Ford to quit NASCAR?

[White Spyder]

OK race fans, with Fords announcing that it will only be producing the Mustang and the yet to be launched warmed over Focus, will they be getting out of NASCAR?  I heard rumor that maybe Mercedes and Hyundai are considering filling the gap. Thoughts?

[Don Coatney]

I enjoyed racing in the days of Petty, Wallace, Gant, the Waltrips, big Dale, Fireball, Allison, Yarborugh, Parsons, Labonte, Bodine, Martin to name a few. The days where you could tell the manufacture of the car by looking at it. So homogenized to day is is boring. I have not watched a race for years. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

I watched my last Nascar race in person, 1975, at Darlington SC.....have not so much as viewed it on TV since that day...I liked attending the Indy 500 a bit better but would love to attend a Grand Prix event...

[White Spyder]

Grand Prix is my favorite. Wish NASCAR would do more road races. I was at a show over the weekend and got to visit with one of the greats from the circuit, Charlie Kemp. Oh the stories he told!

[RNR1957NYer]

NASCAR's race cars of today remind me of the vacuformed bodied slot cars of the 60's.  I'm sure that, to keep the butts in seats, they will allow Ford to slap a Mustang grille decal on some vaguely shaped  body that fits their template and the chassis of the day, as has been the norm for decades now (remember the v8 powered rear drive two door Taurus?).  I like my race cars to have doors, and lost interest in Nascar when the the cars stopped being based on at least a body-in-white.  I do regularly attend a local short track, and my favorites are the hobby class cars. 

[Flatie46]

Post #2 and #5 pretty well sum up my feelings.  We use to get a race board up at work every week hand throw 10 bucks in the pot.  When you've got some money on a race it does make it a bit more exciting.  

[tom'sB2B]

16 hours ago, Don Coatney said:

I enjoyed racing in the days of Petty, Wallace, Gant, the Waltrips, big Dale, Fireball, Allison, Yarborugh, Parsons, Labonte, Bodine, Martin to name a few. The days where you could tell the manufacture of the car by looking at it. So homogenized to day is is boring. I have not watched a race for years. 

Don’t forget Dick Trickle! ?

[greg g]

Heard the France family was asking some wall street bank to assist them in evaluating their assets.  Seems like what you do prior to filling for reorganization, or prior to a sale.  NASCAR has troubles.  Sponsorship is down, attendance is way down, around here the cable channel and our cable company are having a pi$$ing match, so the first part of the season was lost for viewers.  The up coming All-star event is questionable.  Races are too long and the stages are contrived.   Being that they weren't on TV, I didn't miss them.  As for F1 Who ever wins pole usually wins the race unless there is a crash or screw up in the pits.  The best racing is in mid pack amongst the Saubers, Mclarins, Renaults, Force Indias, Torro Rossos, and lately the Haas Team, and all they show is the leader with his 12 second lead. So basically you have six cars that will nearly always finish 1 through 6, and 10 of the other 14 who might do well enough to grab some constructors points if the finish.  It is all getting predictably and boring.  At least Indy car has some good racing but still the same 8 or 10 up front.  Pretty much think motor sports is an old and unhealthy horse. 

 

[RobertKB]

NASCAR was never the same for me after Dale Earnhardt Sr. was killed. Everything now is corporate and the cars are cookie cutter in appearance. Still takes a lot of talent to drive one hard but the appeal has gone for me. Certainly have no time for the present format. Time was I watched every race but I don't think I have seen one in over ten years. I did go to one NASCAR race in Las Vegas in 1999 as a 50th birthday present. Holy crap........................that was 19 years ago.

 

 

[greg g]

Time flies!!  We have been to a couple oval tracks and been the Watkins Glen a time or two.  The noise and rumble of 40 + 700 HP cars is worth the experience but not habit forming.  Like road courses and short tracks but all these 400 to 500 mile mile and a halfs all look the same except for the color of the walls.

[MackTheFinger]

I liked Nascar when it was Petty, Pearson, Foyt, Johnson, Yarborough, etc.. I became so immersed in everything motorcycle related I barely paid attention to anything else for a long time. When I finally noticed Nascar again it looked like reality TV...

 

The younger generation just isn't as interested in cars like we were.. As mentioned before it's partly because of the homogeneity of today's automobiles.. On the plus side, cars are more reliable, more comfortable, and safer than ever so what's to get hung up about?? It's just a car... ?