me in charge of NASCAR. I'd put the "Stock" back in stock car racing. Engines as built with bolt-ons (headers, intakes, etc.). If they only make front wheel drive - well, race it. 'Cages, belts, and fire systems required, of course. In other words, STOCK! Reduced speed, product identity galore, and expenses way down from the "funny cars" they race today. Maybe we allow Camaros, Mustangs, and Challengers. STOCK!

Dan

[Russell]

They don't want to put me in charge of NASCAR. I'd put the "Stock" back in stock car racing. Engines as built with bolt-ons (headers, intakes, etc.). If they only make front wheel drive - well, race it. 'Cages, belts, and fire systems required, of course. In other words, STOCK! Reduced speed, product identity galore, and expenses way down from the "funny cars" they race today. Maybe we allow Camaros, Mustangs, and Challengers. STOCK!

Dan

Just bump up the minimum production to at least 5,000 after that run what you brung! (And it passes safety)

I gave up on nascar when Ford canned the TBird. If they want to fill the stands they need to lower the ticket price. The average family can not afford to go to a race.

[Jimbo17]

They also said they would no longer be posting how much money each driver wins each week.

With the New Charter Member Teams they must have set a certain amount of money for each race or something similar to that.

NASCAR has gotten so far away from the old way of doing it that they cannot find their rear end with two hands at this point and most drivers don't even understand the new system.

New system equals less fans and more empty seats in my view.

Years ago some tracks said you cannot race here unless you are a club member and it was called a closed club and the only way to join was to buy another competitors number.

With NASCAR now saying 36 teams are guaranteed starting spots with only four spots left for outsiders how much closed can you get to a closed club?

Just my opinion

Jim Hill

http://www.nostalgicracingdecals.com

[oletrux4evr]

The WWF of auto racing.

[BBR]

While I think they should earn a spot to race, I believe this is a marketing move to help teams acquire and maintain sponsorship. After all, to the sponsors, this is just advertising. If a potential sponsor has some guarantee that their car will be racing every week, they are more likely to commit to a long term sponsorship package.

[cobra]

I agree that there should be no automatic gimmies.
Also, i'm probably the only one on this planet that likes bump drafting. The first year of this at Daytona, there was record lead changes and wrecks.
Lets face it, we want to see wrecks....as long as no one gets hurt. The bumping and squabbles are one of the things that made NASCAR exciting. When elliot and earnhart would "duke" it out on the track, when elliot put earnhart into the trioval infield at Talledaga and earnhart never took his foot out it and kept on going....that was exciting. I say, like hockey, let them get into it a little, as long as it doesn't get out of hand. (Knocking out a points contender on purpose is going to far. Just saying)

[JRoberts]

NASCAR has fallen out of favor with many of the car folks I hang around with and not just recently it has been this way for a long time. Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to NASCAR and the France family. Now, do we really think there are any cars that being "stock" are really safe to race at the speeds that even stock vehicles today can attain? Geeze the Cadillac CTS-V is capable of 200+ right off of the showroom floor! I am not sure that racing that involves going around in circles for a couple of hours is going to have a place in the sport for very much longer. I would love to see the SCCA return to the original TransAm series. I think that would attract a lot of people. Oh, and I would love to see NASCAR have the guts to allow real foreign cars to compete and mandate that all makes look like they do on the showroom floor instead of all of them looking the same despite the make.