Criticism of NASCAR

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The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the Sprint Cup, the Nationwide Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. NASCAR also oversees NASCAR Regional Racing, the Whelen Modified Tour, and the Whelen All-American Series. In its role, NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 39 states, Canada, and Mexico.

This article summarizes several of the criticisms frequently leveled at NASCAR.

Similar to other professional leagues and sanctioning bodies, NASCAR has been the target of criticism on various topics, from various sources. Some critics note the significant differences between today's NASCAR vehicles and true "stock cars". Others frequently cite the dominance of the France family in NASCAR's business structure, policies, and decision making. Recently, the increased number of Cup drivers competing consistently in the Nationwide Series races has been hotly debated. Another general area of criticism, not only of NASCAR but other motorsports as well, includes questions about fuel consumption, emissions and pollution, and the use of lead additives in the gasoline. As NASCAR has made moves to improve its national appeal, it has begun racing at new tracks, and ceased racing at some traditional ones _ a sore spot for the traditional fan base. Most recently, NASCAR has been challenged on the types and frequency of caution flags, with some critics suggesting the outcome of races is being manipulated, and that the intention is not safety, as NASCAR claims, but closer racing.

[edit] Technology far from "stock" or production

Mark McFarland (88) spins at Bristol Motor Speedway, while Kenny Wallace (22) and Ashton Lewis Jr. (25) pass to the inside during a Busch Series event.

The 1960s-era technologies used in the "stock cars" bear little resemblance to modern-day street vehicles. Modern NASCAR vehicles share very few attributes of the commercial models with which they are associated; for example, the production Chevrolet Monte Carlo weighs nearly the same as the NASCAR Chevy Monte Carlo, but the NASCAR vehicle has a cast-iron eight-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels, whereas the production car has an aluminum alloy front-wheel-drive V6. Also, NASCAR vehicles continue to use carburetors instead of the now-common fuel injection, and they also use a 2-valve per cylinder configuration operated by a single cam-in-block using push rods, instead of the double overhead cams operating 4-valves per cylinder that are common on production cars.

Supporters note that this is a modern condition: when NASCAR first started in 1948, the race cars were indeed production vehicles, but the safety and performance needs of modern racing have required custom-built race cars. Supporters also note that the strict equipment rules place less emphasis on getting a technological advantage, and thus more emphasis on individual driver skill. All of NASCAR's series also run on spec tires made by certain tire manufacturers such as Goodyear and American Racer. Some suggest that this discourages tire competition and development, which they further assert has led to the absence of rain/wet condition tires, and to races (such as the 2005 UAW-GM Quality 500) where tires seem to self-destruct.^[1]

[edit] Business structure and decision-making policies

NASCAR's business structure has also been criticized. Since its founding in 1947 by William France Sr., the overall NASCAR organization has been majority owned by the France family, ensuring that the family controls a majority of the overwhelming revenue that the sport generates (compared to other sports where the owners and players split revenue almost evenly). NASCAR is also criticized for its reluctance to promote some aspects of safety that it would have to pay for (e.g., traveling safety crew),^[2][3] and other allegedly monopolistic aspects such as merchandising and race-track ownership. In addition, due to its overwhelming influence and lack of drivers' say, NASCAR has even been compared to a dictatorship by some motorsports, political, and economic analysts.^[4][5] Examples of such influence include the cancellation of the SPEED Channel television show Pit Bull (which frequently criticized many of NASCAR's decisions and policies and enjoyed modest ratings), frequent use of the vague "detrimental to NASCAR" rule, and the creation of rules on whim, especially during a race. NASCAR has taken to penalizing drivers in recent years, with fines, point penalties, and lap penalties in races for drivers or mechanics who use obscene language in interviews to the media.^[6]

[edit] Driver competition in multiple series

NASCAR Busch Series will become the Nationwide Series in 2008

NASCAR has long allowed drivers to compete in as many series and events as they like, with few restrictions. However, in recent years, many Sprint Cup drivers have competed in and dominated the lower tier Nationwide (formerly Busch) Series races on a regular basis, earning Cup drivers the nickname "Buschwhackers". The situation is compounded by the close timing of the races in the two series: a typical NASCAR weekend has a Nationwide race on Saturday followed by a Cup race on Sunday at the same track. Some have wondered why "major league" Cup drivers are allowed to compete in the "minor league" races with such frequency, and whether Nationwide is an adequate developmental series. Sportswriter Bob Margolis noted that much of this is due to the similarities between the cars used in the two series (they are mostly alike except for the engines and the wheelbase), and the desire for Sprint drivers to get as much practice time as possible to learn about the track and car setup before the main race. ^[7] The extra skill and money brought in by teams and drivers from the Sprint Cup Series has led to a wide gap above the Nationwide Series only teams, which was most evident in 2006 when Cup driver Kevin Harvick clinched the Nationwide title with four races to go.

[edit] Environmental impact

[edit] Fuel consumption

In 2004, Sunoco replaced ConocoPhillips' 76 brand as the official fuel of NASCAR

According to NASCAR, about 6,000 U.S. gallons of fuel are consumed during a typical Sprint Cup weekend.^[8] For the 2006 season, which includes 36 points races, the total for the season would be 216,000 U.S. gallons. One environmental critic recently estimated NASCAR's total fuel consumption across all series at 2 million U.S. gallons (7.57 million liters) of gas for one season;^[9] however, the methodology used has been a point of dispute.

At race speeds, Sprint Cup cars get 2 to 5 miles per gallon.^[9][10][8] Consumption under caution can be estimated at 14-18 mpg, based on comparable engines generally available to the public. Interestingly, the rate of fuel consumption tends to be the same regardless of the actual speeds of the cars, as teams change gear ratios for each race to ensure that the engine always operates in its optimum power band; however, the fuel mileage will vary for each race, depending on the maximum speeds attained.

[edit] Emissions and pollution

The consumption figures above provide no insight on environmental impact in terms of emissions. NASCAR vehicles are generally unregulated by the EPA, and in particular, they have no mufflers, catalytic converters or other emissions control devices. However, some local short tracks which run under NASCAR sanction require certain emissions control devices. Many short tracks run mufflers in compliance with noise ordinances at some tracks; in the early years of the Craftsman Truck Series, some races were held at venues which required mufflers, a requirement still used in some Busch East, AutoZone West, and Whelen Modified races.

[edit] Use of lead additives in gasoline

NASCAR continued to use lead additives in its race gasoline until the 2007 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway on February 25,^[11] which led to concerns about the health of those exposed to the fumes of the cars (fans and residents living near the race tracks). Lead is a well-known environmental risk, but the performance needs of race engines (in particular, the high compression ratios and lubricating properties of lead) once made it difficult to switch to unleaded fuel.

In the US, the commercial use of leaded fuel has been phased out since the early 1970's, when catalytic converters were required to be installed on new cars, making unleaded fuel a requirement (leaded fuel will destroy a catalytic converter). The sale of leaded fuel has been mostly banned in the US since 1996, but exemptions exist for auto racing, as well as aircraft, farm and marine equipment.

NASCAR eventually took steps to eliminate the need for leaded fuels. In 1998, NASCAR and then-fuel supplier Tosco (Now ConocoPhillips, the company that produces the 76 brand of Fuel) conducted an unsuccessful test of unleaded fuel in selected Busch Series races. In July 2006, in the first in a four-week test run of unleaded fuel, the first race since 1998 to run unleaded gasoline, known as Sunoco 260 GT Plus, the same fuel used in road races, was held during a Busch race at the Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois. The testing in July 2006 was successful with no suspected engine failures or malfunctions from the new fuel. In October 2006, NASCAR stated its intention to transition to unleaded fuel in all three top series (Craftsman, Busch and Nextel Cup) in 2007, with the exception of the Daytona 500.

During the first race in which unleaded fuel was used, there were a number of engine failures during the race, leading many to believe that the unleaded fuel is to be blamed. The drivers who encountered failures include Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Kasey Kahne of Evernham Motorsports. The engine failures of both Earnhardt and Truex were attributed in part to the lack of a lead additive, but also to centrifugal force causing improper distribution of oil between the left and right sides of the engine. Evernham Motorsports has not disclosed the reason behind Kahne's engine failure.

[edit] Participation of non-U.S. manufacturers

A Car of Tomorrow body with Toyota Camry decals.

NASCAR's early history included several foreign manufacturers, such as Aston Martin, Austin-Healey, Citroën, Jaguar, MG, Morgan, Porsche, Renault, and Volkswagen.^[12] At a 1954 road race in Linden, New Jersey, Jaguar cars finished first, fourth, fifth and sixth.^[13]

As a matter of policy, NASCAR restricted entry to American car makers from the 1960s until 2004, when Toyota was allowed to enter the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with the Toyota Tundra. The restriction was relaxed in recognition of the fact that the Tundra, while Japanese in origin, is built in the United States. Commentators have also noted that the "American" cars are often built or assembled in Canada and Mexico. Some fans have complained about the entry of a foreign manufacturer into what is perceived as an American sport, while drivers and owners have expressed concern that Toyota's deep pockets, and stated willingness to spend, may increase costs for other teams as well.^[14]

NASCAR announced in 2006 the addition of Toyota to both the Busch Series and NEXTEL Cup Series for the 2007 season. Toyota is supporting three Cup teams in a total of seven cars in 2007. Notable drivers that compete in the Toyota Camry include Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Brian Vickers,Dave Blaney, Michael Waltrip, and Dale Jarrett.

Four Camrys qualified for and ran in the 2007 Daytona 500, becoming the first foreign make to compete in a Sprint Cup race since the British-made MG in 1962. However, Toyota's debut was marred by a cheating scandal involving owner/driver Michael Waltrip.^[15]

[edit] Changes in traditional tracks

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

From the late 1990s, and into the early 2000s, a number of new tracks have been built and become part of the NASCAR schedule, in places such as Homestead, Florida, Chicago, Illinois, the Dallas, Texas area, and the Los Angeles, California area. This is part of a publicized trend to make NASCAR a more national sport rather than a regional sport. A consequence of NASCAR maintaining its current 36-race schedule is that the inclusion of these new tracks in the schedule results in some of the more traditional tracks in the Southeast no longer hosting races. Examples include: Darlington Raceway which hosted the Southern 500, North Wilkesboro Speedway which is no longer a part of the NASCAR schedule, and North Carolina Speedway which held its last race in 2004 after being in operation for nearly 40 years. Traditionalist fans argue that this slow attrition away from tracks in those states where stock car racing began causes the sport to move away from its roots, and from uniquely-styled tracks to those of a more "cookie-cutter" design.

[edit] Manipulating the outcome of races

The flagman displaying the checkered flag with a complete set of stockcar racing flags

The number of cautions per race in the Sprint Cup Series has increased from 7.4 in 2001 to 9.6 in 2007 (an increase of almost 30%), while the number of actual crashes per has only increased from 5.6 to 6.7 (an increase of about 20%)^[16]. This is likely due to increased caution periods for cleaning debris from the track. Fans and competitors alike speculate whether some of these cautions are for cleaning actual debris or are being used to keep the cars tightly packed in an effort to boost fan interest. An unnecessary caution at the appropriate time could affect a driver’s strategy and the outcome of the race.

In April 2007, driver Tony Stewart said on his own radio show, "It's like playing God. They can almost dictate the race instead of the drivers doing it…I don't know that they've run a fair race all year." Stewart also made references to professional wrestling institutions such as WWE, which have long been known for scripting matches. Critics of Stewart were quick to point out his unusual struggles and misfortune at the juncture in which his statements were made. He also later apologized.

In an unrelated interview, driver Matt Kenseth said, "There's for sure entertainment cautions, there's no doubt about that, but we're in the entertainment business and you're going to get some of that and group the field every once in a while." Driver and commentator, Kyle Petty, said, "We're in the entertainment business, if they want to throw a caution every 40 laps to keep everybody bunched up, so the fans have a better experience, more cautions, the better."^[17]

[edit] The death of Tim Richmond

The series is known for its poor handling of the illness and subsequent death of Tim Richmond. They suspended him indefinitely for testing positive for banned substances. This, however, was falsified, and NASCAR admitted that only over-the-counter medications had been found in his system. They refused, however, to reinstate him until he released his medical records to NASCAR executives. Though no one is sure how Richmond had contracted AIDS, rumors ran rampant through the community. Richmond attempted to sue for defamation of character, but NASCAR countered by requesting all personal information of his for the previous eight years. As NASCAR intended, he withdrew his lawsuit instead of facing public humiliation.

To this day, NASCAR only briefly mentions his career with a brief paragraph which does not mention his cause of death at all. NASCAR has never offered any apology for their actions prior to or following his death.

[edit] See also

• NASCAR rules and regulations
• Car of Tomorrow
• List of NASCAR race tracks

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

NASCAR

• NASCAR.COM - The Official Site of NASCAR
• NASCAR Technology - from PopularMechanics.com
• Results of Every Race in NASCAR History at Racing-Reference.info