I am a huge NASCAR fan BUT, for some reason last year I started to get turned off by the sport. Not for Toyota, but for NASCAR's willingness to disregard the core fan base for a "new" fan base.
The Toyota is the most popular car sold in the US. That is bad. Not Toyo's fault, however more of these cars are built by US workers than the fomoco's or GM's. The dodges? I am not sure.
Anyways, what NASCAR wants is the big TV contracts and sponsors. A few events that happened this year really shed light on the situation. First, Mark Martin. Been with the 6 car for 19 years. Watches Roush go from an upstart to a powerhouse, mentored Jeff Burton and brought in Matt Kenseth. Mark wanted to retire before LAST year. Contract battles forced roush to be a driver short. Mark drove one more year and was competitive. Mark wanted to do a part time deal but the sponsor for his 6 car wanted a rookie in 07. Apperently that is want the contract stated. Martin went to another team, will drive a part time schedual with a rookie. It would have been ideal to do that in the 6 but the owner succumbed to the sponsors wishes. Next, the RYR fiasco. Finaly Yates came to his senses and put Rudd in the 88 (now 28) but he was waiting to find a driver that potential sponsors would want, not a driver who could perfom on the track. Ward Burton was told "bring a sponsor and you have a ride". They knew he could get the job done but the sponsors dont want a 40 somthing driver, they all want a young guy with raw talent and good looks.
Next issue was at Texas. fall race they DID NOT sell out. back stretch seats were empty for a Playoff ("chase") race. Fans did not want to spend $100+ for a seat. NASCAR sold the space to advertisers that installed banner adds in place of the empty seats. A Texas Speedway official was quoted saying somthing along the lines of that he did not care how the "space" was filled. If fans dont buy seats, they can generate revenue other ways. Hello, how do you think you got to this point?????? Sponsors or fans????
Next, California. They moved the Labor Day race from Darlington 2 years ago where it has been since NASCAR started and gave darlington 1 race in the spring. One of your best and toughest tracks. The race went to the big SO CAL market on a "cookie cutter" track. They had a hard time filling the place and I dont think they did. Point being they disregarded thier old fan base that got them to this point and tried to go to a new market and it has backfired. You could also say the same for North Wilksboro and Rockingham.
Toyota is just a way to get more of the casual fan into the sport plus Toyota has big $$ and they have been succesful in the truck series. Also, this year they will run the COT (car of Tomarrow) wich if anyone thought all the cars were the same before, just wait.
The hayday was the late 70's and 80's. The Buick Regal was so dominant in 81 and 82 they forced the other builders to change. That made better cars for us. We can also thank that dominance for the Grand National. Maybe Buick has a TR w/out the GN but the GN puts the TR on the map (IMO). And thus the GNX
Also back then, if lets say Chevy wanted to change thier cars to compete with a ford, they had to actually produce a certain number for street use before the change was implemented. Remember the Monte Areo Coupe and the Pontiac 2+2? These cars were a result of Ford comming out with the new T-Bird at the time and Bill Elliot was dominating the circuit. Today, if one brand is running near the back, they complain to NASCAR and they get changes, just like the Charger this past year. No changes to the street car, just changes to the race car so they have "parity".
The fall in dominance with NASCAR goes way beyond Toyota.