I've been cranked up about NASCAR since the early 60's when I was stationed in Savannah, Ga during my Air Force tour. Some of my friends invited me to a race on a half mile dirt oval. I had never even heard of such. One time was all it took. What made it popular with me?
First of all, I'd never seen an auto crash before other than a couple minor ones I'd been in as a passager. So the chills and spills were exciting. But so were the guys like LeRoy Yarbough who could drift a super modified like nothing I've ever seen before. Add the racer previous experience to that mix. Moonshiners. I did know something about moonshiners from books I read. Back then the mix was very prominant. Robert Mitchum's Thunder Road was something that really excited me. So now I'm being told that many of these guys driving the cars were from a moonshine tanker background, this gave them a notoriety that I had not experienced before. There was Lee Petty and his young son Richard. There was Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, and Joe Weatherly. Guys like Fireball Roberts and Freddy Lorenzen add even more fuel to the flame of racing interest. Old dudes like me know who was a shiner and who wasn't. But that's another story.
I went to Daytona a few times while stationed there in Savanna. I witnessed Richard Petty win the Daytona 500. I also attended a race at Darlington. Wow, the crowds were big and all the people friendly. What a party. Then the race would finally start and shazam, it was so fast, I could hardly comprehend it all.
Television coverage was not existant back then. Years later, I remembered going to a movie theater and watching a live presentation of the Daytona 500. Again, such a friendly atmosphere, such passionate fans. Oh yes, we all had our favorites. That provides a sense of competition for and among the fans.
Recently, I did the "Be Petty" thing at Texas Motor Speedway and drove the 07 around the track for 8 laps reaching a top speed of about 140 mph. I can tell you it was the most exhillarating thing I've ever done. When that motor cranked a thrill shot through my body that just cannot be explained. You have to experience it for yourself. Now, when they crank the engines on TV, I get some of the same rush each and every time. I never dreamed I'd ever get to drive one of those cars, yet I did. Happy Birthday to me.
I was a huge fan of Dale Earnhardt. When he lost his race in '01, I knew it long before any announcement came across the airways. It was like losing a family member. The loss to the racing community was huge as well. The one individual that created excitement for all the fans, love him or hate him was gone. Even though there were and are now some very talented drivers around and the competition is very keen, where is "Mr. Intimidator" or "Mr. Excitement"? Well, Mr. Excitement is still with us and I must say I really enjoy the entertainment value of the show they have on Speed TV. But there was something missing on the track.
Enter Kyle Busch. Bam, just like that, the excitement is back, love him or hate him. It's like everything else is in comparison to him, not the "Chase" or the point lead. That kid has driven the wheels off of everything he's sat down in this year. 18 victories over all and he's not done yet.
I can only groan with him as he has agonized over the unfortunate failures of the past weeks that have pretty much kissed "championship" good bye for this year. But no fan will forget the excitement he's caused this year.
I think most fans view NASCAR as an unfolding drama week by week. Although there are only a hand full of top contenders, they all have their ups and downs, thrills and disappointments. There are so many variables to change the outcome of a race as it unfolds. The drama is almost breathtaking at times.
If you've been to a race recently, you are well aware of the huge RV city that springs up at the track during race week. It's like "the RV place to be". Local Super Markets set up a tent foodstore, just to supply the need for all the campers who spend all week talking about one thing, NASCAR and their favorite driver. They fly the flags and sport their memorablia. It's really something to behold.
Television coverage has little to improve on these days with the introduction of HD TV, all the cutaways and experts making each fan familiar with even more minute intracacies of the race machine itself. So if someone cannot attend a race in person, HD puts you there, up close and personal, from every conceivable camera position and angle. Fans can get online and hear all the radio traffic of thier favorite drivers and their teams. There are just so many ways to enhance your experience up close and personal.
Is the popularity of NASCAR fading a bit? Not since Kyle Busch came along. Carl Edwards winning the championship will be a bigger plus that Jimmy repeating. But then come February, it will all start over again. A new season, some new twists, but excitement seldom equaled in any other sport. It's the bomb! 75 million fans can't be wrong. So why not join us, if you haven't already. Go to a race. What you get at a live race cannot be duplicated watching it on TV. It can add excitement to the TV experience once you've been. But if you have never been, believe me, you're missing something. Even the Craftsman Trucks and the Nationwide Series are huge fun to watch, cheaper too.
There's room for everyone and it's getting better all the time. So as old "DW" would say, "lets go racing, boogitty, boogitty, boogitty!