[BringBackWilkesboro]

IF ONLY ‘BIG BILL’ STILL CALLED SHOTS

By LARRY CROOM, DAILY SUN

DAYTONA BEACH — Here’s a statement you can take to the bank: “Big Bill” France would roll over in his grave if he saw his beloved NASCAR today. In case you aren’t a stock car racing fan but somehow found your way to this column, “Big Bill” France is the guy who put NASCAR on the map — the brains behind stock car racing.

“Big Bill” is the man who figured out how to get a bunch of moonshiners organized back in 1947 so they could legally race on weekends against the deputies who pursued them throughout the week. He also figured out how to get track promoters interested in NASCAR so the drivers could actually make a living doing what they loved most instead of working at the gas station five days a week to make enough money to get to the track in the first place.

In my book, “Big Bill” was a genius. From the days when he oversaw the old beach races down by the Atlantic Ocean to the day he gathered the drivers at the Daytona Streamline Hotel to form NASCAR, he had a vision that no one else at the time could see.

“Big Bill” was also the driving force behind Daytona International Speedway in the late 1950s. For drivers who were used to sliding around dirt tracks in cars that were held together with a fairly new invention, duct tape, and a solid old standby, bailing wire, the new track was quite intimidating, but they trusted France’s vision and came en masse to run neck-and-neck at speeds above 140 mph.

Of course, along with those drivers came the loyal fans — fans many people today would label as rednecks or hicks. They might have loved their moonshine and quit school in the sixth grade to support their families, but they were loyal to their drivers, and they were loyal to NASCAR, too. They didn’t want to hear a whole lot about those sissy Indy cars, because let’s face it, those engines just whined, much like the pretty boy drivers who sat in their seats.

Yes, in the early days, the drivers were really what it was all about. From Fireball Roberts to Ned Jarrett to Lee Petty to “Big Bill” himself, those guys laid the groundwork for the next generation of superstars like Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and The King himself, Richard Petty. And those guys set the stage for the next generation of hotshots, like Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott and The Intimidator, the late Dale Earnhardt.




But somewhere along the way, something went dreadfully wrong. Somebody forgot what NASCAR was all about and got greedy. They obviously forgot all about the guy who spent his entire year saving up enough money to catch a race at North Wilkesboro Speedway or Rockingham Motor Speedway. That guy had to take vacation days from the factory to attend the race, and even though he had to sleep in his rundown jalopy because motel costs were simply out of the question, he made the trip once a year to pull for the guy who was literally his hero — on and off the track.

For the record, the problem didn’t come about when “Big Bill” turned over the NASCAR reins to his son, Bill Jr. No, the problem came about later in Bill Jr.’s tenure, not too long before he decided to turn the reins over to Brian “I-can’t-wait-to-get-out-of-racing-and-own-an-NFL-team” France, the yuppie, corporate-minded 43-year-old who I am pretty sure couldn’t tune a carburator, change a tire or even find a lugnut if his life depended on it.

From the day the third-generation France took over in 2003, NASCAR has been a different sport. Brian France is obviously deeply invested in the whole corporate image when it comes to racing. If you don’t believe that, come shell out anywhere from about $100 to $250 and take a trip through the garage area. Corporate logos are everywhere, and without loads of corporate dollars, drivers can’t even begin to think about running in NASCAR, much less winning.

The problem here is simple: Big dollar sponsors have taken away the days of true racing. Image-conscious drivers — Jeff “have-you-met-my-model-fianc/e” Gordon, Jimmy “is-my-hair-in-place” Johnson and Kasey “I-can’t-believe-Dodge-gives-me-that-much-money” Kahne come to mind. None of those guys knows the first thing about working on a race car, and if you asked them to get their hands dirty tuning the engine, you probably wouldn’t hear the answer for all the laughter that would follow your ridiculous request.

Believe it or not, there is a simple solution to these myriad of problems. I’d say it’s time for NASCAR to take a step back in time and put the greatest driver who ever lived, Richard Petty, on the payroll. The King still understands the importance of race fans, and just like when he was a driver winning 200 races, he still signs autographs for hours on end until every single fan has what they want. “Big Bill” aside, Petty is truly the guy who put NASCAR on the map, and if you ask me, young Brian ought to seek him out for advice on a daily basis.

That might sound like a fantasy to you, but it’s a fantasy that needs to come true real soon. NASCAR is finding too many ways to isolate fans and walk away from the folks who made it happen in the first place, and that silliness needs to stop.

In other words, to put it in terms the average fan from 1968 will understand — NASCAR has gotten too big for it’s britches, and it’s time to jerk a knot in somebody and knock some sense into them, too.
http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com/articles/2006/07/02/sports/sports02.txt

This is the kind of stuff that helps me deal with the new age of Nascar. Knowing people put there do care about what it used to be and that someday, Brian France' reign has to come to an end. Its a wonder why Bill Jr. hasnt beaten his brother to within an inch of his life. It appears that Brian not only wants to completely bury Nascar history, but is beating it over the head with a metal rod as he does so.

[Nevadastars]

Great article and oh so true. But unfortunately, I doubt anything is going change anytime soon. Dollar signs are more important than Na$cars roots.

[Quality88]

The man said what I've been saying... Brian France is spitting in the face of the sport that made him. Great Article.

[Wampinrock]

that is so very true and very eloquent...the next time you hear an announcer mention tht NASCAR is caring about its roots...you too may feel that sickly feeling in the pit of your stomach, reason and consciousness...Brian does not and will not care about those that have placed him on his throne; the fans!

[LSC9901]

So sad and so true. I don't like the fact that corporate America is taking over our beloved NASCAR but that is just the way it is. I do dispise Brian France for selling out though. I understand it is all about the money today but what I hate is that now the people of NASCAR (drivers/teams) are now no longer able to mingle with the little people. Years ago they were the little people. They were some rednecks from up in the mountains, but now we are the ones that they can't/won't associate with. Progress is inevitable but not always what we want.

[TN_Gal]

The only way to get corporate attentionis to hit them in the wallet.

The only thing the fans can do, en masse, is to stop purchasing tickets and souveniors and to boycott the sponsors.

The sponsors can pressure France to make the masses happy again

...just my opionon

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by TN_Gal

The only way to get corporate attentionis to hit them in the wallet.

The only thing the fans can do, en masse, is to stop purchasing tickets and souveniors and to boycott the sponsors.

The sponsors can pressure France to make the masses happy again

...just my opionon

Agreed, however the trick is getting the masses to mass in this particular situation.

[TN_Gal]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Agreed, however the trick is getting the masses to mass in this particular situation.

Well the way rumors fly around NASACR, if Marty Smith writes about it on Monday...the goal would be accomplished by the next race

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Agreed, however the trick is getting the masses to mass in this particular situation.

That would be like the e-mail that goes around suggesting we boycott Exxon or Shell or whoever. Sounds great but it just ain't never gonna happen !!

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

That would be like the e-mail that goes around suggesting we boycott Exxon or Shell or whoever. Sounds great but it just ain't never gonna happen !!

Once again... Agreed.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by BringBackWilkesboro

IF ONLY ‘BIG BILL’ STILL CALLED SHOTS
By LARRY CROOM, DAILY SUN
DAYTONA BEACH — Here’s a statement you can take to the bank: “Big Bill” France would roll over in his grave if he saw his beloved NASCAR today. In case you aren’t a stock car racing fan but somehow found your way to this column, “Big Bill” France is the guy who put NASCAR on the map — the brains
================================================== =====
someday,Brian France' reign has to come to an end.Its a wonder why Bill Jr. hasnt beaten his brother to within an inch of his life. It appears that Brian not only wants to completely bury Nascar history, but is beating it over the head with a metal rod as he does so.

I hate to disagree with Mr. Croom. It's such a great article, which I honestly believe it is. Brian's reign does have to come to an end, IF NASCAR, as we once knew it, is to survive. But... Brian,to a degree, is just carrying on a lot of what his dad, Bill Jr., started.

For example, it was Bill Jr. who approved this current silly point system, which rewards not hard driving and winning, but mediocrity.

It was also Bill Jr who brought an end to the Karl Kiehaeffer Rule (Thou shalt not own more than two teams and compete in NASCAR), but gave a wink and a nod to The Felon when he said, "My Dad, Papa Joe Hendrick, is going to own and run Kenny Schrader's team." (yeah, sure!) Which naturally followed that NASCAR's answer to George Steinbrenner, Jack Roush, offered, "Well, my wife, Georgia and my gardener, Jose, are going to be team owners, too."
Brian, the precocious little bean-counter, has just taken a collection of the race fan's worse nightmares and turned them into this new,[not]-improved prostituted form of NASCAR.

You know, Wilks, sometimes I think these new NASCAR fans are lucky. They don't reference back to the days when the races weren't as orchestrated as a WWF match (debris yellows, selective rule enforcement, etc, etc)...
when the drivers drove to win and figured the points'd take care of themselves...
when the measure of a race fan was how much he/she understood and enjoyed the racing, and not how much over-priced merchandise and toy cars they could collect.

[Nevadastars]

Take a bow Bob, that was a great analogy of the sport today.

I especially liked "The Felon", although I believe he was pardoned by Clinton, much like Nascar pardons Gordon when he takes people out.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Nevadastars

I especially liked "The Felon", although I believe he was pardoned by Clinton, much like Nascar pardons Gordon when he takes people out.

Yep, Pardoned by Slick, on the same day he pardoned two Puerto Rican FLN terrorists and Mark...? (can't remember the last name) who was indited in absentia for bilking investors out of millions of dollars and was living in France, out of the gov's reach, at the time.

The one thing I have to congratulate Rick Hendrick for is his discovery of a cure for cancer. If you remember, he "developed" a form of blood cancer (leukemia?) while awaiting trial. After he was convicted of multiple counts of fraud and was sentenced to prison he "proved" that prison would be a physical hardship and therefore was allowed to remain free, only wearing an anklet. Shortly after this waiver went into effect, Ol' Rick 's cancer suddenly "went into remission?"
Wimps who do the crime but can't do the time, like Ol' Rick deserve to be put in a cell with someone which lots of hair on their back and when he walks into the cell for the first time and, trying to be friendly, says, "Hi. What's new?" his hairy cellmate winks and says, "YOU, Baby!"

[TN_Gal]

Marc Rich??

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by TN_Gal

Marc Rich??

Thanks.
When you get old the mind is the first thing to go.