2017 NASCAR Discussion threadNASCAR 

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NASCAR's fan base tends to gravitate to a hardcore resistance to change. It's the same type of mentality as people that don't want anyone but Domestic Automakers to even be in the series. But if you ate the same thing for dinner every night for years without change, you'd probably get sick of it and change it. Everyone here in whatever age group was already a NASCAR fan. They are not trying to attract you to watch. They are hoping you like the changes and won't abandon the sport. The hard truth is that not enough people are interested in NASCAR to keep it afloat currently. So the experts agree that changes were needed to create interest from a different fan base. How do you please both loyal fans while attracting interest from other people who are maybe new to the sport or non existent yet? If you know the answer to that question please inform NASCAR immediately. Look at the big picture not just the emotional aspect and really ask yourself why they are doing this. This Monster Sponsorship is a very good opportunity to appeal to young people. Big picture.
 
Blood Eagle
NASCAR's fan base tends to gravitate to a hardcore resistance to change. It's the same type of mentality as people that don't want anyone but Domestic Automakers to even be in the series. But if you ate the same thing for dinner every night for years without change, you'd probably get sick of it and change it. Everyone here in whatever age group was already a NASCAR fan. They are not trying to attract you to watch. They are hoping you like the changes and won't abandon the sport. The hard truth is that not enough people are interested in NASCAR to keep it afloat currently. So the experts agree that changes were needed to create interest from a different fan base. How do you please both loyal fans while attracting interest from other people who are maybe new to the sport or non existent yet? If you know the answer to that question please inform NASCAR immediately. Look at the big picture not just the emotional aspect and really ask yourself why they are doing this. This Monster Sponsorship is a very good opportunity to appeal to young people. Big picture.
Click to expand...
In the big picture, NASCAR will become an underfunded, highly regional shell of its former self after it's TV deal collapses in a few years due to bad press and bad ratings. the core audience will be decimated, and you know why, they tried to chase the "younger generation" who would rather just turn up their noses and say "LOL rednecks" whenever NASCAR is brought up.
 
Blood Eagle
NASCAR's fan base tends to gravitate to a hardcore resistance to change. It's the same type of mentality as people that don't want anyone but Domestic Automakers to even be in the series. But if you ate the same thing for dinner every night for years without change, you'd probably get sick of it and change it. Everyone here in whatever age group was already a NASCAR fan. They are not trying to attract you to watch. They are hoping you like the changes and won't abandon the sport. The hard truth is that not enough people are interested in NASCAR to keep it afloat currently. So the experts agree that changes were needed to create interest from a different fan base. How do you please both loyal fans while attracting interest from other people who are maybe new to the sport or non existent yet? If you know the answer to that question please inform NASCAR immediately. Look at the big picture not just the emotional aspect and really ask yourself why they are doing this. This Monster Sponsorship is a very good opportunity to appeal to young people. Big picture.
Click to expand...
It's not working, though. People who aren't fans of motorsport mock it in all forms (see "How is driving a car a sport" argument), the chase, segments, all the press to try and draw them in is for naught. As for stick-and-ball fans, you convince a Cowboys fan any motorsport can be as entertaining as even a preseason game and they'll laugh in your face. They just don't care...beyond the crashes that appeal to the lowest common denominator, because it seems all humans are drawn to carnage, as proven daily by crash-based traffic jams that are made worse when people crawl by hoping to see gore.
 
AMPMROCKETFANN
In the big picture, NASCAR will become an underfunded, highly regional shell of its former self after it's TV deal collapses in a few years due to bad press and bad ratings. the core audience will be decimated, and you know why, they tried to chase the "younger generation" who would rather just turn up their noses and say "LOL rednecks" whenever NASCAR is brought up.
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I don't really disagree but also I'm not a marketing expert and regardless if they kept it the same and didn't attempt change it'd also be belly up when the TV contracts are over. Same end result really. Worth an attempt. But I suppose it's ok to just lay down and do nothing.
 
BKGlover
It's not working, though. People who aren't fans of motorsport mock it in all forms (see "How is driving a car a sport" argument), the chase, segments, all the press to try and draw them in is for naught. As for stick-and-ball fans, you convince a Cowboys fan any motorsport can be as entertaining as even a preseason game and they'll laugh in your face. They just don't care...beyond the crashes that appeal to the lowest common denominator, because it seems all humans are drawn to carnage, as proven daily by crash-based traffic jams that are made worse when people crawl by hoping to see gore.
Click to expand...

I think you'd be amazed how many stick and ball fans this can potentially attract. Also an interesting note, I was part of a live chat with NASCAR during the Daytona 500. It was a marketing thing on an invitation by NASCAR. This was a fan council thing and the general consensus was that these changes are ok and people wanted a little longer to see it in action before they totally wrote it off. These are the people who speak straight to NASCAR. Not super negative fb canned response type people that is extremely prevalent on social media. So if you read a lot of repetitive negativity, you won't see behind the scenes at what's really going on. A lot of people actually like it.
 
Blood Eagle
I don't really disagree but also I'm not a marketing expert and regardless if they kept it the same and didn't attempt change it'd also be belly up when the TV contracts are over. Same end result really. Worth an attempt. But I suppose it's ok to just lay down and do nothing.
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I think the problem is that they've gone way overboard with the changes and it's now at the point where people that have followed the sport for years don't really know how it works anymore.

Take the Chase for instance, it was an still is a controversial change but I think it was finally growing on people before they went to the round system. Had they stopped at 10 team chase I think the viewership losses would still be there but I don't think they would be as bad.

Now on top of that you have a myriad of other new things that really don't make it easy for a new viewer to get into the sport.

- If you win a race and are in the top-35 in points you are in the chase even if you miss races.
- The races are divided into 3 segments with each awarding points
- If a car gets damage they have 5 minutes to repair it and if they go to the garage they're out unless it's a mechanical issue apparently.
- Loose/missing lugnuts weren't a big deal before but now they're a huge deal!

I get not wanting the series to become stale, but there needs to be a stopping point as well as a time to perhaps look at changing things in other areas like the schedule itself.
 
Blood Eagle
NASCAR's fan base tends to gravitate to a hardcore resistance to change. It's the same type of mentality as people that don't want anyone but Domestic Automakers to even be in the series. But if you ate the same thing for dinner every night for years without change, you'd probably get sick of it and change it. Everyone here in whatever age group was already a NASCAR fan. They are not trying to attract you to watch. They are hoping you like the changes and won't abandon the sport. The hard truth is that not enough people are interested in NASCAR to keep it afloat currently. So the experts agree that changes were needed to create interest from a different fan base. How do you please both loyal fans while attracting interest from other people who are maybe new to the sport or non existent yet? If you know the answer to that question please inform NASCAR immediately. Look at the big picture not just the emotional aspect and really ask yourself why they are doing this. This Monster Sponsorship is a very good opportunity to appeal to young people. Big picture.
Click to expand...
As someone that's sorta in NASCAR "key" demographic, I'm not against change in general. Changes are necessary to survive.

My problem is that NASCAR is not making the changes I believe are necessary to attract new fans while pleasing the old ones. When it comes down to it, what we want is a good product on the track. To some extent, they are going in the right direction with the rules package but you can only do so much with the venues that they race at. To me, that's the biggest problem right now because frankly, too many of these tracks simply aren't conducive in creating a racing product enjoyable to both fans sitting in the stands and on TV.

I want more short tracks. I want more road courses. I want a shorter season that doesn't intrude too much into NFL season. I'd rather have a system where you can drop a few of your worst results so that the championship battle is tighter at the end. Is any of that going to happen? I doubt it. Too many conflicting interests. Too much ego. Instead, all we get is this segment idea that feels more like a band-aid to a gaping wound.
 
Northstar
I think the problem is that they've gone way overboard with the changes and it's now at the point where people that have followed the sport for years don't really know how it works anymore.

Take the Chase for instance, it was an still is a controversial change but I think it was finally growing on people before they went to the round system. Had they stopped at 10 team chase I think the viewership losses would still be there but I don't think they would be as bad.

Now on top of that you have a myriad of other new things that really don't make it easy for a new viewer to get into the sport.

- If you win a race and are in the top-35 in points you are in the chase even if you miss races.
- The races are divided into 3 segments with each awarding points
- If a car gets damage they have 5 minutes to repair it and if they go to the garage they're out unless it's a mechanical issue apparently.
- Loose/missing lugnuts weren't a big deal before but now they're a huge deal!

I get not wanting the series to become stale, but there needs to be a stopping point as well as a time to perhaps look at changing things in other areas like the schedule itself.
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That's a great response and not canned like the usual ones. Yes I understand the confusion in how yhe new format works. But we are only 2 races in. You learn as you see it rather than crunch numbers to form an opinion. It's too early to tell of how successful it is or isn't. NASCAR itself is a learn as you watch sport. No different than any other really. Once it has a chance to sink in then you can find out whether you hate it or not. As for the schedule, yes the schedule needs some changes. But the tracks and NASCAR are contractually bound along with the networks who cover the events. So you can't really change it until those obligations have been met but they are working on that. It would be really cool to see International races. Maybe more people would get into it that way but their hands are kinda if tied until 2020 I think.
 
Blood Eagle
I think you'd be amazed how many stick and ball fans this can potentially attract. Also an interesting note, I was part of a live chat with NASCAR during the Daytona 500. It was a marketing thing on an invitation by NASCAR. This was a fan council thing and the general consensus was that these changes are ok and people wanted a little longer to see it in action before they totally wrote it off. These are the people who speak straight to NASCAR. Not super negative fb canned response type people that is extremely prevalent on social media. So if you read a lot of repetitive negativity, you won't see behind the scenes at what's really going on. A lot of people actually like it.
Click to expand...
I honestly hope you're right. I stay off social media, but in personal interactions with people locally, I'd be better off gargling bleach than having any form of conversation. It's almost as if being open minded is heresy and borders on treason.

Note this is mostly in what would be considered rural North Texas, specifically about 100 miles west of Ft.Worth and what's within that range. I've spent my life here, racing fans alone are an endangered species, and fewer are ones not completely wasted before pre-race begins.....

...OK, I'm a jaded 🤬. Disregard my opinion.
 
BKGlover
I honestly hope you're right. I stay off social media, but in personal interactions with people locally, I'd be better off gargling bleach than having any form of conversation. It's almost as if being open minded is heresy and borders on treason.

Note this is mostly in what would be considered rural North Texas, specifically about 100 miles west of Ft.Worth and what's within that range. I've spent my life here, racing fans alone are an endangered species, and fewer are ones not completely wasted before pre-race begins.....

...OK, I'm a jaded 🤬. Disregard my opinion.
Click to expand...

I live in Southern California but I'm from Central Texas lol
 
Blood Eagle
NASCAR's fan base tends to gravitate to a hardcore resistance to change. It's the same type of mentality as people that don't want anyone but Domestic Automakers to even be in the series. But if you ate the same thing for dinner every night for years without change, you'd probably get sick of it and change it. Everyone here in whatever age group was already a NASCAR fan. They are not trying to attract you to watch. They are hoping you like the changes and won't abandon the sport. The hard truth is that not enough people are interested in NASCAR to keep it afloat currently. So the experts agree that changes were needed to create interest from a different fan base. How do you please both loyal fans while attracting interest from other people who are maybe new to the sport or non existent yet? If you know the answer to that question please inform NASCAR immediately. Look at the big picture not just the emotional aspect and really ask yourself why they are doing this. This Monster Sponsorship is a very good opportunity to appeal to young people. Big picture.
Click to expand...
Then why did NASCAR have such high ratings and attendance before a lot of the changes were implemented?
 
ukfan758
Then why did NASCAR have such high ratings and attendance before a lot of the changes were implemented?
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NASCAR's fan base tends to gravitate to hardcore resistance to change. Did I say that already? I get it, ratings and attendance are down. But everyone's answer is to make it like it was 20 years ago. Guess what? Not enough people are interested and it for sure wouldn't create new interest which again is the current goal.
 
ukfan758
Then why did NASCAR have such high ratings and attendance before a lot of the changes were implemented?
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I think if we actually chart the attendance and ratings, perhaps we would find a correlation with the economy. I bet 2008, the "Great Recession", was an inflection point. Before then, more ordinary people - stock car racing fans - were working and had money to pay for tickets for the family, and the ticket prices were lower.

And as population aged and following generations had less intrinsic interest in cars and racing, TV viewership waned as car racing competed with proliferating cable channels catering to a wide range of interests.
 
I get free tickets to the Auto Club 400 every year. Doesn't mean I'm going to go. It actually costs a lot of money to attend a race from hotel room price gouging to food and beverage, travel expenses, extreme price gouging at the actual event. Or I could flip on my TV and watch it in HD quality and never leave the house. I don't really associate attendance with how NASCAR is doing. It literally costs hundreds if not thousands of dollars to attend an event depending on where you are and what you want to do.
 
This is now officially now more relevant than ever:

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GTFan24
I just dont understand why is it necessary to put another 1.5 mile track in the playoffs, dont we already have many of those? ( Charlotte, Kansas, Pheonix, Texas, Homestead )
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Which would then mean SIX of them in the final 10 races. Pretty sure that when the fans wanted variety they didn't want what was already in stock and not selling.
Northstar
It's replacing the New Hampshire chase race by the sounds of things.
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That qualifies as a unique track in my eyes. Replace a 1 mile track (surprisingly only 4 of them on the circuit) with the most boring type of track.... Well, be thankful it's not Dover or Pocono.
 
Okay this doesn't make sense at all unless it was situated in a way where it was before or after the Phoenix race, randomly having a race in the west coast seems like a major inconvenience.

Also, why not just make it the final race of the season since the banquet is held there (and yes, the racing is meh compared to Homestead but otherwise I just don't get it).
 
Gerarghini
Also, why not just make it the final race of the season since the banquet is held there (and yes, the racing is meh compared to Homestead but otherwise I just don't get it).
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Bruton has tried getting them to move the finale to Vegas in the past, so that may be a part of this. It would also make sense from a logistical standpoint as Phoenix is the penultimate race already.
 
Northstar
It's replacing the New Hampshire chase race by the sounds of things.
Click to expand...

Still not a huge loss IMO. I've never really enjoyed New Hampshire as a track, and I kind of felt that the races there were to close together; seems like once we did the first race, a few weeks later we were already gearing up to race there again.

Still not as bad as the timeframe for Pocono, though. Six weeks in between events? For the love of god, split those apart further.

(Yes, I understand it gets colder quicker in the season in New England, but still.)
 

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