The Daytona 500 is a completely different beast and it’s time NASCAR fans started recognizing that. While this year’s edition of the Daytona 500 delivered one of the most exciting and intense finishes in its 58-year history, fans still seem content to complain about the quality of the races that took place Sunday afternoon during the Great American Race.
So that brings us to the topic of this Beyond The Flag debate: Should NASCAR fans be unhappy with the product that was the 2016 Daytona 500?
Let’s start by defining the word race for a moment. A race, as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary, involves competing with one or more others to see who is the fastest to complete a set course or achieve a goal. Keep in mind that the definition makes no mention of arousal, number of passes, or anything of that nature.
With that in mind and the thrilling finish fans were treated to in the final laps of the 500, how was this not the classic definition of what a race is? Sure, there weren’t many lead changes during the race, only 15 to be exact, and the outside line was at a big disadvantage throughout the afternoon, but should such factors really have an impact on the overall quality of the race?
On the contrary, these types of factors not only increase the overall quality of a race, but also show how difficult it is to achieve victory in NASCAR’s most prestigious race. Seriously, how prestigious would the Daytona 500 be if passing was easy and drivers took a bunch of ridiculous risks to win the race?
Not only would this type of racing essentially turn the Great American Race into little more than a demolition derby, but it would also make winning a matter of luck rather than actual skill. While these aspects of racing would be fun to watch at any other race in the 36-event Sprint Cup Serious season, the Daytona 500 should present drivers with a special type of challenge.
While I appreciate Brian’s thoughts, I disagree with him.
The Daytona 500 was a race by definition, but NASCAR is not just in the racing business, but also in the entertainment business. Putting cars on the track is not enough to sell tickets and fill the tracks. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the ratings and profit margins for the last 15 years. NASCAR is just as much in the entertainment business as it is in the racing business, and as a result, they need to produce an exciting on-track product that lasts 200 laps, not just three laps.
NASCAR’s problem is similar to that experienced by the NFL and NBA.
Defense can win championships, but a 10-7 game in the NFL and a 72-68 game in the NBA is not a recipe for long-term success. Sure, these occasional games are nice, but if this was the product the majority of the time, both leagues would suffer. This is why the NFL guards the offense the way it does and why there is a lack of defense in the NBA. Fans want to see scores, action and excitement.
In NASCAR, it’s no different. NASCAR fans don’t want to see cars drive in a straight line for 190 laps only to have a shootout over the last 10 laps or so. If this is the product that NASCAR is proposing, fans have a right to be upset about it.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what I say or what NASCAR does, because fans will never be fully satisfied with the racing product that takes place on the track. Fans claim they wanted exciting passes every round and thrilling finishes in the past, but then complained and cried when it came to tandem races.
While it’s understandable that fans are upset about the tandem races that have plagued the track for several years, it almost makes them seem hypocritical when they continue to complain about it after NASCAR listened to the fans and resolved the problem. Oddly enough, it now seems that NASCAR fans want the constant passing, insane risk-taking and close finishes that make up tandem racing.
In all honesty, these fans don’t know what they want and will continue to complain about the quality of racing until every race ends in a 20 car pileup and no driver can make it to the finishing line. Maybe fans should look at the skills needed to race at a track like Daytona and stop wanting to just watch a wreck fest at the Daytona 500 every year.
I agree that some fans will never be happy, but those fans are not the majority even though they can be the loudest at times.
Ultimately, it’s the fans who run NASCAR. If the fans stop coming, it will eventually kill the sport. Will the fans ever stop coming? No, probably not. However, the loss of fans over the past 15 years cannot be ignored. While the Daytona 500 easily attracted more than 20 million viewers and is currently struggling to attract six or seven, this is a problem.
More races: Daytona 500 winners and losers
Finding a happy medium isn’t easy and the answer isn’t simple, but it’s NASCAR’s job to continue to work at it in an effort to provide the best product for fans.
