Proof That NASCAR Is Broken!

If you are looking for proof that NASCAR is broken and needs a fix, look no further than Robby Gordon and Danica Patrick.

Robby Gordon recently announced that he is going to run a limited schedule in NASCAR, as well as run some rally cars, a monster truck, off-road and the hummer.  While a Robby fan has to be excited to see him in these new adventures, there also has to be some sadness.  There is sadness because this is a guy who has won multiple times and can't find enough sponsorship to run a full season.  I know there will be the fan or two out there that blames this all on Robby and his actions.  But did you notice that NASCAR recently announced that they are going back to Robby's type of racing.  They are going to let the drivers run the sport a little more and see what happens.  Nothing against the reigning champion, but how boring was last years season finish as the guy sat back and worried more about finishing, then he did about winning.  There is a reason for the dropping interest in the sport and personally, I think has a lot to do with the way the last couple of years have be run and ended.

During this same week, Danica Patrick and JR Motorsports announced their schedule for the one time IRL winner by announcing she will run twelve, maybe thirteen times in 2010.  I'm just guessing, but since I'm in Vegas right now, I will bet the budget for her to run the NNS in 2010 is more than Robby's and I'm not sure why.  She hasn't proven she can win consistently in that other series, let alone another other form of racing.  But, GoDaddy, JR Motorsports and for that matter Hendrick have all ponied up a lot of money to see what she can do.  

What is confusing to me is that Danica has a single win, that you might even say was luck because Helio Castroneves ran out of fuel on the final turn(s).  And, I'm not saying she doesn't belong in a race car.  But, what I can't understand is why we are focusing so much on her.  If she decides to run the races in the bikinis we have seen her in, maybe that would be a good reason.  But, she's going to tell you she is a racer first and I just don't see it.

Now, I'm happy that NASCAR has a woman running because they have been trying for a few years now.  But, shouldn't we, as fans, expect more from our sport?  Shouldn't we hope that the guys, or gals that have won before and are exciting to watch, get a chance to race?  Don't we deserve to see the fun part of our sport?  Whether it is Robby, or anybody else, shouldn't we expect some beating and banging each and every race?  We don't slow down when we drive by a wreck to determine if we should stop and help.  We slow down to get better look at how bad the carnage may be and replay in our mind how bad the crash might have been.  It is the same reason that the super speedway tracks have some of the highest television ratings.  We aren't watching because it's fun to watch them draft.  We are watching for the "Big One" as they call it and hoping to see a great crash.  

Let this serve as a warning to NASCAR and those of us that really enjoy it.  Fix the sport, fix it quickly and find a way to help the guys that are out there day in and day out.  If not, your eventually going to have a bunch of Hendrick type of races that are as boring to watch as the IRL has become and then a bunch of teams doing the old Start and Park.

Now, I will say that I hope that DP has some luck, but what I really want to see is the reaction the first time she decides to go over to another pit box and pick a fight because she feels wronged.

Oh well, I guess I will just have to find something else to do with my time on Sundays because this sport is losing some of the fun and we are getting closer to seeing the same thing they have in IRL, a bunch of cars running around in circles and not a lot of excitement.

By the way congrats to Robby and for that matter BAM for not jumping into this Start and Park crap.  We and NASCAR will hopefully fix that after they fix the important parts of our sport and the racers that make it what it is.

Bring on Daytona!