Where Have They All Gone???

I was just reading an article that Jimmy Spencer wrote on Speed's NASCAR page. He was stating the obvious, but made some real good and valid points. When was the last time you got to meet and greet a driver after the race was over??? Unless you have a press pass or are sleeping with a crew member that pretty much NEVER happens. I remember a time when you would go to a race and at the end storm the infield to get autographs and even a piece of a car for a souvenir. The drivers would actually take the time to talk to you and thank you in their own way for supporting them. Any more that ain't happening. Everybody wants a piece of the pie. Shit an autograph from a "session" even costs you money. I remember a interview with Kyle Petty that he put into perspective how to treat the fans. He said almost verbatim, "Richard taught me to always take the time to sign a nice looking autograph". He also said "the fans deserve for you to take the time to make your signature look good the fans will ALWAYS remember that". Know what??? It's true. I have a diecast Richard signed and it is the nicest autograph I own.

The days of running onto the infield to grab a little piece of your favorite drivers car are so far gone I can't even remember when you could. NASCAR has gotten so "big for it's britches" that the common working fan can't even afford to go to a race because a fucking beer costs 8 bucks and a half a weeks salary for a stupid ticket. What do you get for your money??? A hard seat to sit on JUST to watch the cars go round and round wondering "why did I just waste this money when my electric bill isn't paid???" NASCAR and Little Brian France has marketed themselves right out of the "true roots" race fan. I know this much, unless it's Bristol or the tickets are free, I'm not spending my mortgage money going to watch these boring races when there is no lines for the bathroom and the toilet seat isn't carrying some kind of fungi right in my own home. Yes there are no exhaust fumes or energy that a live race gives you, but hey my electric bill is at least paid and my beer costs 11 bucks for TWELVE of them not one and a half!!!.

Since the fun of getting pieces of the tore up race cars is no longer available to the fans, you may ask what forever do they do with the busted up pieces??? They sell them to other businesses that sell the pieces for profit. At least when Petty Enterprises sells something it goes to the Victory Junction Gang Camp instead of some souvenir shops owners greedy pocket. Man NASCAR sure has forgotten not only it's roots and it's traditions, but it has forgotten it's "core" fans. The fans that will spend damn near the whole year saving for one fuckin race and everything else that shows the driver who their fans really are. I think it is about time the drivers AND NASCAR give back and make the sport accessible once again to the common fan who makes barely 10 bucks an hour supporting their families, not just the people with deep commercialized pockets. Kudos Brian France, you made NASCAR a total overpriced "menage-a-bunch and priced it right out of most peoples reach!!!