By By: Brad Simmons
February 18, 2001 is widely considered one of, if not THE saddest day in NASCAR history. The death of Dale Earnhardt in turn 4 on the last lap of the Daytona 500 is still felt to this day. Along with the passing of Dale Earnhardt went NASCAR as we knew it then. “The Intimidator” as he was known, had no problem bulling his way to the front each and every week. He may not have had the best car, but he knew how to get to where he needed it to be.
How did he do it? Somebody in the way, no problem, you move them…and they accepted it.
Since that fateful day at Daytona, NASCAR has steadily clamped down on contact on the track, separating itself from the sport’s roots. Back in it’s heyday, frammin’ and bammin’ was a mainstay that made Sundays at the track quite amusing. Drivers got spun out any number of times and then it was a race to see who’s fist got to who’s face first. In 2007, after an on-track confrontation, you do a little finger wagging with all your protective gear on and then it’s a race to the first TV camera to whine about this, that and the other.
Why did this transformation happen? Two reasons: NASCAR has grown so quickly over the last 10-15 years and gotten so corporate that understandably, it is imperative that the sport keep a nice clean cut image. The difference between day one and now is night and day.
Reason two, the drivers aren’t equipped with the mental toughness to mix it up and swap paint. As the rate of on track contact diminishes, perhaps the governing body should require all the teams to remove all their fenders and become another open wheel racing circuit.
The solution is easy. NASCAR should revert back to the golden age when rubbin’ is racin’. The drivers need to pull their big boy pants on, stop complaining and go out and grind out a race...not tiptoe their way through it.
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