DVR vs Daytona

The final fan has finally exited Jerry Jones’ Death Star architectural marvel (aside from a few ‘cheap seats’ that are now going for thousands, in retrospect) and the sporting world is impatiently loitering for the next big thing. Thankfully the Swimsuit issue has eased that pain for most of the masses and yet there’s still a sense of loss. It’s Sunday, what am I going to do?

One could saunter down to the nearest gin mill and contemplate the closing in of the baseball season. One could address his spouse and ask the question … ‘didja wanna go shoppin?’ There are options.

For many, the quest for the perfect answer is elementary: The Daytona 500.

“Second place is just the first place loser.”  Dale Earnhardt

Racing fans are passionate, knowledgable, and eccentric. They gear up for the approaching season like no other fan, what with up-dating their wardrobe in the finest new colorful, yet predominantly black T-shirts, favorite blue jeans and , fingers-crossed , a new leather racing jacket with corresponding brim cap. They dust off their beer coolers and gaze at their paraphernalia in anticipation of the initial race of the year. THE race. The big one. Goose flesh all over.

This is it. Start your engines. Drop the flag, and they’re off.

Here’s the thing: I will apologize directly. Not a fan.

I can’t get my head around it.

Granted, I have limited knowledge on the sport as a whole and that’s not my fault. (I will attempt to explain that in an additional post.)

I have difficulty, in my method of understanding, grasping that the most coveted title in the sport occurs in the inaugural race of the year. Curious. Where’s the warmup? Where’s the peaking towards the mountaintop?  Seems anticlimactic.

Again, there’s obviously a very historic part of this hot sport that cherishes the Daytona 500 as THE race. That’s fine. I’ll just go with it. But, but …

The economy has taken its toll on NASCAR and the Indy side of racing. Fewer fans, fuel costs et al. The hope is that this is the year that bumps all things considered closer to where it was 10 years ago. Huge. Biggest thing going. No end in sight. Everywhere one looked it was the colorful emblem of NASCAR.

I have an idea, for  those executives in the business, on just how to create a buzz as well as attract new fans towards the goal of upping this base. Bear with me for a moment.

What makes racing exciting? What would it take to grab a nonfan to stop surfing the net and take notice? What do the masses want to see?

Boom. Squeal. Crash. Red lights flashing.

Bingo.  The art of the wreck. The rubbernecking of the common man. The drama of human disaster.

“You win some, you lose some, you wreck some.”  Dale Earnhardt

Before I push on with my proposal I must, with full testament mention a disclaimer … no one gets hurt.

Oh sure, it MAY happen, that a driver dings himself, and that is exactly why it’ll work. What if?

NASCAR is legalized bootlegging. Meaning that back in the day, entrepreneurs in the Great South had to move product … quickly. Their autos became faster than the their counterparts,’ the men in blue. Crossing county lines at breakneck speeds was the norm and they became cult figures locally. Heros were created and folklore was rampant. Crashes were epic, spillage was the result and the surrounding community was talking. Why was that ’69 Dodge Charger, “The General Lee,” such an icon? Fast and colorful and cool. They also ran all year-long.

Racing takes place on a track, outdoors. What causes more accidents, statistically, on the open road? Simple: the elements.

Damn it people … run those top constructed vehicles in the weather. Why not? The venue is outdoors. Let them run. Be free.

“The crashes people remember, but drivers remember the near misses.”  Mario Andretti

For every race that occurs with near perfect weather, another is held up with less than that. Delay, delay, delay and then finally postponement. Why must we endure this procedure? The fan, those who flop down the greenbacks to watch and support what’s in front of them, must sit and wait. Sit and wait. Rain? Hang in there, race fan … it’ll restart in an hour. What? Two hours? You’re fine. A little wet. Sure the drivers and crew members are dry but not you. Worry not, restart in three hours after we locate a few helos to dry the track. Soon, dude … soon.

Why the delay? These are the best drivers, the finest crews in the world, the highest level of technicians alive and why can’t we see this race? Oh, someone might crash and get hurt. C’mon guys … the cars will slow down, the cages will hold and the drivers will still be driving next week. The crashes will be more frequent but easier cleanup: just hose it down and get out. No need to dry it up cause these drivers know how to drive with the dampness. The fans are still in the stands and the race continues.

Other sports play in inclement weather, why not racing? The fan won’t need to make additional arrangements in their schedules for one more day of vacation to accommodate the extended race. Hey, it may work?

Would this ever happen? Of course not. Speed is the excitement here and no one wants to watch a car drive in the rain at 80 miles an hour. I understand but I’d still like to see it once. A little snow? Cool. Give it a shot. Drive like you or me and just try to make that turn. What do you mean you can’t see? Neither can I but I have to get to work and make my meager paycheck so off I go.

Good luck, NASCAR. I hope you make it back to where you were and win over some new fans. The future is now and the Daytona is but days away. The top race. The big one. The Super Bowl of racing. All in week one. Hmmm … don’t get it.

Now, will I watch? I am a huge sports guy and there’s little doubt that part of my day will be flipping through the channels to locate a game or two. I have this strange feeling that when the race is nearing the finish line that I’ll be there. I’ll be staring at the screen and wondering just who will take home the title. I must … I’m a sports fan. The Daytona 500 is huge.

Maybe the last 10 laps or so … tops. The rest of the day will be watching the lengthy backlog of shows I have on my DVR. You understand … I’m just not a race guy. The DVR wins this one.

Maybe I’ll see a wreck during Hawaii 5-O?

Reiny