Stewart simply stated what many fans believe
Published May 4th, 2007 in NASCAR
Perception is everything. Which is why Tony Stewart’s comments last week that NASCAR is beginning to look like professional wrestling struck a responsive chord with stock car racing fans. Nextel Cup champion could have picked a slightly better analogy. Possibly, he’s totally wrong.
And choosing to make the charges on his own radio show (Sirius Satellite) after skipping a mandatory postrace interview session was completely out of line.
But Stewart only stated what a lot of fans believe – that NASCAR rigs late-race cautions to fit in a final round of television commercials and set up a photo-op finish.
When that is the perception, there is a problem, which NASCAR needs to address.
In case NASCAR hasn’t noticed, television ratings were down 10 percent last season and empty seats could be found at most tracks. If the boom isn’t over, it has at least slowed.
Why? Well, some fans – and I hear from them almost weekly – have grown tired of the way races end and disgusted with the amount of commercial interruptions on the telecasts.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 Responses to “Stewart simply stated what many fans believe”
Feed for this Entry Trackback Address
1 Stephanie
May 4th, 2007 at 8:49 am
I am personally sickened by what Nascar has become. It is so
commercialized and only about the money. I probably will never
stop watching because of my love for the sport, but they have
definately drove away the fan base that makes up this sport.
I understand wanting to make competition better, but if you
can’t hang with the big dogs stay on the porch.
Nascar should not have done anything to Tony because he was just
stating the obvious that everyone else was saying.
2 Crystal
May 4th, 2007 at 9:11 am
I agree with Tony. I pay to see a race at these tracks and I want to see all laps finished and all this debris crap stopped. I understand if its a object that will really hurt a car, but lately its gotten outta hand. Its about time someone said something.
3 HoppyGirllllllll
May 4th, 2007 at 9:39 am
I do agree with Tony…..you can almost predict who wins the races. I love the sport, I
will probably never stop watching.
This sport was started by people running moonshine and keeping away from the po-po….
it’s a shame to see it so commercialized.
On the other hand, it is good to see people put their “celebrity” to good use. Jamie
McMurray and autism, Ryan and Chrissy Newman with their pet adoptions. There is
something good to be said for the “un-rednecking” of NASCAR. But, this sport was
never meant to be slick and glossy, it’s meant to be dirty - literally, not in the
way that Tony is implying. There is something to be said for either side. But it
is almost a slap in the face of the “old Nascar”.
4 Sm0ke Fan
May 4th, 2007 at 9:41 am
I agree with everything that was said above. I will probably not stop watching Nascar BUT I also believe that in the days of “real” racing, debris would not have made a difference. Has anyone noticed that this years race finishes have been nose to nose? I mean really!?! American’s are not stupid and Tony DID say what most fans were thinking!
5 Joe
May 4th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Tony hit the nail on the head. NASCAR is a joke and I can only hope he is able to buy out his contract and leave it before he is to old to run in the IRL and the Indy 500. He would be much better off with that than the current state of affairs in NACAR.
6 eva543354
May 4th, 2007 at 10:47 am
get over it…my god would tony stewart have said anything if he would have got the victory…no he definitly would not have..he is a sore looser..get over it we all have favorite drivers and yes im a gordon fan.woot woot ..but if stewart got the victory i would have cussed and waited till the next race give the big boy a whopper to drown his sorrows and see yall in victory lane woot woot 78 is next..good luck to all drivers..and keep the cans off the tracks..
7 HoppyGirllllllll
May 4th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Terribly engaging comment. The first five have proper grammer and punctuation. The
6th doesn’t.
It’s called a period. It ends a sentence. Use it.
And “loser” only has 1 “O”.
8 adam
May 4th, 2007 at 11:33 am
when did we start discussing proper grammar? yeah and by the way…thanks tony. i have been saying that since 2002, and finally a major factor in the sport, stewart, finally said something. to hell with the commercials. i wish nascar was a democracy…we vote in some honest officials. someting needs to be done.
9 Racedriven
May 4th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Its really simple, I not only agree with Tony Stewart in his comments about debris cautions, but I applaud him too. I am still watch NASCAR every week, but I am also specking. Don’t forget, it does heard the ratings and racetrack attendence.
See Yeah!
10 #8scat
May 4th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
I couldn’t agree with Tony anymore than I already do. I don’t believe that Nascar understands not only what it is doing to it’s drivers but the effect that it is having on fans. We are disgusted. WE spend a ton of money to travel to races, and for what seems like more and more races ending the way someone else wants them to end. What ever happened to just racing. Remember those days? That’s when it was fun. Everything is so commercial now. What’ next drivers in tights???
11 Diane
May 4th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
totally agree-love nascar-would not stop watching on tv but as far as seeing it live I have second thouhts-the reason being-driving for over an hour to get close to the track, dover, and then sit in more traffic for sometimes close to an hour (for one mile) to get off of the highway into the track-then deal with massive crowds-spent hundreds of dollars-sit in the hot sun all day-just to see someone like jeff gordon win under caution. and have you noticed that the races have been moved up to 2:30 p.m. because it’s more easier for the network tv. dover has aggreed to make their race at 1:30, which makes it easier but still tough-sometimes it takes up to two hours to get out of the parking lot at the end of the race, which means I’m driving back home in the dark. start making the tickets afforable and stop letting third-market buyers have the good tickets-they charge way more then what the ticket is worth. make the drivers more fan friendly-you know we don’t want much - just an autograph or picture-I don’t think that’s much to ask-we might need to boycot the races sometime - no fans - no sponsers-thanks for letting me air my complaints.
12 Amanda
May 4th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
THANK YOU TONY.. HE WASN’T SPEAKING OUT FOR HIMSELF, HE WAS SPEAKING OUT FOR US. HIS FANS AND NASCAR’S FANS.
he is speaking what he hears from us.
US.
not HIS own personal thoughts.
THANK YOU TONY.
13 Nina
May 4th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
YEP, TONY HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD AND IT IS TIME FOR NASCAR TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE FANS. WITHOUT US THERE WOULD BE NO NASCAR.
14 Susan
May 4th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
I think anyone who watches Nascar racing and has for any number of years, can see exactly what is going on!~
Nascar officials know from the get go, who is going to win, because they do everything in their power to ensure
that happens. I mean, didn’t we just watch Jimmy Johnson win a Championship last year, with more lucky dawgs than
any other driver? How does that happen…..I think we all know the answer to that!
