Did you hear the commentators during the Talladega race mentioning how the Junior fans were heading for the exits after he was no longer in the race? Imagine leaving such an exciting race with door-to-door action?! I see this at Watkins Glen when Junior wrecks out on occassion. All the liitle girls and newbie fans head back to their campsites as if there is not a race happening right in front of them. I guess it is the product of Nascar's marketing effort? I certainly like the additional room in the already crowded grandstands, but come on?! I guess these fans would never even think of going to a sportscar race or a Saturday night local track if they can't be bothered to stick around for the top stockcar series unless Junior is still running?
Settle down Earnhardt fans this probably doesn't describe you, especially if you are here playing this game. What it does however is make Nascar's longterm future questionable, and especially all of racing as a whole. If the newest generation of race fans are brainwashed into all Junior, all the time, then there is little chance for the lesser-known series to survive in the long run and that is bad for all of racing and it's fans.
I heard them say that and you just reminded me of former F1 champion James Hunt. During a F1 race in Europe in the 1980's both the Ferrari's dropped out and a bunch of the fans started to leave so Hunt's makes a comment about Italian race fans which drew a lot of flak from the Italian press so Hunt apoligized during the next F1 broadcast. Back then F1 was not on American TV so I had to watch it on the Canadian channel which broadcasted the BBC coverage with Hunt and Murray Walker. I really miss Walker and Hunt. I think they did a much better job then Varsha and Hobbs.
Talladega is definitely an Earnhardt track with lots of people going there to see Jr. do well and it is a let down when your favorite driver has something happen and is no longer there to cheer on but still lots of racing going on all around the track. Always going to have the casual fan but hopfully enough diehards to keep the cars going around.
New Junior fans...
Posted - 05/03/2006 : 6:10:48 PM
