Tony Stewart...The wrestler!!

Topics:  Tony Stewart

Mike "Zapper" Sonnon
Fast Tracks Racing Newsletter
April 26, 2007

More NASCAR commentary available at Fast Tracks Racing

I've sat back for the last week or so. Tried to hold back harsh words said in anger. Tony Stewart can do that to you sometimes... Then I wake up this morning to news that Tony was comparing NASCAR to wrestling. I read article after article on the subject. Went through a ton of message boards to guage the fans take. It was educational to say the least.

Tony claims that NASCAR is throwing cautions for "debris" all too often for the sole purpose of fixing races.

Let's remember that over the last few weeks (months?) Tony has become the defacto "expert" on cautions. Take that any way you want...Unless your name is Juan.

On this subject though, I agree with him...
Let's examine it through our eyes...the fan.

Last week there was a caution flag thrown for what was called "metallic debris"... The talking TV heads said they'd find it if they could. The first camera shot was a chunk of rubber. Debris...as defined in Websters...for sure, but certainly not metallic in nature. Then came a second camera angle that clearly showed duct tape. Silvery yes...metallic...no. Darrell Waltrip chimed in quickly to say tape...credit goes to him on that one.

Now here's my question...
If Darrell can see it from the booth...or even from the same camera shot that a million fans can see, why couldn't NASCAR? Do they not have "safety" personnel at almost every point of the track? They have multiple cameras, track crews, spotters and other assorted resources available at anytime during a race...yet they do not see what we do. You wonder if they ever heard of the words "binoculars" or "communication".

I tell you what they do see and hear....$$$$$$$$$$$ and cha-ching!!! Get the picture?

I agree that safety has to be a high priority. But this is ridiculous.

To be fair, I will say that I believe NASCAR is truthful when they say they don't care who wins. It's just HOW they win that they are interested in.

Think about it...
How many sets get turned off when someone is 10 seconds in the lead with 20 laps left? Too many for NASCAR obviously. They want close finishes. So memorable in fact that each one can get labled as "greatest finish ever". What a bunch of bullcookies!

Isn't it sad that that is what keeps this crap flowing? Especially with REAL problems slapping them in the head!

NASCAR's TV ratings are going down. Attendance is down. And the morons in charge haven't a clue as why.

The real reason is simple. They have all but forgotten about the real race fan. First they abandon the roots of racing to "expand" into bigger markets. Not bigger fan bases...just bigger places. That means more advertising dollars. The fans that always were fans have been pushed aside in the name of expansion.

Races are put on like a rock show...instead of a speed show. New casual fans buy a t-shirt and claim to be hardcore. NASCAR caters to them to suck their wallets dry... But they don't know a wing nut from a lug nut.

NASCAR brings in celebrities who have as much worth to racing as a squirt of piss. They have turned great stock car racing into a formula one follow the leader fiasco. They have abandoned the true fan in the name of money.

But hey...the finishes are tight.

I think I'll go to my local track again this weekend. And I bet the head honcho's at NASCAR will not understand why...

Yes Tony...ya got this one right....too bad it's only a small part of the problem.