Why I don’t watch NASCAR

I had planned this for just after “pothole-gate,” but my own procrastination made that irrelevant. Now with “Edwards-gate” I got back to work.

For being the king of American auto racing (right now), I can’t stand watching NASCAR.

What impetus got me to write out my feelings? Well, yeah, it was the pothole, but more so it was the incessant Facebook NASCAR love-fest I saw on the day of the Daytona 500. I still can’t understand why people watch this sh*t.

Here’s why I don’t watch it.

1. Manufactured competition. This series is so regulated, and each “manufacturer’s” car is so unlike anything rolling off the lines that it might as well be IROC. If NASCAR could get one maker to spend enough money to be the exclusive name, they would. The problem is the fans are still believing this is a Ford/Chevy/Dodge/Toyota war. Really? The fact is that NONE of those “stock” cars exists in reality. Their is no Ford Fusion rolling off a lot that bears resemblance to the Fusion on the track, save for the bogus headlight decals. Carburetors? Really? The last time carbs were stock was when “Sylvania beat Sony again!” (look it up kids). Let’s let modern muscle race. Ford Mustangs, Chevy Camaros, Dodge Chargers…hell, if you must throw in a Lexus IS, Hyundai Genesis, BMW 3’s and Mercedes C’s. Let’s race REAL equipment. Spaceframes? No, instead of getting with the 20th century, NASCAR just made the tracks give instead of the cars. To top it all off, the aero tweaks are so precise as to keep these cars running around in a deadly pack and calling it “close racing.” Want to see when racing is decided by luck and who will push the limit of being dirty? Look at the Edwards incident.

For crying out loud, this series has gone almost WWE in how close it lets everyone run. In the WWE, a group of dwarves can compete with the biggest monster in the ring. But scripting will do that. Here…well, the script, in my opinion is a little more fluid. The only reason I don’t think it’s fixed is because despite all this effort with cars and resetting the point races, one guy has owned the series for the past four years, and is showing all signs #5 is on its way.

2. Fox bills these drivers as the “best drivers and the best racing.” Really? Now, I think people who think “all they do is turn left for 500 miles, I can do that” are naive – and I think the really believe it. To give the drivers credit, it’s harder than it looks – just look at the end of the Daytona 500 this year. Not even the best drivers were able to finish 2 laps without two crashes!

How’s that for a back-handed compliment? But seriously, if the sponsors and teams would let these guys drive, I think the nay-sayers would be surprised. Ask Michael Schmacher after he was humbled by Jimmie in the Race of Nations? Look at the fact that Tony Stewart is multi-disciplined, including sports cars. And, face it…not too many drivers have won the Indy 500 and Monaco GP like Juan Montoya. There are others. NASCAR has good drivers…let them race at something other than a cookie cutter oval. Which leads me to:

3. 500 miles? It’s as much about luck and the crew chief. 500 mile races are their own type of event, but if you want to watch drivers race, let them go for 50, 100, 200 laps at half-mile and mile ovals. THEN you’ll see driving. Oh, and mix in a few right turns now and then. Why do we live in a country whose road system is based on the right turn, yet our #1 series is all about turning left? Look, I like oval racing. I grew up around it. But I like a right turn now and then, too – especially from a series billing itself as the best American auto racing has to offer.

By the way…shorter races? Won’t happen. Can’t sell enough commercials in a 250-mile race! So I guess we’ll watch crew chiefs and engineers go at it and NASCAR keeps telling us that “Junior” and “Danica” have the potential to be the next Richard Petty or Cale Yarborough, merely because distance will let the blind squirrel find the nut every so often. Kind of like other one-named wonders like “Cher” and “Sting” both people of moderate talent, elevated to elite status for no other reason than the delusion of fan’s praise and marketability.

4. The arrogance. NASCAR will never admit its own failings. They want to keep things deadly…errr…close, but encourage their little gladiators to go after each other now like a cockfight. Let that go…and get more Edwards/Keselowski.

I can’t let the pothole die. While in the end, it was a nuisance, it also was a shining example of NASCAR’s arrogance. The track hadn’t been paved since Detroit was sending out carburetor equipped cars. No, not at NASCAR’s flagship facility, not even during the last decade’s free-spending days of subprime and roses, when they signed TV deals worth billions (with a b) could NASCAR find the money to repave the track. Really? Just like they refused to step up safety until its star was killed, and they threw a pioneer like Bill Simpson under the bus, NASCAR refused to pry open its wallet and be PRO-active for once.

But of course, the blind boogityboogityboogity-ites will just laugh that off, and in ten years it will be one of those “y’all remember when” moments.

5. In the end…it’s boring. I didn’t watch IROC, and that’s what this has become. Fan counts are declining, to the point of using multi-colored seats at some tracks to give the illusion of people as the cameras pan by. I can’t be the only one thinking this. I like partying, I like racing. I think the party is what keeps fans there but the racing is just awful. Don’t tell me that because it’s close, it’s good. I could line up ten snails and it would be close, but it isn’t good either.

Now, off to my local track to watch some racing.

Hey, life happens. Pretty soon we’re in February and I haven’t posted anything since the Chili Bowl. Yikes!

- They’re racing in Florida. It’s snowing in Nebraska. This is further proof that life is unfair. I’ve always considered February to be the worst month of the year. We’re a month removed from the warm glow of the Chili Bowl, and still nearly two months away from hearing a motor fire here in the Midwest.

If you’re not fortunate enough to be spending time in Florida, you can still catch some of the open wheel action from the Sunshine state.

RaceCastLive.com is webcasting  all the USAC, All Stars and ASCS shows from East Bay through the rest of February. Visit www.RaceCastLive.com for schedules and ordering information.

- Don’t forget the replay of the Chili Bowl on Saturday, February 13th. Tape delayed show will air on Speed TV at 8pm central. I’m sure your significant other will really appreciate spending Valentine’s Day weekend curled up in front of the TV, watching the Chili Bowl. If that’s not their idea of a romantic Valentine’s Day celebration…Well…Maybe you’ll want to re-evaluate things.

- Locally the pissing contest between Eagle Raceway and I-80 Speedway has been resolved.  Instead of running 360 sprint cars on the same night, 10 miles apart, I-80 has re-schedule their ASCS weekend from April 9-10 to the following week, April 16-17.

Eagle will open their 2010 season with the Icebreaker Challenge on Saturday, April 10 as planned.

- Jack Dover has released his plans for 2010 which include over 70 nights of racing. Dover will primarily run 360’s with ASCS, NCRA and Sprint Invaders.

Dover will run Shaver Motors for the first time in 2010. You can see his complete schedule at www.TeamDover.com.

- Eagle Raceway and ASCS Midwest regular Tige Jensen has launched a new site. Visit www.TigeJensen.com for the latest on his racing endeavors.

4/30 – Golden Triangle Raceway Park (Beaumont, TX)

5/1 – Houston Raceway Park (Bayton, TX)

5/2 – Heart O’ Texas Speedway (Waco, TX)

5/7 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX)

5/8 – I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR)

6/19 – Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO)

8/15 – Rapid Speedway (Rock Rapids, IA)

8/16 – I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

8/17 – Sedalia’s State Fair Speedway (Sedalia, MO)

8/19 – Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa, OK)

8/20 – Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, KS)

8/21 – Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, KS)

There are events in the works for shows at Boone County Raceway in Albion, Nebraska and Crawford County Speedway in Denison, Iowa.

April

9 – Northern Plains/Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

10 – Northern Plains/Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

30 – Midwest, Central Missouri Speedway (Warrensburg, MO)

May

1 – Midwest, Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO)

27 – Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

28 – Midwest, Junction Motor Speedway (McCool Junction, NE)

29 – National, Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS)

30 – National, Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS)

June

11 – National/Midwest, Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE)

12 – National/Midwest, Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE)

18 – Midwest, US 36 Raceway (Cameron, MO)

25 – Northern Plains/Midwest, I-90 Speedway (Hartford, SD)

26 – National, Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, MO)

July

1 – Midwest, Junction Motor Speedway (McCool Junction, NE)

2 – Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

9 – National/Northern Plains/Midwest, Spencer County Speedway (Spencer, IA)

10 – National/Northern Plains/Midwest, I-90 Speedway (Hartford, SD)

16 – Midwest, US 36 Raceway (Cameron, MO)

23 – Northern Plains/Midwest, I-90 Speedway (Hartford, SD)

August

5 – National, Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA)

6 – National, Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA)

7 – National, Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA)

27 – Midwest, US 36 Raceway (Cameron, MO)

September

3 – Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

10 – Midwest, Central Missouri Speedway (Warrensburg, MO)

11 – Midwest, Butler County Motorplex (Rising City, NE)

12 – Midwest, Eagle Raceway (Eagle, NE)

24 – Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

25 – Midwest, I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

“On behalf of the entire Republican County Fair Board, we are excited to celebrate 100 years of racing at the Belleville High Banks. We’d like to invite all the great fans here in Tulsa to Belleville this season to help us celebrate” said Fairboard spokesman Raymond Raney.

The world’s oldest continually operating dirt oval kicks off its 2010 season on June 13, with the NCRA Late Models vs. MARS Late Models.

The inaugural $10,000 to win Belleville 100 Modified race will be held on July 2-3.

July 31 through August 1 features the Colorado Vintage Oval Racers.

On August 5, the O’Reilly All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars & 305 United Rebel Sprint Series kicks off a weekend of open wheel racing in Belleville.

The 33^rd Annual Speedway Motors Belleville Midget Nationals runs August 6-7. This prestigious event will feature many of the competitors running this year’s Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

The 100^th season wraps up on September 5 with a triple NCRA line up of late models, modifieds and sprint cars.

The Republican County Fairboard would like to extend its thanks to all the race fans out there for continued support of one of America’s most historic racing venues.

Tulsa, OK – Loyet Motorsports has released Danny Lasoski from his driving duties at the 2010 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

The decision to relieve Lasoski comes as a response to the financial situation stemming from the Bull Ring Midget Nationals at Kemper Arena in Kansas City. Lasoski and Scott Pennington were promoters of the December 18-19 event.

Loyet Motorsports feels they have an obligation to show support to the other owners and drivers who participated in that event. “We hold no ill-will to Danny, but felt that it was best for both parties to go their separate ways at this time” said team owner Joe Loyet.

Lasoski competed in Tuesday night’s event for the team. There will be no replacement driver for the event.

Closing in on a quarter-century of unforgettable racing action atop the QuikTrip Center’s ¼-mile Tulsa Expo Raceway clay oval at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds, the 24^th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals kicks off Tuesday night, January 12, before finally culminating with Saturday night’s (January 16) 50-lap championship main event.

The entry list for the prestigious event is currently at 266, with a worldwide field representing 28 different states, a pair of Canadian provinces, Australia and New Zealand.

Among this week’s additions to the entry list is 2008 Chili Bowl champion Damion Gardner, bringing the number of past event winners looking for more Chili Bowl glory to eight.

While Tuesday’s Warren CAT Qualifying Night kicks off the four preliminary Chili Bowl nights, the Vacuworx Race of Champions makes for an action-packed Tuesday card.

Those eight past Chili Bowl winners, including five-time Chili Bowl king Sammy Swindell, two-time winner Cory Kruseman and one-time winners Damion Gardner, Tim McCreadie, Tracy Hines, Jay Drake, Jon Heydenreich and Scott Hatton will square off in the Vacuworx Race of Champions 20-lapper that also includes NASCAR stars Kasey Kahne and Jason Leffler, National Midget Driver of the Year Bryan Clauson, USAC Midget champion Brad Kuhn, Gary Taylor, Brad Loyet, Garrett Hansen and Cole Whitt.

The first quarter of the field will also battle it out in Tuesday’s Warren CAT Qualifier, with the balance of the field racing through Wednesday’s River Spirit Casino Qualifier, Thursday’s Bully Dog Qualifier and Friday’s E3 Spark Plugs Qualifier.

The top three finishers in each Qualifying night feature lock into Saturday night’s 50-lap Chili Bowl championship feature, with the others to battle it out through Saturday’s Rockstar Energy Drink slate of feature events.

Several of next week’s Chili Bowl competitors got an early look at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in last weekend’s Tulsa Shootout, with Kevin Bayer, Donnie Ray Crawford and Kyle Larson among the event winners.  Bayer’s win came in the inaugural ASCS ECOTech Chevy Midget main event, Crawford added another Golden Driller in the Micro Sprint Car ranks and California’s Larson topped a winged kart class.  Crawford was added to the ChiIi Bowl entry list this week aboard the Hard Eight Racing No. 8x.

Also added to the entry list this week is Penngrove, California’s Alissa Geving.  Already a two-time track champion in the Sprint Car ranks at Petaluma Speedway, the 18-year-old runs the total of lady competitors at the Chili Bowl to five with others including Shannon McQueen, Michelle Decker, Randi Pankratz and Julee Jamison.

Geving is also part of a Chili Bowl rookie crop that currently stands at 51.

While racing action officially goes green on Tuesday, activities have already picked up at the QuikTrip Center.  While the track is being groomed for five nights of action, trailers will be parked in the building on Sunday with a practice session to follow on Monday.

Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Quick Facts:

What: 24^th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals

Where: Tulsa Expo Raceway – ¼-mile clay oval inside the QuikTrip Center at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds

When: January 12-16, 2010

Tuesday – Warren CAT Qualifying Night plus Vacuworx Chili Bowl Race of Champions

Wednesday – River Spirit Casino Qualifying Night

Thursday – Bully Dog Qualifying Night

Friday – E3 Spark Plugs Qualifying Night

Saturday – Rockstar Energy Drink Championship Feature Events

Past Winners: Sammy Swindell (2009, 1998, 1996, 1992 and 1989), Damion Gardner (2008), Tony Stewart (2007 and 2002), Tim McCreadie (2006), Tracy Hines (2005), Cory Kruseman (2004 and 2000), Dan Boorse (2003 and 1999), Jay Drake (2001), Billy Boat (1997), Donnie Beechler (1995), Andy Hillenburg (1994), Dave Blaney (1993), Lealand McSpadden (1991), Jon Heydenreich (1990), Scott Hatton (1988), Rich Vogler (1987).

Trade Show: Always a popular attraction at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is the Trade Show, which is open to the public each day (Tuesday through Saturday) free of charge.  All variety of racing products, apparel and more is available with well over 100 different vendors.  The Trade Show covers approximately 20,000 square feet.

Tickets: Four-night tickets for Wednesday through Saturday of the 24^th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals were depleted by the end of May.  A limited number of reserved seats for Tuesday night’s Warren CAT Qualifying Event and the Second Annual Vacuworx International Chili Bowl Race of Champions are available for $26 per person and may be obtained by calling 918-838-3777 or at the gate.  Pit passes for all five nights are available at the gate as well.

Chili Bowl on TV: Portions of the 24^th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals will be broadcast on SPEED TV on a tape-delayed basis.

Chili Bowl on the Net: All official news pertaining to the 24^th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, including official entry lists, race results and recaps, is available first at www.chilibowl.com.  Also, all five nights of the Chili Bowl Nationals will be broadcast live (audio) on www.racinboys.com.

Additional information regarding the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is available at http://www.chilibowl.com/ or by calling 918-838-3777.

Second, it’s been quiet around OO this week. On Tuesday I slipped on some ice and messed up my left ankle. Hopefully I’ll be good to go for the Chili Bowl. I should be back in the normal routine next week so look for more updates then.

Everyone be safe tonight, and I’ll see you in 2010!