NASCAR. National Association for STOCK Car Auto Racing.
At one time a person could just look at a car and tell you the brand name, year, and probably the model. This is as things were when NASCAR got it’s start. You had a car of about any brand. FORD, MERCURY, HUDSON, CHEVROLET, OLDSMOBILE, PONTIAC..etc. If it was manufactured in USA it was probably represented on the track.
These cars were mostly bought at a dealership. Many were actually driven to the race track and home again. The men who drove these cars also worked on them and made many modifications that would end up in autos produced at the factories.
Then in the late 1960-early-1070. Detroit lost their imagination and all cars started looking alike. But it was still a win on Sunday Sell on Monday, situation for the manufacturers. A person could still go to their local dealership and buy a car like they watched win.
As NASCAR grew so did the advertising opportunity. The time of the Shade Tree Mechanic racing was coming to an end. It took money to be competitive. I can attest to this. I ran dirt tracks. It was just a hobby, something to have fun with. I remember it cost me $12 to enter the race. I won the Trophy Dash, (trophy dash was a race between the 4 fastest qualifiers usually about 4 laps long), I won my heat race, qualified for the semi-feature and finished 2nd. The Feature the big money race I finished 5th. I went home with a trophy and $9. The trophy probably cost $3 so I may have broken even. I was earning the average salary at the time. But eventually the local track was invaded by people with sponsorships. They had twice as much money in their car than I made a year,
Now NASCAR has (in the name of safety) brought out their own model. They all look even more alike. Wait, they are alike. Can I go to my local dealership and buy one of these basic models. Nope. Why call them FORD, CHEVY, TOYOTA. The auto manufacturers are pouring money into a car no one can buy. What they are paying for is a sticker with their name on it.
It may be me, and probably is, but Since a certain person whose shall remain nameless but his last name starts with the eighth letter of the alphabet, NASCAR has been on a downward spiral. They wanted to change their image and do away with the “redneck” image that supported them throughout the years. Silly rule changes. Example: A car passes inspection before the race. after banging each other, the wall, etc, the car come in and it is .0064 inches lower than it started. Slap a fine and penalty. A weakened spring, lower tire pressure, any number of things could cause this in the natural course of a race.
NASCAR has always allowed a certain brand name to make changes because they could not keep up with FORD. (I am a FORD man). Now they still make exceptions for the cars carrying that other brand sticker.
But I leave this up to you to decide. STOCK CARS meant cars you could purchase at you dealership. Because this is no longer possible. Shouldn’t the “S”tock” be dropped from the name and just be NACAR (National Association for Car Auto Racing)
In closing I personally do not like the “CHASE’ Championships should be won on a show of consistency throughout the year. And this idea of guaranteed starting positions…. If you had 43 cars come in and post faster times than any of the “Stars” That would mean 35 of those cars would not make the race and slower cars would be in the race. DUH.
That’s the way I see it