Not having CaTV I soaked up each network telecast of the major NASCAR races growing up - watching Richard Petty, Cale Yarbourough and the likes bump and crash their way to the finish. It's a great treat now that NASCAR is on network TV most weekends, but there are a few improvements needed.
Things NASCAR needs to change:
- It's great that they have a network TV deal, but they've got to insist that the networks put them on. I can't tolerate NBC broadcasting Bull Riding while NASCAR is relegated to TNT.
- With the network TV deal, NASCAR should try to replace ice hockey as the fourth major sport in the USA. But to do so, they need to shorten their season moving the Chase for the Championship to August when the majority of fans don't have other competing interests (NFL, Baseball playoffs).
- They need to drop NBC all together. Is it just my impression or does NBC regularly miss the action on the track? I find I get a better understanding of the race if I listen to the radio broadcast. Though they have former NASCAR drivers on their crew they don't seem to love, eat and drink NASCAR like their audience does.
Fantasy NASCAR
Though my favorite team, M&M's Racing, is out of the Chase, I'm in two Fantasy Leagues that are coming down to the wire. My Andoy team is tied for the lead in the Nextel Ultimate Fantasy League with GoJimmieGoJimmie. Our teams are against each other at Talladega this week so the tie will be broken one way or another.
In the Race Friends league after sitting in the basement for most of the season, the Comeback Kid has been on a surge of late, climbing up to 2nd place (only to fall back to 6th after a poor showing at Dover).
NASCAR Outreach
I've heard that several people at Grace have tossed around the idea of a NASCAR outreach. With the number of NASCAR fans that attend regularly, I think we need to think about using NASCAR as a Level 1. One thought I had was doing a Grace NASCAR Fantasy League next season open to anyone in greater-Lititz. We'd use it as a common-interest thing to strike up conversations and to build relationships. In addition, we'd have at least one or two races that we'd watch at the church. Something like projecting a night race on the side wall in the Auditorium (20+ feet high screen) and seeing a race in larger-than-life size or maybe we project on the outside of the Auditorium and we do an outdoor race. I've heard some argue that without alcohol you won't draw a crowd, but I'm willing to try anyway. NASCAR just seems like a perfect avenue to build bridges.
