With sponsorship money getting tight and manufacturer support looking more questionable by the week, NASCAR needs to do something drastic to maintain its popularity.
Here's one idea: Have the domestics switch to Camaros, Challengers and Mustangs instead of their current crop of "sedans".
Everyone knows that stock cars have drifted away from their production roots, so why not make them a little bit more like real cars?
Rumors have suggested that the Nationwide Series considered this move as a way to differentiate the developmental series from the top-shelf Cup cars. It's still possible, as the new Nationwide cars have been delayed until the 2010 season at the earliest.
What do you think? Would this generate any additional interest in NASCAR?
stovt001 says:
11:18 AM, 02/ 8/09
YES YES YES! Bring the stock back to stock car racing. These cars have RWD and high-output engines from the factory. Racing is way more exciting where there are actually different cars you can cheer for, and possibly even buy.
rsholland says:
02:01 PM, 02/ 8/09
I agree. Bring the "stock" back. As it stands, NASCAR is a joke, and a bad one at that.
daytona_500 says:
02:05 PM, 02/ 8/09
I dont think this will ever happen. NASCAR is too heavily committed to the new Car of Tomorrow to go back and try to change things around. I'd rather see them stick with Chargers, Impalas and Fusions than stick muscle car decals on a CoT and ruin the name. Not only that, but the stock in stock car has been dead for about 20 years.
That's not really the only thing that NASCAR lacks, a lot of fans like myself are ticked off with the fact that too many things have been changed, (usually for the worse) such as the points system, the yellow line rule, top 35 etc.
cah11705 says:
03:30 PM, 02/ 8/09
it really does need to go back to its roots with all these new muscle cars popping up. then maybe toyota would need to develop a new car to compete with it, maybe a supra?
matt1320 says:
04:02 PM, 02/ 8/09
Yee-Haw!!!
jaguar8 says:
08:34 PM, 02/ 8/09
Ehh...They may not be able to compete for the younger generations...being young myself...watching ppl going in a circle is not all that.
billt9 says:
01:32 AM, 02/ 9/09
Ya oval sucks switch the track too, and race the Camaro. Then it will be cool.
dougtheeng says:
06:45 AM, 02/ 9/09
NASCAR is terrible.
estreka says:
07:28 AM, 02/ 9/09
Normally, I'd shout a resounding "YES!", but I'm not convinced the Camaro will stick around, much less the Challenger. And it wouldn't be very fair if the domestics had muscle cars while Toyota has, uh, hm.
I foresee many NASCAR teams declaring bankruptcy this year.
firstwagon says:
09:08 AM, 02/ 9/09
I'd love to see them use souped up versions of these real cars (i.e. an actual Challenger, not just a Challenger body shell on a race car.)
I'll bet they go just as fast too what with all the restrictions the current cars have.
Might even gain a few fans outside of the current core group.
iskch says:
09:51 AM, 02/ 9/09
Nope. Why not get the original TRANS-AM racing series back again but with more strict rules. Original car chasis and no modifications on the suspension (in simple words STOCK). Not the NASCAR MEGA SUPER TEAMS with more drama than a 30 year old running soap opera.
subytrojan says:
04:16 PM, 02/ 9/09
Agreed. Bring back Trans-Am racing!!! Go fast, turn left...and right!
I miss the sound of those V8s rumbling and reverberating along Seaside Way every year in Long Beach!
greenpony says:
06:59 PM, 02/ 9/09
I've never been interested in Nascar. What's the fun of watching a bunch of cars drive around in circles all day? I could make 500 laps of my cul-de-sac in any number of cars, but that wouldn't make it fun. So I second the call for road courses rather than oval courses. That, combined with actual real STOCK cars, is intriguing.
You know, maybes it's just those photos, but I never realized how much the Challenger and Camaro look alike.