[Bob Tanner]

Matt McLaughlin posted the following blog. I thought some of you might enjoy it:

FYI, I'm about 80% Disenfranchised and 20% Old Timer.

"How a fan responds to various stories, occurrences, and personalities has a lot to do with how long they’ve been a fan and the mindset they bring to the sport. From the enthusiastic — if still learning — newbies, to the hardcore longtime fans (the guys who’ve been around since Richard Petty was a rookie), to the growing number of alienated ex or soon-to-be ex fans, everyone has their own take on things. It sort of reminds me of that old proverb about the seven blind men that encountered an elephant; each based their perception of what an elephant was depending on what part of it they touched. Not sure what I’m talking about? That’s OK; a lot of the time I’m not sure what I’m talking about, either. Let me clarify with a few examples:

Newbie: Favorite track is whatever venue is closest to home.
Hard Core: Favorite track has always been Darlington… on Labor Day Weekend.
Old Timer: Favorite tracks were the dirt half-mile ovals.
Disenfranchised: Favorite tracks are the ones NASCAR doesn’t run at anymore.

Newbie: Thinks Jeff Gordon is the greatest driver who ever lived.
Hard Core: Is willing to admit Gordon deserves a spot in the Top 20 best drivers list.
Old Timer: Wonders if Jeff Gordon could have raced in the era of treaded tires and no power steering.
Disenfranchised: Thinks if Jeff Gordon hadn’t been born, NASCAR marketing types would have had to have invented him.

Newbie: Can’t wait until Honda and Nissan come to Cup racing.
Hard Core: Liked it better when Toyota wasn’t part of the sport.
Old Timer: Liked it better when Hudson was part of the sport.
Disenfranchised: Doesn’t care because all the new cars look the same anyway.


Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans line the stands each week — but are most of them newbies instead of Hard Core?
Newbie: Wonders who was Dale Junior’s father — the one everyone still talks about.
Hard Core: Hasn’t seen anything from Junior to convince them racing is genetic.
Old Timer: Doesn’t think either of the Dales could hold a candle to Ralph Earnhardt.
Disenfranchised: Is ready to blow a gasket if he hears one more word about Junior — especially since he hasn’t won a race in over two years.

Newbie: Would probably put on the race at a wedding reception.
Hard Core: Might ask the bartender to tune a TV to the race.
Old Timer: Listens to the race on MRN.
Disenfranchised: Still tapes some races, but rarely watches them.

Newbie: Thinks that the two road course dates are an exciting break from the norm.
Hard Core: Uses the two road course weekends to catch up on household chores.
Old Timer: Thought NASCAR’s best road racing was back when whiskey trippers outran the law.
Disenfranchised: Thinks a road course is an oval track designed by Brian France.

Newbie: Thinks Kyle Busch is sort of scary.
Hard Core:* Thinks Kyle Busch is just another talented young driver who needs a few years to mature.
Old Timer: Tries to imagine how Curtis Turner would have handled a cocky young man like Busch.
Disenfranchised: Thinks Busch got away with his pass below the yellow line at Talladega because Toyota is writing NASCAR big checks.

Newbie: Always refers to the AAA series Saturday races as “Nationwide.”
Hard Core: Still messes up and calls it the “Busch Series” a lot.
Old Timer: Never stopped calling it Grand National racing.
Disenfranchised: Calls it “Cup Lite” because of all the Buschwhackers.

Newbie: Favorite NASCAR tradition is the Top 35 rule.
Hard Core: Favorite NASCAR tradition was the Southern 500.
Old Timer: Favorite NASCAR tradition was the Riverside season opener.
Disenfranchised: Favorite NASCAR tradition is watching sanctioning body try to milk fans of every dime in their pockets.

Newbie: Best memory of racing is standing in line to get Jimmie Johnson’s autograph at the local Lowe’s.
Hard Core: Best memory of racing is the infield parties at Talladega.
Old Timer: Best memory in racing is getting a bit fuzzy, but involves crashing one of Curtis Turner’s parties in a motel room.
Disenfranchised: Most bitter memory of racing is the loss of North Wilkesboro to move dates to Texas and New Hampshire.

Newbie: Would go to more races if there were more tracks close by.
Hard Core: Would go to more races if the on-track action improves.
Old Timer: Would go to more races if he wasn’t so concerned about his big block Superbird overheating in post-race traffic.
Disenfranchised: Would only go to races if somebody put a gun to his head.

Newbie: The worst part of going to a race is listening to the nasty comments his or her Jeff Gordon T-shirt sometimes draws.
Hard Core: Worst part of going to the races is getting your feet stepped on by Newbies hurrying to the parking lot to beat traffic with 75 laps left to go.
Old Timer: Worst part of going to races is frequent bathroom breaks and not needing a church key to open a beer anymore.
Disenfranchised: Worst part of going to races is putting another dollar in the France family’s pocket.

Newbie: The worst part of watching a race on TV is that the FOX pre-race show isn’t long enough.
Hard Core: Laments none of the networks cover the sport the way ESPN did in the 1980s.
Old Timer: Getting harder to tell these cars apart on a black and white screen.
Disenfranchised: Worst part of watching races is nursing your aching finger from hitting the mute and fast forward buttons on the DVR’s remote. "

[Quality88]

I'm not sure exactly what my percentage is, but I lay more towards Old-timer and Disenfranchised... which is weird considerin how young I am

[BiscuitMan]

I'm definitely a "hard core" NASCAR fan.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Quality88

I'm not sure exactly what my percentage is, but I lay more towards Old-timer and Disenfranchised... which is weird considerin how young I am

FYI: Personally I'm "Old Timer" on, from the top, #'s 1,5 and & 7. I'm "Disenfranchised" on all the rest. "Hard Core" and "Newbie" in none of them.

[3fanforever]

My average is 2.6, which I guess means I'm halfway between Hard Core and Old Timer.

Ha! Can you tell I got nothing else to do?

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Hard Core: Favorite track has always been Darlington… on Labor Day Weekend.
Disenfranchised: Favorite tracks are the ones NASCAR doesn’t run at anymore.


Hard Core: Is willing to admit Gordon deserves a spot in the Top 20 best drivers list.
Old Timer: Wonders if Jeff Gordon could have raced in the era of treaded tires and no power steering.


Disenfranchised: Doesn’t care because all the new cars look the same anyway.


Disenfranchised: Is ready to blow a gasket if he hears one more word about Junior — especially since he hasn’t won a race in over two years.

Newbie: Would probably put on the race at a wedding reception.
Hard Core: Might ask the bartender to tune a TV to the race.



Old Timer: Thought NASCAR’s best road racing was back when whiskey trippers outran the law.



Hard Core:* Thinks Kyle Busch is just another talented young driver who needs a few years to mature.


Hard Core: Still messes up and calls it the “Busch Series” a lot.
Disenfranchised: Calls it “Cup Lite” because of all the Buschwhackers.


Disenfranchised: Favorite NASCAR tradition is watching sanctioning body try to milk fans of every dime in their pockets.


Disenfranchised: Most bitter memory of racing is the loss of North Wilkesboro to move dates to Texas and New Hampshire.


Disenfranchised: Would only go to races if somebody put a gun to his head.


Disenfranchised: Worst part of going to races is putting another dollar in the France family’s pocket.


Hard Core: Laments none of the networks cover the sport the way ESPN did in the 1980s.
Disenfranchised: Worst part of watching races is nursing your aching finger from hitting the mute and fast forward buttons on the DVR’s remote.

well thats what i am ..... someone smarter then me can figure out the %'s

[3fanforever]

Originally Posted by simple simon

well thats what i am ..... someone smarter then me can figure out the %'s

3.0...you're an Old Timer.

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by 3fanforever

3.0...you're an Old Timer.

damn ....... i dont know if i should thank you for doing the math for me ...... or be upset im considered old

[3fanforever]

Originally Posted by simple simon

damn ....... i dont know if i should thank you for doing the math for me ...... or be upset im considered old

I don't necessarily think you have to be old to be an old timer.
I'd say you know and appreciate the history of NASCAR, and there's nothing wrong with that.

[jks812]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Hard Core: Favorite track has always been Darlington… on Labor Day Weekend.

Hard Core: Is willing to admit Gordon deserves a spot in the Top 20 best drivers list.

Disenfranchised: Doesn’t care because all the new cars look the same anyway.


Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans line the stands each week — but are most of them newbies instead of Hard Core?
Disenfranchised: Is ready to blow a gasket if he hears one more word about Junior — especially since he hasn’t won a race in over two years.


Hard Core: Might ask the bartender to tune a TV to the race.


Hard Core: Uses the two road course weekends to catch up on household chores.


Hard Core:* Thinks Kyle Busch is just another talented young driver who needs a few years to mature.

Hard Core: Still messes up and calls it the “Busch Series” a lot.

Hard Core: Favorite NASCAR tradition was the Southern 500.

Disenfranchised: Most bitter memory of racing is the loss of North Wilkesboro to move dates to Texas and New Hampshire.

Disenfranchised: Would only go to races if somebody put a gun to his head.

Disenfranchised: Worst part of going to races is putting another dollar in the France family’s pocket.

Hard Core: Laments none of the networks cover the sport the way ESPN did in the 1980s.

There's mine. Mostly hard core with some disenfranchised throwed in.

[Fireball]

I'm hard core all the way.

[Measure]

Looks like I'm a mix between newbie and hard core.

[jks812]

Well didn't see this one on the list. But after the difference Nascar has shown between Petty and Woods, I'm a disgruntled one right now.

[oncea3fan]

I fall 1/2 in ard core and 1/2 in disenchanted

[SteelPhoenyx]

I'd have to say I'm a Hard Core Newbie, who may be a little disenfranchised in some things.

But...

While I don't mind Toyota in NASCAR... I really don't want Honda or Nissan in it. For the record... I hate Hondas.

Kyle Busch... scares me. But yeah, he's highly talented. For now. Either he will mature and become a phenomenal driver, or he has already peaked and will never improve while others will surpass him. Which one will it be? Time will tell.

And, while I like Dale Jr. I share the sentiments of the disenfranchised. The hype drives me nuts.

I still call it 'Busch' series.


…etc.