Nate's NASCAR Page

     Remember when NASCAR racing was about racing? Well it doesn't seem that way any more. These days it’s all about the money, making things bigger and better, and leaving their loyal fans in the dust in Rockingham and Darlington.
     All of this is true, and some of it can be found in NASCAR.com’s article entitled Charlotte leaders plan for more all-star hoopla. All that Charlotte leaders really want is the money. Some of them could care less about the race, as long as they got the money. It’s gotta be bigger, and better, and you have to change tradition in order to make it bigger, and better. NEXTEL doesn’t always have to kill our traditions. It won’t be long until NEXTEL wants to move the All-Star race from Lowe’s. Which brings me to my next point about leaving the fans in Darlington and Rockingham virtually raceless.
     It was just two years ago; can you remember? There were two Rockingham races, and two Darlington races in the Cup season. I remember. Now a word about Darlington wont even be spoken in the Craftsman Truck garages. We have to get rid of great tracks to expand out west and leave the loyal fans wondering, “Why?” I could care less about a second California, and Texas race. You wont get a car barrel rolling down the backstretch, and a finish of less than .004 seconds at those tracks. I find California races a little boring, single file racing, and finishes that usually have the fuel mileage issue in it. You can kiss Darlington good-bye in a couple of years. If the Mexico expansion continues, that will most likely be the first race to go.
    Anyways, in conclusion, Rockingham and Darlington will become forgotten like Riverside, and North Wilkesboro. We can’t let these tracks be just set a side like this. I also feel that NASCAR and NEXTEL is a bad combination. They are just becoming two money hungry organizations. All this just leaves me thinking, “Why isn’t it about racing any more?”

Nate Werner © 2004 Nate Inc.