Backseat Blonde - ‘Year of the Rookie’ Fails to Pay Dividends

October 18, 2004

‘Year of the Rookie’ Fails to Pay Dividends
By Allison Wagda

NASCAR has bet the farm on the future.

From the way the champion is determined to the racing
schedule to even the way races are finished, NASCAR
has undergone an unprecedented transformation over
the past year.

But the sport’s biggest gamble may be on its current obsession with youth, and it
could place its future in peril by saturating fans with too many of the untested.

Early in the 2004 season, expectations were high for the five rookies entering
NASCAR’s premier series. Brian Vickers, Brendan Gaughan, Scott Wimmer, Scott
Riggs and Kasey Kahne were unveiled as the next generation of young guns.

So many talented rookies should have affected events on the track. Yet not one has
won a race, and only Kasey Kahne had a chance to break into the inaugural Chase
for the Championship playoffs.

Actually, Kahne has been the only rookie to give fans much to cheer about. The rest
have largely not been a part of the competitive equation this season despite the hype.

You’d think such a lackluster rookie season would stem the flow of them into the
sport for at least a year or two. Especially since the addition of a rookie to the roster
now usually means the departure of a current driver.

More specifically, the departure of a veteran. So why is youth so coveted in the new
NASCAR that legendary veterans are being pushed, albeit ceremoniously, from the
sport?

In short, it’s money. NASCAR’s TV contracts are up for renegotiation soon, and it is
assumed younger drivers attract more of the much-coveted 25-40 demographic (as
part of that demo, I question that claim). When NASCAR targets this market, NBC
and FOX can sell their commercial time at a premium.

Likewise, sponsors are more willing to pay more to target a younger audience, and
in an era of spiraling costs and a limited sponsor pool, additional clout with
sponsors can help the bottom line.

After all, while NASCAR might claim the private corporation moniker, it’s sister
organization International Speedway Corp. has impatient shareholders to pacify.

NASCAR will enter 2005 with most of its revered veterans either entering the part-
timers club or running a full, yet final, season. And NASCAR teams will continue to
promote the latest and greatest “phenoms” to fans, hoping one will stick.

Frankly, I’d rather watch experienced veterans running 25th than a bushel of rookies
doing the same, and I suspect many other race fans feel the same.

But the trend toward younger drivers is not expected to reverse for some time. The
pipeline of personable, marketable young drivers is full, and NASCAR and its teams
ever more willing to give them their chance in the limelight at a young age, hoping to
uncover the next Jeff Gordon.

NASCAR had several productive rookie seasons that introduced Jimmie Johnson,
Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Matt Kenseth to the mix, and that was surely
valuable to us all. Those results can’t be replicated by looking to youthful charmers
who can turn a fast test lap.

Yes, rookies have a place in racing. But children not old enough to rent a car or drink
a sponsor’s beer should not be eligible for NASCAR’s top series, no matter his/her
potential. And all aspiring Cup racers should have at least a few years in more
developmental divisions to give them a level of maturity to better handle the
pressures of pro racing both on and off the track.

And offer fans better racing. If we wanted MTV, we’d change the channel.

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