NASCAR, nothing like it used to be
This Monday night I had to opportunity to interview the 1989 Winston Cup champion, Rusty Wallace. After hanging up his helmet a few years ago, Rusty joined the broadcast/analyst booth at ESPN. In the 10 minutes we spent with Rusty I remembered the little things about this sport that made me like it. The drivers were real, they were human and the appreciated where their success because it took hard work to get there. Now, it takes a marketable face and millions to make it to stock car racing's highest level.The earliest memories I have of NASCAR come from the late 80s. During that time, Bill Elliott was setting speed records and winning pretty much every superspeedway race he entered. Dale Earnhardt was earning his many nicknames, ole' Ironhead and the Intimidator. Rusty Wallace was fighting each year to win the championship. Mark Martin was still a young driver, looking to break through. Then there was Geoff Bodine and Ricky Rudd. There were tobacco sponsors in the sport, Levi Garrett and Rudd. There was always a Budweiser car, which enjoyed few wins back then. Elliott sported the Coors colors, and Earnhardt had the easily recognizable black GM Goodwrench Chevy.
The drivers were always accessiable, at least what I saw of them at Darlington then. I would go to every race every year there and was never turned down for an autograph, except for the occasional Earnhardt blow off, most every driver was happy to take the time to stop and sign his name on whatever and give up a smile for a picture with a fan. I understand now that things are much different, with the huge amount of fans, there has to be some control. I just find it amusing that drivers like Tony Stewart and the Busch brothers have "handlers" and body guards. Who do these guys think they are? I stopped to talk with Elliott Sadler on pit road before the Daytona 500 last year about the times I saw him run a Late Model Stock at the New River Valley Speedway in Virginia. Sadler didn't have the time for that.
Everything was different. The old saying that everything changes and nothing remains the same is true. Things must change. The sport could not be what it is today without change. I'm not as big a fan today as I once was, like many I know. I've passed off the big time racing for the local shows. If you're looking for racing the way it once was, take a trip out to tracks like the Myrtle Beach Speedway. The drivers are just like you and me. They all have jobs, they're grounded. For the most part, they do all their own work on thier cars. Look back at the books that have pictures of NASCAR racing from the 80s, 90s. They all have dirty hands and most the pictures are of the drivers in the garage, working on their cars.
I'm not complaining that NASCAR is not worth the time to watch now, nor am I complaining about the changes. Just walking through the garage Monday here in Daytona, I couldn't help to think back to the times I spent at the Darlington Raceway. I noticed how everything, right down to the trash cans at Daytona have sponsorship, everything has a corporate feel to it. It's the same when you watch a race on television, it's commercial after commercial. Everything, right down to a lower control arm has a sponsorship logo. It wouldn't surprise me if drivers don't have associate sponsorship logos on their underwear!
Rusty was preparing for a live hit on NASCAR Now when we grabbed him for a few minutes Monday night. Rusty dropped everything he was doing to talk with us. It took us forever to get the interview started after we told him we were from Myrtle Beach. Rusty started talking to us about a restaurant he partnered with in Pawleys Island. Then, Rusty stood there while we asked our questions and didn't walk away form us in a hurry when were were finished. That's the NASCAR I remember. Now the one today where drivers show up 5 minutes before it's time to take off in their race car, then they dart away back inside their motorhomes once they're finished doing what they needed to on the track. Maybe the fans caused the change, maybe the drivers. Maybe money really does change people?
Posted by on 02/12 at 11:39 AM
I never made it to one of the big races..I always wanted to..
But I can already tell I wouldnt like it just from your description of it..I sorta imagined it would be a bigger version of what it was like in the pits with the racers back home.. only with well known drivers and better cars..
I think I’ll just take your advice and stick to the local scene and save all that money..
Who knows..maybe one day we will get to see Jody Barr racing again...stranger things have happened..