Bacseat Blonde - The Boomerang Effect: NASCAR’s Ambition May Backfire

June 21, 2004

The Boomerang Effect –
NASCAR’s Ambition May Backfire
By Allison Wagda

It’s not a new phenomenon. When things get too
popular, they become less interesting. Less special.

Anything is susceptible. From music to fashion, to
sports to epicurean delights, our American pop culture
tastes are notoriously fickle.

Sometimes, these things can survive the carnage and emerge stronger than ever.
For instance, take the heavy metal band Metallica. For years, they lingered on the
edge of mass market acceptance. The band had a strong fan base, grown from a
dark, heavy sound that struck a nerve with disaffected youth in the early 80s. At the
height of the hair band era, Metallica decided to go mainstream with what’s known
as the “Black” album, produced by Bob Rock of Bon Jovi fame. The result was a
record considerably more polished and ready-made for the MTV generation.

But the band’s core fans decried the effort, saying the band had “sold out” its roots in
return for the pursuit of the almighty dollar. It wasn’t all that unlike NASCAR today.

I swore I was going to write something positive this week. I know I’ve been critical of
NASCAR as of late, but it’s been warranted. Instead, I’ve decided to add some
perspective to NASCAR’s current image crisis.

Several years ago, I started watching Winston Cup racing as a refugee from the NFL.
While I loved the game of football, the NFL had become a soulless money machine.
Competition was fueled by steroids and other enhancements, and the players acted
like demi-gods living outside the boundaries of normal society.

NASCAR was a marked difference. Sure, the sport was a little rough around the
edges, but drivers seemed like people I would know. At tracks around the country,
local talent would sing the national anthem. Heck, before every race there was
actually a prayer. It was completely refreshing.

And now, NASCAR is suffering from growing pains following a new makeover
intended to launch the sport into the same stratosphere as the NFL, much to the
chagrin of fans. The whitewashing of stock car racing threatens the very foundation of
the sport. Over the past few years, the governing body has been acceding to wishes
of sponsors and TV networks and attempting go “big time.”

From adding a new playoff system to forgoing traditional tracks in favor of larger
media markets, NASCAR is making changes to appeal to a much larger audience
and generate new excitement into the sport. But, at least in the short term, it seems
to be backfiring. Some of the changes were made without tremendous foresight, and
the race results are being affected by a steady stream of screw-ups. Recent TV
ratings reflect a potential fan revolt.

NASCAR’s credibility has always been something of an issue. With sponsor logos
splashed all over everything from cars to driver fire suits to fan gear to race venues,
advertising’s impact on racing is a double-edged sword. Conspiracy theorists have
long claimed the sport’s rigged due to sponsor demands. But fans have remained
almost inexplicably loyal to sponsors since most realize that without them, NASCAR
doesn’t exist.

In the drive to add to NASCAR’s already immense fan base, the sport has largely
relied on publicity. Drivers in recent years have adorned the cover of everything from
Sports Illustrated to USA Today. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has presented at the MTV Music
Awards, and both he and Kasey Kahne have been selected for separate stories as
“sexy” men for People Magazine. Jeff Gordon hosted Saturday Night Live. The
limelight has been unprecedented for the sport, but now that it has becoming a bit
glaring, NASCAR is falling back on the excuse that it is a “work in progress.”

Perhaps the sport wasn’t quite ready for prime time. What separates a fad from
genuine popularity isn’t the hype. It’s the ability to deliver on the promises made
within the hype.

It remains to be seen if NASCAR will have to truly endure a “boomerang effect” or if
the current ratings decline is a short term thing. Metallica managed to overcome it by
growing not only in popularity but musically, yet retaining at least some of the sound
that first appealed to fans. NASCAR can do the same, but it’s going to take more than
a bunch of quick fixes. Here are several ideas that would help NASCAR achieve its
financial goals while keeping fans happy.

1. Slow, steady expansion.
Losing both Darlington (anticipated following 2005) and Rockingham within months
of each other has been a hard pill for fans to swallow. Any further schedule changes
should be done gradually, with plenty of notice to fans so they can rally to save a
hometown track. That doesn't mean burying them on a holiday weekend.

2. Maintain core traditions.
While NASCAR claims that Toyota officially qualifies as an American car since most
of the manufacturing is here in the states, the profits still go back to Japan. NASCAR
can’t throw patriotism out one moment and welcome foreign auto makers at the
same time. And killing the Southern 500 was a shame.

3. Develop CLEAR rules and penalties.
NASCAR has always had difficulty understanding their own vague rules. Especially
those regarding the actions of drivers. The ubiquitous “Actions Detrimental to Stock
Car Racing” category gives officials a catch-all rule to fine anyone for just about
anything they don’t like. NASCAR needs to assign penalties to specific infractions to
treat all racers fairly and to dispel the notion that some drivers get special
consideration due to their popularity.

4. Welcome new fans, respect the old ones.
While fans may be quick to criticize, NASCAR loves to act like they know best. In this
period of change, the powers that be need to listen to fans and consider their
opinions before rushing to judgment.

With time and consideration, and just a little luck, things should start settling down
and we can get back to the real reason we watch NASCAR: racing.

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