Sports Fan News

Nascar has faced a lot of criticism for a lot of things over the last few decades. We can attribute the criticism to the popularity of Nascar. Apart from the environmental impact of Nascar which has led to criticism, there are other technical reasons as well. One of the reasons is the oval shape of most Nascar racing circuits. Driving enthusiasts have severely criticized the difficulty of these race courses when compared to the extremely difficult twisting and turning race courses of Formula 1. They say that it involves going round and round for 500 miles and nothing else.

Some courses of the Formula 1 put up to 5 or 6 G’s of stress on the body of the driver. This is totally absent in Nascar. But Nascar has denied these allegations and countered by saying that there are certain race series in which road courses are included. But again it is for a very small percentage of the race. Nascar has also brought to light the fact that even the Indy racing league uses mostly oval tracks.

The Grueling Season

The grueling racing season of Nascar is also a reason for its criticism. While a Formula 1 race has 22 cars in its beginning, a Nascar Nextel cup race has 43. Add the 36 point races for the entire series, and the session becomes extremely hectic. The drivers are left with just a few hours to practice. Some of the drivers have even quit the sport because of their inability to cope with such stress.

Drivers who have been reasonably successful in road racing circuits have been unable to duplicate that success record in Nascar. The prime reason is the difference in the entire structure of the two.

The Cars

The technology behind the cars is another reason that Nascarhas faced so much criticism. The cars are mostly fitted with accessories from the 1950s. The carburetors, cast iron engine blocks and most primarily the use of leaded fuel have triggered huge criticism against Nascar. The reluctance of Nascar to add safety devices has also aggravated the criticism against them. The use of this equipment places more emphasis on getting an undue advantage rather than focusing on the skill of the driver.

The Business

The last thing that has received flak from critics is the Nascar business structure. The majority of revenue generated by the entire Nascar racing goes towards the France family, as they control most of Nascar . Many say that the drivers do not have a voice in Nascar and it is like a dictatorship. The penalties and fines that Nascar levied on its drivers for using foul language in the media have also been a reason for criticism against it.

There is no doubt that Nascar is one of the strongest brands ever in America’s sporting chronicle. But what makes Nascar to be such a hot brand? Who is behind the success of Nascar? Well, the winnows of Nascar, who else?!? Nascar sports fans are the most faithful devotees in the world. You will never see the fans of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. drink any other beer other than Bud. This is because Dale is the brand name ambassador for Budweiser. Jeff Gordon is affiliated with Dupont paint, and most Jeff Gordon fans never use any other paint.

The brand name commitment of the sports fans is then cashed in by the sponsors. A survey divulged that in order to have their name and logotype on the lid of a top Nascar Nextel cup car, a person and or corporation has to pay $1.5 million! Now that is big money. The drivers are the main factor behind the success of the Nascar cars. The drama associated with the sport and the adrenaline rush cannot be compared to that of any other sport.

Loyalty To The Drivers

If a Nascar Nextel cup driver suddenly advertises Pepsi before the race, then the sales of Pepsi during that race will be incomparable. All the fans of that driver will simply quit using any other soft drink and start using Pepsi. Similarly, if a driver connects himself with a particular brand of shopping store like, say, Home Depot then all the fans will shop at Home Depot.

Role Of The Media

The media, too, will encounter a big role in promoting some of the stuff. For example, if Bill Elliot is seen eating at a specific restaurant and the photo hits newspaper headlines, the coming week, all of his devotees will eat in the same eatery. During the race, the fan following hits a new level altogether!

Individuals come from far-off distances to watch the races and then the sales of accessories and branded stuff hits the roof. Drivers like Jeff Gordon who are associated with car dealerships are also cashing in on the popularity. The sales of the cars have inflated dramatically after these drivers linked themselves with the car companies.

Automotive Productions

Automotive products, too, have established a market like never before, thanks to the growing popularity of Nascar drivers and their ever increasing fan following. If a particular Nascar driver uses a specific brand of paint on their car, then that paint has to be used by all his fans as well. The most common instance is that of the headlamp restoration product used by most Nascar drivers. The product which restores the condition of the headlamp to as good as new is exceedingly popular and is now used by many Nascar fans across the world as well.