Iole claims that nascar fans stream into the tracks by the hundreds of thousands hoping to see fiery wrecks. According to Iole, if somehow all wrecks were magically eliminated, attendance would drop rapidly and long term TV contracts would also dry up.
Of course, wrecks in nascar will never stop; there are just too many variables. Mechanical failures are the biggest cause, mainly due to those Goodyears. Then they have wrecks caused by driver error, followed by debris, weather, and revenge (the Vickers Effect).
But, lets say that all wrecks did magically stop; with all yellows being discretionary cautions as nascar sees fit. Big stretch on that, I know. But, my question is, if there was never another wreck in nascar would you continue being a fan and viewing races?
The boxing story...
No wrecks? Never happen...
ReplyDeleteBut if it did I do believe I'd lose interest but not out of bloodlust going unfulfilled. Wrecking is such an intrinsic part of the sport since it acts to reshuffle who is in the lead and who has a chance to win. Without it I would be hard pressed to call it racing... It would be more of what I'm dead set against: Whichever team that happened to hit the right setup for the track/conditions would move to the front while everyone else line danced at a distance. It would become the rabbit and the hounds and the rabbit would win every time... Then NASCAR, in all their wisdom, and just as you point out, would end up throwing in those phantom debris cautions that lead to speculation about who was leading the race at the time and who stood to gain by such an action (yeah, I know, Junior).
No... If that's what NASCAR came to I'd have better things to do.
Good one Gene!
I'd repose the question, no wrecks by drivers but if cars fall apart then it happens --THAT I could live with because a world where nascar throws discretionary cautions would be wrestling...oh wait a minute...we are *almost* there.
ReplyDeleteI don't know any fans that come to the race bloodthirsty for wrecks. He would have done better to compare boxing to hockey...oh wait, those are practically the same now too.
Dwindy... The races could still be 'reshuffled' by nascar's debris cautions. Just like they are half the time now. LOL
ReplyDeleteKristen... I believe if we had cars racing side-by-side every lap no one would miss the wrecks. Most fans would rather see close racing than fiery wrecks.
Whether we admit it or not we like the occasional smash up or bloodied nose, this is part of human nature.
ReplyDelete