[Bob Tanner]

I'll be gone for a few days but here's a topic you might find interesting enough to kick around a few days: Is the "Youth Movement" killing NASCAR?
Since 1993 (actually 1990, with Robby Moroso, but that's a complete other story), when Hendrick stole Jeffie-Pooh from Bill Davis, teamed him up with Ray Everham, and made him an almost instant star, it seems the general idea behind owning a team is, "Get me a kid, ANY KID(!), who has had some success at local tracks, or in open wheel. Make sure he's photogenic, speaks fairly well, and can push a sponsor's product. If his family's rich, or has indulged his interest in racing to the extent that he's their "Golden Parachute" for retirement, so much the better.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The "Kid Movement" has gotten us Jeffie, Tony, Dale Jr., and now, apparently Denny Hamlin. It also has gotten us a bunch of kids who seemingly have little regard for the safety of others and who have proven that a written contract has about as much value as a Macy's shopping bag (Can you say Jamie and Kurt, folks? Fine. I knew you could)
The scenery is littered with the carcasses of many who were pushed into a seat that didn't fit them (Loy Allen, Casey Atwood, Jason Leffler and Brent Sherman come to mind).
NASCAR adds to its own problem by turning the Cup feeder series into a practice venue for Cup drivers. You have to go to position eight in BGN standings before you find Paul Menard, a non-regular Cup chauffer. This diminishes the number of new kids available to move up, or so it seems to me.
Yates and Ganassi are struggling and everything I read indicates that they both are having problems putting drivers in seats of their pretty good cars. Yet, Wahrd Burton (recent Daytona 500 winner), can't get a ride. John Andretti (multiple Cup winner) is running as a rookie in a mediocre ride in BGN, and the people tearing up the CTS (Todd Bodine and Ted Musgrave) are languishing in the series, trying unsuccessfully to move back top Cup. The reason thes above are stuick is (a) they're over 35 and (b) they aren't exactly "pretty."
Is something wrong with this picture, or am I just being overly sensitive? Response is welcome. Enjoy.

[WVGrandma4Kasey]

Bob, This is a youth orientated world, why would it be any different in NASCAR. As in any sport age is a handicap. I for one prefer an attractive face. Sponsers know that. And no I don't think the youth moment is killing NASCAR. Youth is our future. Look at the young people at the races. And they have the money. As for the older drivers. Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's little nut that managed to hold its ground.

[Nevadastars]

Na$car is a money game, pure and simple. It's all about current and future buyers of advertisers products. The racing is secondary.........just get the product name out there as much as possible. I firmly believe that is the ONLY reason Mikey Waltrip keeps his ride, and will have his own team. He can't spout off sponsors names enough in a paragraph, yet has terrible finishes race after race. David Stremme will probably be the next young "carcass".

[TN_Gal]

It's so f'ing Hollywood anymore. You are absolutely right ...looks, talk the talk, follow the money...but in the end its folks like us that see thru the b.s....

Heres a great example.....71 laps to go and its black as night and raining..this race is over...but will they call it NO WAY, they still have beer and turkey legs left to sell and there a bunch of folks standing around with nothing else to do but eat and drink. I would bet $$$ as soon as the concessions run out and there is no money left to be made off us schmucks, they will call the race.

Now of course I could be wrong, heck the way my luck is just because I put it in writing the clouds will part and sun will shine (boogity-boo)

PS----nice thing to do Bob.......stir the pot then hit the road for a few days...just kidding

[TN_Gal]

One more thing...... you got me going now

Maybe some bean counter at NASCAR will wake up and see what a POSITIVE REACTION the David Gillind win was at the Busch race this week...and stop and say "Hey, maybe we could make Busch better and make more $$$, if we let the newbies race each other....?...draw back some people that have grown disgusted ergo more fans, more $$$"???

Just a thought...now I need to go take a pill and chill

[TN_Gal]

Originally Posted by TN_Gal

It's so f'ing Hollywood anymore. You are absolutely right ...looks, talk the talk, follow the money...but in the end its folks like us that see thru the b.s....

Heres a great example.....71 laps to go and its black as night and raining..this race is over...but will they call it NO WAY, they still have beer and turkey legs left to sell and there a bunch of folks standing around with nothing else to do but eat and drink. I would bet $$$ as soon as the concessions run out and there is no money left to be made off us schmucks, they will call the race.

See...they just announced all the beer was gone and for all the fans to go home.....

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

I'll be gone for a few days but here's a topic you might find interesting enough to kick around a few days: Is the "Youth Movement" killing NASCAR?
Since 1993 (actually 1990, with Robby Moroso, but that's a complete other story), when Hendrick stole Jeffie-Pooh from Bill Davis, teamed him up with Ray Everham, and made him an almost instant star, it seems the general idea behind owning a team is, "Get me a kid, ANY KID(!), who has had some success at local tracks, or in open wheel. Make sure he's photogenic, speaks fairly well, and can push a sponsor's product. If his family's rich, or has indulged his interest in racing to the extent that he's their "Golden Parachute" for retirement, so much the better.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The "Kid Movement" has gotten us Jeffie, Tony, Dale Jr., and now, apparently Denny Hamlin. It also has gotten us a bunch of kids who seemingly have little regard for the safety of others and who have proven that a written contract has about as much value as a Macy's shopping bag (Can you say Jamie and Kurt, folks? Fine. I knew you could)
The scenery is littered with the carcasses of many who were pushed into a seat that didn't fit them (Loy Allen, Casey Atwood, Jason Leffler and Brent Sherman come to mind).
NASCAR adds to its own problem by turning the Cup feeder series into a practice venue for Cup drivers. You have to go to position eight in BGN standings before you find Paul Menard, a non-regular Cup chauffer. This diminishes the number of new kids available to move up, or so it seems to me.
Yates and Ganassi are struggling and everything I read indicates that they both are having problems putting drivers in seats of their pretty good cars. Yet, Wahrd Burton (recent Daytona 500 winner), can't get a ride. John Andretti (multiple Cup winner) is running as a rookie in a mediocre ride in BGN, and the people tearing up the CTS (Todd Bodine and Ted Musgrave) are languishing in the series, trying unsuccessfully to move back top Cup. The reason thes above are stuick is (a) they're over 35 and (b) they aren't exactly "pretty."
Is something wrong with this picture, or am I just being overly sensitive? Response is welcome. Enjoy.

Bob, I don't think it's the youth movement killing Nascar. It's Nascar killing it's self. Nascar officials are not setting down on all these young drivers enough to make them think as to are some of the owners. Let's face it.. Nascar is not a bunch of good ol boys doing what they love to earn a living anymore. It's a bunch of money grubbing young punks who need to be taught lessons by the likes of "THE KING", Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, etc. Nascar has an egotistical A#$ for a president, owner wth ever he is suppost to be, Brian France. Nascar has killed it's self. Not the young kids.

[TN_Gal]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Nascar has killed it's self. Not the young kids.

I'll 2nd that!!!

[BringBackWilkesboro]

I have to say it is. Ive been a fan since the 1980s, so I am a fan of pretty much everyone that was around from then (and theyre all retiring) and the early to mid 90s like Burton, Gordon, Mayfield, Bobby Labonte. And being a Ford guy, I have become a bigger Mark Martin fan than ever since he's stayed competetive, and Im glad to see these guys starting to run good again. Iam Getting used to the youth movement though. I have grown fond of Kahne, Harvick, Sadler and of course Jr. By the way, first post. Im glad to have found a place to talk Nascar to real fans for once. I'll be posting here for a long time.

[LSC9901]

I'm not the official welcome wagon BringBack but welcome anyway. The NASCAR forums are just an all around great place. We have some real constructive discussions, some not so constructive and a lot of fun period. I go back beyond the 80's so I understand how you feel about the revolution. If you take some time and read through some of the threads you'll see we've already discussed the pro's and con's of the drivers of today and yesterday.

Again welcome to the forums and I know you'll enjoy it here. There are many regulars here that you'll meet and enjoy also.

[Lefty Noob]

Welcome to GoTeamsGo, Wilkesboro, and thanks for joining us here in the NASCAR forum. Glad you found us and are planning to stick around. We've got a good bunch of posters here - lively while respectful, intense without trading too much paint, if you know what I mean. At any rate, good to have you here!

[Nevadastars]

I also welcome you Wilkesboro! Love your name, and wish a lot of the old tracks were still around.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Bob, I don't think it's the youth movement killing Nascar. It's Nascar killing it's self. Nascar officials are not setting down on all these young drivers enough to make them think as to are some of the owners. Let's face it.. Nascar is not a bunch of good ol boys doing what they love to earn a living anymore. It's a bunch of money grubbing young punks who need to be taught lessons by the likes of "THE KING", Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, etc. Nascar has an egotistical A#$ for a president, owner wth ever he is suppost to be, Brian France. Nascar has killed it's self. Not the young kids.

I believe that we're on the same page, Qlty88, we're just looking at the thing from a very slightly different angle.

Actually, the way I see it, NASCAR is a victim of itself. Donnie's, Bobby's and Cale's bout of fisticuffs gave it quasi-TV presence and it grew, media-wise. Is order to capitalize on the new exposure, NASCAR changed its demographic, from seasoned race fans to a younger group whose attention spans were honed by 30-minute sit-coms on TV, and who were raised to be materialistic (see it on TV and rush out and buy it!).
This brought in a new type of fan; one who probably had never attended a race at his/her local track, didn't know squat about mechanics, and lived vicariously through their sports heros.
To feed this younger demographic, NASCAR and its sponsors started this infernal youth movement, literally shoving older veteran drivers out the door in order to make room for a prettier, younger, face who could push the product. (If anyone doubts this fact, remember what happened to the ALan Kulwicki team when he was killed. Jimmy Hensley (Alan's personal pick for a second team and a driver always at Alan's side) for Loy Allen, a brash, young guy who had far more nerve than he did driving talent. But boy, did Loy ever fit into the Hooter's mold!
What I fear will happen is that NASCAR has turned its back on us fans who were NASCAR fans long before it was "cool" to be one. On the road I talk to many, many people who were rabid NASCAR fans but have given up on this "New NASCAR" in disgust. For me NASCAR is kind of like a wreck on the highway; I don't necessarily want to look at it but I give in an do.
This new fan is losing interest in NASCAR, witness the constant drop in TV ratings. They'll find some new and trendy sport to follow (full contact croquet, rollerball?) and will leave NASCAR like a bunch of working girls leaving a Pat Robertson revival.
NASCAR'll believe, "Well, we have our old fans to fall back on," but guess what. ELvis has left the building!

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

I believe that we're on the same page, Qlty88, we're just looking at the thing from a very slightly different angle.

Actually, the way I see it, NASCAR is a victim of itself. Donnie's, Bobby's and Cale's bout of fisticuffs gave it quasi-TV presence and it grew, media-wise. Is order to capitalize on the new exposure, NASCAR changed its demographic, from seasoned race fans to a younger group whose attention spans were honed by 30-minute sit-coms on TV, and who were raised to be materialistic (see it on TV and rush out and buy it!).
This brought in a new type of fan; one who probably had never attended a race at his/her local track, didn't know squat about mechanics, and lived vicariously through their sports heros.
To feed this younger demographic, NASCAR and its sponsors started this infernal youth movement, literally shoving older veteran drivers out the door in order to make room for a prettier, younger, face who could push the product. (If anyone doubts this fact, remember what happened to the ALan Kulwicki team when he was killed. Jimmy Hensley (Alan's personal pick for a second team and a driver always at Alan's side) for Loy Allen, a brash, young guy who had far more nerve than he did driving talent. But boy, did Loy ever fit into the Hooter's mold!
What I fear will happen is that NASCAR has turned its back on us fans who were NASCAR fans long before it was "cool" to be one. On the road I talk to many, many people who were rabid NASCAR fans but have given up on this "New NASCAR" in disgust. For me NASCAR is kind of like a wreck on the highway; I don't necessarily want to look at it but I give in an do.
This new fan is losing interest in NASCAR, witness the constant drop in TV ratings. They'll find some new and trendy sport to follow (full contact croquet, rollerball?) and will leave NASCAR like a bunch of working girls leaving a Pat Robertson revival.
NASCAR'll believe, "Well, we have our old fans to fall back on," but guess what. ELvis has left the building!

Couldn't agree more.

[LSC9901]

No doubt there is a lot to be said on the "Youth Movement" within NASCAR. Once again for me I find it all $$$ related. NASCAR and all the sponsors look at the sport as a way to making their fortune. We "old timers" who remember racing in an entirely different light see it going in the wrong direction. My aging mother can never understand why her "favorite" TV program wil not return next year and I tell her that just because she enjoys it doesn't mean a thing to the sponsors who are looking at the revenue end of the program. If it isn't making money it isn't going to last. Todays NASCAR is the same. While Dave Marcus was a willing participant in the NASCAR arena, he wasn't making any sponsor any money in the waning years of his career. So what is the sponsor to do??? Obviously the answer is to go with the young, handsome, qualified (?) driver of the new NASCAR era. The only time you see the "old folks" in advertising today is when they are selling us some Medicare related product, vitamins or some other health related issue. The young blood is where it and the money is. Change is always a challenge for many but is a necessary evil for survival. We as the old guard will eventually be out of the picture for one reason or another and at that point the change has occurred and then a new wave of ideas will arrive. Nothing good ever stays the same.