Why I like NASCAR

Many people ask me why I am such a NASCAR fan. How can I sit and watch cars go in circles for fours at a time? There is no athleticism in it. It is just advertising.

But it is more than that. It is a “thinking man’s sport”. There is the unexpected. The surprises. So let’s break it down.

 1) The thrill of the sport.

We all like speed. The thrill of going faster than we should. Well these men (and some women) get to do this week in and week out. The thrill of watching three cars go through a turn at 190 mph side by side in a area big enough for two cars. It is watching two cars trying to be the first across the line at the end, and only being .010 seconds apart. The thrill that you know something is going to happen. Someone is going to crash. When? Where? How? It just happens. At Talladega and Daytona this is known as “The Big One”. The Big One can take out half of the 43 cars that started.

2) The mental part.

All auto racing is a thinking game today. With multiple engineers on the team, they can approximate the amount of fuel they will need down to within 1 lap. They can determine how to adjust the tire pressure according to what the driver is telling them during the race. When to pass, when not to pass.

3) The people

Drivers are very accessible to fans. They won’t say no to giving an autograph. They don’t charge exuberant amounts to attend a function. They drive for the love of driving. Yes, they make a lot of money, but you will never see NASCAR having a strike because of revenue sharing or contracts. Everyone gets a piece of the pie. You very rarely hear about a driver getting into trouble. They don’t beat their wives, aren’t into drugs or driving around with a small armament in their cars. They also have to be some of the most athletic people on earth. Have you ever tried driving 190mph for 4 hours in 130 degree heat with no a/c? Once you have done that then you can make a comment about the drivers not being athletes.

The fans are the other part of the people equation. The fans of NASCAR are known as the “NASCAR NATION” and I am proud to call myself a member of this nation. NASCAR is not a redneck sport anymore. It is hard to explain the fans of NASCAR. You really need to go to an event to experience it first hand. There is nothing like going to a race with 250,000 other fans of every socio-economic background.

The fans are very dedicated to their driver. There is no rooting for a team because they won. You are either a Chevy, Ford, Dodge or Toyota person. No switching back and forth. You are either a 24/48 fan or an 8/3 fan. There is no switching. You virtually wear your team dedication on your sleeve. (For me it is 8/3/42).

And to answer the question about the marketing part, yes, NASCAR has to be the greatest marketing machine ever created. With millions watching every week in addition to the 250,00 at the track, the exposure is great for a sponsor. For their $20 million investment every year they expect something back for their money. The NASCAR Nation is so dedicated that they will buy their favorite driver’s sponsors items. No question asked. These company can tell you exactly how much they made in profits from sponsoring a team.

So, hopefully now you have an insight into why I like NASCAR so much. There is much more I could say about the sport, and I will in future blogs, but for now I just wanted to get to the point.

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity Boys! Let’s Go Racing!