This topic comes up in the comments quite often. People claim to know what who the "real" NASCAR fans are. This phrase gets kicked around a lot but nobody has ever really explained what it means. I spent some time thinking about "real" NASCAR fans and came up with this definition.
What do you think of my list? What, exactly, defines a "real" NASCAR fan?
Comments
Steve, I agree 100% on your list. I have said many time almost the same thing. I don’t like all drivers but don’t bag on their win. Been to a few races in the past.$ now. I am a Hendrick’s team lover but am welcoming Jr. to it. I know his fans won’t do the same. Myspace is the same. We all agree he should be welcome in. Some will never agree just like here.
I agree completely with what you have put together. Other sport fans (not all) look at NASCAR fans as stereotypical southern rednecks. Thanks for this list, and even when my kids grow to watch NASCAR there will still only be 1 king.
I agree with most of that list. But lets make this simple as with any sport if your actions are detrimental to the sport or its reputation in any way, your not a fan but a liability, and no sport or organization needs that.
Well I’m a big fan of Dale Jr.and always will be,where ever he goes I’ll behind him 100%
Steve, I’ve used the “real fan” line more times than I can count in the past and you’re list is basically 100% all of what I’ve always said! It’s sad to me that there are people that claim to be “fans” of nascar and can’t name but a few drivers… and ask them anything about nascar’s history and they have NO CLUE ask who the King is and they think you’re talking about Elvis… nope he’s not the King not to a nascar fan!
Steve 100%!!! I have read these comments where someone calls someone else “YOU’RE NOT A TRUE NASCAR FAN” that has always bothered me, I see it bothered you too Steve. Thanks for this list. I think you are right on (or at least very darn close). I know you’ve read me saying ONLY POSITIVE REMARKS Well that is extremely hard to do at times. But I feel that is making me become more of a TRUE RACE FAN. Thanks again everyone GO KASEY and good luck to all.
When Dale Jr. jumped into the #5 of Kyle Busch- My first thought was..”thats not cool”. Kinda like “Sleeping with the Enemy”…and thats the way I look at MR HENDRICKS team. They have to refer to him as “MR Hendrick” or they will be fined. Too Bad they can’t refer to him as “THE CONVICTED FELON” with the Bribe $$ he paid to the various Honda Dealers to buy them off.. All of your HAVE TO REMEMBER that BILL CLINTON..PARDONED “MR CONVICT”/ Hendrick–right before he left office..Anyway..#24 & 48..are not my kinda guys..#24 is a UNIC and 48 is a clone of the #24.
Enough said…Dale..good luck! With your Newest-Bestest Buddy!…and now teamate Jeffie..(#24 hardly NEVER mentions that he has any teammates ..Never Mentioned Terry Labonte for example!..Hey they sure booted Brian Vickers when HE RACED hard against the 24 last year. Enough said.
Real Fans don’t boo driver’s and throw beer cans on the track..They Enjoy the whole Nascar experience and respect other peoples choice of driver’s …They understand that each and every driver has put 100% into trying to make the race and deserve to be treated with respect.Real fans don’t hope for Crashes..They just want to see a good race and let the Best man win.They also don’t pick on a 6 year old because he’s a Jeff Gordon Fan.Real fans have Class…and most people at nascar race’s are real fans…
Good post Steve.
Hey Likedale3, this was about what makes a good race fan. Why did you feel the need to twist it into a crying fest about HMS? Have mommy wipe your nose, and maybe you can add something pertinent to the conversation.
Well Steve good question ! Im 45 and since i was a little kid i remember watching Daytona all by myself .All i ever wanted to be was a race car driver . Like they say its in your blood .One thing i dont get is how some fans dont watch other forms of racing and claim only Nascar ! If it has a motor and wheels Im there. Nothing like the smell of racing fuel in the morning !
Steve: EXCELLENT!! I agree 300% with your list of what are Real Fans of the Sport. A lot of this fans don’t know how respect the sacrifice these Guys are doing and putting their life on the line to entertain US!!. I use to dragg race when I was a teen now I am a grandma and like they say Sport come in your blood. I hope this bring some light to those guys that wish the worst for the drivers. I have being to many races and I have faced those insults from others fan especially at the Poconos. I guess this people don’t know what it is being driving and I wonder how they will feel if someone wish them to wreck their car while they are driving. I Love the Hendricks Motor Sport but that doesn’t mean I send a prayer when those guys start their engine in each race. They should listen how the races are the beginning always have a Pastor to do the prayer before the race. Just a comment I love the 48 Team but WELCOME TO HENDRICK MOTORSPORT DALE. YOU KNOW WHAT A GOOD TEAM IS. LEARN FROM THE UNITY THOSE GUYS CARRY AT HENDRICK FANS. THE ONE THAT WORK UNITED THEY WIN UNITED.
Indykevin is exactly correct, Likedale3. Also, I’d suggest you spend a little time with a dictionary AND a thesaurus when you’re not at the shrine paying homage to the man who had the most used bumper in Nascar.
I thought this was about being a real fan. Likedale? Is that how a real fan talks? If so, I guess I am not a real fan and happy for that.
a true nascar fan? one who watches week after week only to here i cant drive my car, its to lose, its to tight,or i dont know why he is racing so early. we have plenty of racing left. i blame this and other things on nascar and helton. racing used to be fun now its more than just a job. drivers have to be performers instead of racers. talk about history, what happen when you walked into a dealership, bought a car put a rollcage in and went racing? i know racing has change other the years, but so has the drivers. cars are much safer,faster and high tech. but so is the world. as far as elvis, he will always be the king. and as great as richard petty was so was all the ones before him that help paved the way to what we enjoy watching week after week. mike helton, let them race bump and cuss bend some fenders and at the end of the day, they all will still be friends because there all a bunch of good old boys.
Likedale3,
Perfect time to post your remarks. It does not seem that you can claim ownership of many fo the bullet points Steve put together. Where were you in 1996 when Terry and Jeff went down to the wire on the last race before declaring a champion? Jeff was one of the first to congratulate Terry and said that if he didnt win it, he was glad his teammate did. I have been a Terry fan since 1985 and Jeff has always treated Terry with the utmost respect.
Great points Steve!
By the way….Terry is racing this weekend!!!!!!!
TLabonte Fan Now I know why the others on here that writes on here think you are a kiss butt almost sickning.
Thanks Patty!
Smoooooocchhhhh!
I agree with your list,but I believe nobody minds it when a driver they dont like tears up his car.I dont want anyone to get hurt,but I dont think that makes me less of a fan.My first race was Daytona 79.That race makes all the top 10 lists,Guess why!
My driver is the #20, but even if he isn’t running good, I still respect all the hard work the other drivers have put into trying to win. It was good to see Mikey there. Nascar is about pulling for your favorite driver to win, but if he doesn’t, congratulate your opponent.
It’s wonderful to know that I meet all the criteria for being a ‘real race fan’ except for never having been to a live race. I know that I am fortunate in having been to a few…only two and it truly doesn’t make me any better fan than anyone who hasn’t been to a live race. It’s just a wonderful experience I hope all fans get to have at least once in their lives. I do know one thing…I plan to be at Daytona next February for the 50-year Anniversary!!! It’ll be my second 500 but surely not the last…
We ‘real’ fans I think are misunderstood by those who don’t know the sport but mostly I think by those fans who don’t meet many, if any at all, of the points on your list. Personally I think that there are just some people who get into something so that they can have something to gripe about and a place where they feel they can pass judgement on others.
All I know is that I love stock car racing with all of my heart and the more I learn about it’s history and the more progress is made in the sport the more I love it. I respect and like ALL of the drivers and yes even though my guy has had a rough time this year and has missed a few races (DJ) I still watch and enjoy them. I miss him but him not being there doesn’t change that it’s a race and I love races (hey how about that Mikey last Sunday???).
Thanks for the list. I hope that some of the people who consider themselves ‘real’ fans who don’t meet the criteria on the list will take a good look at their contribution to the sport as a fan and will maybe re-think some of their prejudices and judgements.
If a driver is in the cup, they must be good. However, there is couple of drivers that were put in the seat way too early; they needed to come through the ranks to give them the maturity that is needed. However, with the climate of today’s racing NASCAR wants to push the glamour so the hot shots young drivers come in and the teams put them in the seat a little early. No, I don’t want to see anybody to get hurt. However, I do not think it makes you any less of a fan if you get excited to see a wreck. Face it, if all the people would leave the grand stands that like to see a wreck, the grand stand would be at LEAST ¼ empty probably more. I have been around racing most of my life, my dad, most of my brothers, uncle etc raced in local tracks around the country. Does that make me an expert? NO! Never claim to be. Then again, I haven’t read a comment on here makes any of you an expert either. We all like NASCAR and have our own ideas about it. Some is a little (well some of them more than a little) off the wall though. The fans/people at all of those tracks say the same thing. Listen to the people watching- listen to what they say. Are they fans yes; are they what you think fans are supposed to be?
Hey Jerry, that’s not what makes us Nascar fans. That’s what makes us AMERICANS.
Oh come on people a person writes down what he thinks a real race fan is, and some of you that can’t think for themselves see it, and now you come on here pat yourself on the back well that’s me I’m a “REAL” racecar fan. Steve does make some good points, but they do not apply to all fans.
Smoke62-Exactly We are fans in our own way by choice the way we want to be, and not what others think how it should be. So that blows the theory of a real race fan out of the water doesn’t it?
Some of you need someone to think for you. I wasn’t putting Jerry down. I was just stating that our freedoms as Americans allow for each of us to choose how we view things differently.
There are a lot of good comments here and some that aren’t. I been watching and listening (on the radio) all of my 49 years. I feel like I’m a real fan. And there is one more thing I think a real fan does. He defends his sport when other people makes fun of it. I hate to hear people say “He is making a left turn, he is making another left turn, and here coming another left turn, what is going to do next?” and “Here are 43 grown men going 500 miles in a circle and getting no where.”A true fan would say watch it sometimes and see what “REALLY” goes on in a race.
Hey LikeDale3…I’ve got to thank you for providing an absolutely PERFECT EXAMPLE of the sort of NASCAR fan we are talking about that is a detriment to the sport and makes it damn difficult for people outside the sport to get even remotely interested in it or even to think well of it. People with your attitude are the exact reason why people outside the sport think we are all a bunch of under-educated beer drinking rednecks…
You surely must be a former employee of Hendrick Motor Sports with all that ‘inside information’ about pay-offs and such. Glad we got an insider here to keep us all informed of the real goings on of NASCAR…NOT!!!! I suppose the biggest advantage of how you feel is that you might become so consumed by your hatred that you decide to stop being a fan and we’d have one less highly judgmental person in the sport who is always going off half-cocked spewing all sorts of hatred and discontent!
All I know is that I’m so glad there are plenty of ‘real’ fans out there to counteract the ne’er-do-well complainers. As NASCAR, the owners and all of the drivers always say, “Its the fans that we are doing all of this for” but I have a very strong feeling that your sort isn’t what they mean by fans…
Hey Amazing…the really amazing thing is that there are still people out there who think anyone who has a positive attitude in life isn’t thinking for themselves. If anyone is patting themselves on the back it’s because we like the idea of taking NASCAR into the future rather than crying all the time because it has changed and isn’t like the good ol’ days. The good ol’ days were good of course and I’m not saying that there was anything wrong with them…but the world is evolving and that God NASCAR is evolving with it. Soon enough all of the paranoia complainers will be extinct in our sport…
Hey Cheryl, lighten up. There’s enough room for us all here.
Jerry and Smoke62…thinking in a positive forward moving manner does not mean that one is not thinking for themselves. As far as the list goes…I think what we are all trying to say is that we accept that everyone sees things differently but that we who see things in a positive manner are getting tired of those who don’t and are VERY vocal about it being the ones that everyone bases their idea of what NASCAR fans are like.
No one is saying that anyone has to think any particular way but some of us would just like to be able to enjoy the sport without seeing other fans boo drivers, cheer the misfortune of some and throw stuff on the track when someone they don’t like wins a race. Even if you don’t like who wins a ‘real’ fan should at least appreciate what it took to win in the highest form of motorsports on the planet!
Cheryl is partly right.Nascar,like every sport must evolve or die.But complaining is also part of being a fan.Besides,it makes good reading.
Hi Smoke62…I’m as light as a feather…I was simply responding to someone insinuating that those of us who think positively about the sport aren’t thinking for themselves.
There is room for EVERYONE in the sport but my biggest issue is with those who are 99% of the time malcontents is that those people, the way the talk and the way they act are usually all that anyone outside the sport sees.
As a fan of our sport I just think it would be nice if the sport we all love so much was seen in a positive light as defending it to people who don’t know what NASCAR is really like is really getting to be a royal pain.
I’m the first one to cheer diversity but come’on…let’s try to be less critical and more supportive as fans!
Cheryl, I agree completely with Steve McCormick, but that doesn’t make the rest any less of a real Nascar fan.
I understand what you’re saying Cheryl, but I also realize that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
As far as the “Hendricks Conspiracy” goes, I think that’s a joke. I don’t even like Hendricks, but I do respect what they’ve done. They have made some great calls, got up on the wheel and did their homework on each track, and even had some luck play a part in some of their wins. Every Nascar racer out there that hopes to win will have to do the same.That’s all a part of racing.
Steve, I must respectfully disagree with you on some things on your list. I don’t think any one individual can say what makes another a fan. Remember were all human beings with different personalities and temperaments, this equals= different opinions. There is no one cover all answer for everyone regarding what makes them a fan. I will always know that I am a true fan, a fanatic, my wife says I am obsessed with nascar. I watch EVERY single race, and then spend all week with great anticipation for the next one. I absolutely love it and have since 1985 when my dad turned me onto the sport at the age of 14. I do agree you should know the history of the sport, who all the drivers are (whether you like them or not) But I do love watching a good wreck when it involves the racers that I “love” to root against. I always sincerely hope that they are ok and 99.9% of the time they are, it’s part of the sport and they know it anyone afraid to wreck has no business out there. I would dare some of you people to walk up to a “real” hockey fan and tell them there not a real hockey fan and there a bad person if they love the fights in the game. 5 also disagree with one persons post that a real fan likes all racing and not just nascar. Well I’ll say this I guess I am not a “racing” fan just a Busch and Cup fan. Oh and there are a couple of races on the schedule that I wish cup racing had nothing to do with, like this weekend, road courses I believe have no business in nascar. Gee wonder what that says about me to all you….lol
Hey Brandon, maybe that says you’re a real Nascar fan because you can form your own opinions. I agree about the part concerning if they are afraid of wrecking but disagree about the road courses.
I really enjoy reading Steve’s articles. Oddly, just this morning I was considering all the commentary on “real NASCAR fans.” What a crock. Maybe I’m missing something, but do other sports fans feel it necessary to justify and prove their dedication to a particular one? This is so ludicrous. I’ve researched NASCAR history and stuff b/c I want to understand it, for one. Like an ongoing saga, it helps to appreciate the current stuff — like why Jr would go to HMS. I have no obligation to NASCAR or any other fan. Buying KK stuff, going to races, and watching them on TV is my way of expressing my passion for a sport that interests me. Period.
One thing I learned right off the bat with NASCAR, when something happened that I didn’t like or understand, my BF would say “That’s racin’, baby.”
I have no desire to see any driver get hurt or worse. I am not low class enough to throw beer or any trash at drivers/cars.
NASCAR, the owners, the drivers, the crews are all in the sport b/c they dreamt it, earned it, worked for it, and bottom line – it’s all about the individual. Same for me, a fan. No one dictates my “fannage” but me.
Jerry, you disagree with my list? Which items do you think are incorrect? Or am I missing some? I’m open to a productive discussion. It’s not fair to say that I’m wrong without saying why.
BrandonJames8: You said “I do love watching a good wreck.” You lost me there. I’ve never seen a “good” wreck.
Drivers risk their lives every week to put on a show for us. I want my favorite driver to beat his nemesis because he was the better man with the better team that day, not because he was the only guy left.
Also, I said that a real fan appreciates other forms of motorsports. You don’t have to love F1 to appreciate that those guys are very good at what they do. I don’t like watching F1 because the racing isn’t that good. But I understand that those guys are exceptional and there is a place for them in motorsports.
Everyone keeps saying how you have to know the history,and I do but I cant see how that possibly makes a new fan less of a fan.
Steve, It’s not I disagree or agree with your list, I respect your list however, that list is your opinion. As in your article, everybody has his or her version of a real fan. I don’t think it makes a person any less of a fan if they get excited to see a mishaps on the track because that is part of racing (no one wants anybody hurt though). I may not have been to a NASCAR race however, as mention earlier I been to countless local tracks a mishap on the track drives and excites the fans. You can see that on TV too. Nor I think a real fan is, they have to agree with what ever NASCAR does. You seen that on here whatever NASCAR does they say golly whatever NASCAR does I agree with it because I’m a real NASCAR fan. Really what a person Idea of a real fan still is unsolved then again it’s up to the beholder.
Steve, I feel sorry for you then because I have some really good wrecks, I mean awesome ones, the big ones at Daytona and Talladega are some of the best. Like the airborn end over end ones. But I am sure you have probably never seen a good hockey fight either! like the ones where the refs stay out of it and it gets pretty bloody.
Steve,Im afraid I have to agree with Jerry and Brandon.When a race goes wreck free,most people say it was a boring race.But I still dont want my driver involved or anybody hurt.
Cheryl, Who are you telling someone they don’t have a postive attitude? I have a very positive attitude, Then again I didn’t start to call names either. So anybody that don’t agree with you have a bad attitude? So by your standards myself and a few others on here because we don’t agree with you and Nascar changes have a bad attitude. Yes changes do happen we may not like them, but I except them, then again I never said anything about nascar changes you are the one brought that up, so do the changes bother you more than you let us on to believe?
I don’t agree with everything Nascar changes, and by george, Cheryl I still have a positive attitude, and I don’t even have to resort to name calling/downing others to make myself to few good about myself.
who watches hockey anyway? Not many with the TV ratings it has. Hockey is just stupid if I want to see fights I would watch the boring boxing matches or read these comments on here some days LOL
I also happen to be a hockey fan. It’s not fair to compare a hockey fight with a NASCAR crash.
Two major differences.
1) Fighting in hockey is part of the game. A well timed fight with the right player can be a strategic move. Knock the other team off its game and/or get its star players some penalty minutes and your team has an advantage. This is why hockey teams stock goons. There is no correlation in NASCAR.
2) In a fair hockey fight nobody is going to die. Broken nose, cut lip or missing teeth maybe. But it won’t be fatal. Every NASCAR crash brings the potential for serious injury or death.
Steve is dead on but, he forgot one thing a true Nascar fan isn’t the drunk in the seats cussing and trying to start fights.Was at the inaugeral night race at california 2 drunks got into a pissing contest over whose driver was better the 8 or the 24 next thing i knew my kid was knocked out his chair by the 2 idiots.Those are not Nascar fans cause they didn’t realize Tony Stewart is the best driver.Just making light of a bad situation.Im a Stewie fan but, to me i just want to see 43 cars go fast and 1 win.I think we all watch the sport partially for the wrecks but, true Nascar fans don’t cheer for the wrecks they cheer after we know the driver is ok.So wether you are a Gordon fan or a JR fan we all have one thing in common, we all should go to a race take some good natured ribbing about our drivers,and remember kids are in the stands so act like adults.Next time you argue over whose best unless you say Tony Stewart you are all wrong.In the famous words of DW boogity,boogity,boogity, lets go racing.
Maybe I need to back up a little about the name-calling thing Cheryl. I don’t understand your idea if someone disagrees with you or nascar they have a bad attitude. Nascar have made changes some good and some bad. Am I naive enough to think all the changes nascar has made was for the good? Not all of them were for the good. Maybe others and I do complain on here sometimes. Then again that is our right, if I don’t like something I can either do a few things, I can sit with my thumb up my rear and say nothing, or I can say something (complain) and accept it, nothing else we can do about it, or I can do like some on here and say ok “WHATEVER NASCAR DOES OR DO I WILL LIKE IT”. That is by the way when I say people can’t think for themselves. With all of that, we still can have a positive attitude about the sport or we can stop watching it, Right?
In your words the world is evolving and nascar along with it. Will the complainers be extinct? Not if people can think for themselves. Will nascar be around in 10,20 or more years no doubt, will it be as popular it was a few years ago? I really don’t think so. Is that being negative to your eyes, maybe? It already slipped in it’s popularity the last couple of years you can see that in TV ratings and see it at the track. I am not saying it will not have it’s ups and downs in it’s popularity. As I said before I have a great attitude on racing or I would be one of the ones that don’t watch it any longer. I just don’t like some of the changes that’s been made. I just make the best of it.
I still watch hockey but only when an american team is playing. But you are certainly entitled to your opinion
Name calling???? I don’t recall any name calling. I haven’t called anyone names since…well wait a minute I’ve never called anyone a name my entire life.
If EVERYONE’S opinion counts well then so does mine and the opinions of those of us who are tired of hanging our heads in shame when a driver is booed during driver introductions or when a driver wrecks and the wreck is cheered by some fans or when some people throw stuff on the track because some driver was just that much better than the other 42 drivers when the checkered flag dropped. And we all should be able to voice our opinions even if it is different than others. In fact I never said that I didn’t respect other people’s opinions OR that they didn’t have the right to voice them…I just happen to disagree with their opinion (but more than anything else with how they choose to voice it), just exactly like you are disagreeing with mine right now. No harm no foul. Help me understand this…when you disagree with me you are just disagreeing but when I disagree with you then I’m being judgmental?????
As for those who like to cheer wrecks, boo drivers and throw stuff on the track when a driver they hate wins…all I would like to see is that they voice their opinions just a bit differently in a way that doesn’t have such a negative affect on the sport. You see Amazing it isn’t the opinion itself that but how it’s delivered/voiced.
See Steve no matter what list you make up somebody will love everything about it What I call follow the leader syndrome, others will partial agree with it, they are called by some bad attitudes, then others will make up other things for the list what a real fan is. As I said before Steve, it is upon the beholder of what they think a real race fan is. Again I never want to see anybody get hurt, yes there is a possibility of it, that is where I have to disagree with you Almost every contact sport has that possibility of getting hurt or death. Every contact sport has player’s protection equipment to save them from getting hurt, without it they would get hurt if not worse a lot more often, correct Steve? Same goes for NASCAR hit/brush the wall going 175+ in your car, for that matter going 50 in your car see where you are. Yes, there is potential of getting hurt but they are safer than we are on the hiways. The facts are most contact sports are dangerous some more than others including NASCAR. Don’t think I’m taking light of the dangers there is in NASCAR.
So what is a real NASCAR fan? You have how many millions of people in this country how many ideas of a real fan is? Oh no I’m go to get accused of having a bad attitude. LOL
Congrats to Jeff Gordon for his baby girl.Now he better hope the girl grows up to look like Dick Trickle and not his wife.With his money and Ingreds looks Jeff would be in prison for killing some boy who tried to date his daughter.Question should be asked of Jeff did he cry when she was born if he says no hes a liar or isnt really liking the child.Men would agree i think we all cried when our kids were born so i hope the readers see the humor behind what i wrote. Again what a great day for the Gordon family true nascar fans would agree.Any find any pics of the girl post the site be interesting to see who she looks more like.Only tough thing i can think of is it will be hard to grow up in the spotlight.
Wow steve your just SO SMART you know everything about every sport, I am very impressed…..lol I however beg to differ with you do a little research into hockey and tell me again theres NO potential for death or at least life long debilitating from hockey fights, and guess what it is sometimes very strategic to bump and run on the last lap if you want to win and not be the first loser “rubin is racin”…..I didn’t mean to wreck him, just wanted to intimidate him”…..lol …..I love it….God I miss Dale sr. and the glory days of nascar before all the changes the france family made to the sport because of greed and wanting to “appeal” to more types of audiences…..sometimes, again sometimes changes are not always for the better….but I still love nascar, just worried where the sport will be in the next 10 or 15 years, I think we could of done without the chamoagne drinking caviar eating elite crowd of fans…..once again just my opinion
I guess a true NASCAR fan is someone who thinks like you and only like you.(I dont mean Steve,I mean everyone who has an opinion on the subject)
Cheryl, Guess you didn’t see where I said I need to back up on name calling did you? First line in my last comment to you. Where did I said anything about throwing crap on to the track in my comments, can you point it out to me please? Or did I said anything about booing another driver.
It’s all it is OPINIONS. I do respect opinions believe it or not. All I said was (my mistake for saying it) more or less you agree with everything nascar changes have done. Myself I don’t feel that way. I do not agree with every thing that is being done no matter if it’s nascar, work, home, (no not politics), but politics. By not agree with it does not make a person have a bad attitude, Right Cheryl? Read what I said not what you think I said.
On the question that you asked if I understand it correctly do I feel you being judgmental if you disagree with me. No not at all, just voicing an opinion and everybody has them. Unless when you say, 99% of malcontent’s people can’t place their opinions because you are worried about others will think.
Why would you hang your head down when your driver booed? Are you not proud of your choice and your driver? Why would it bother you if another person don’t like your driver their the idiots if I can say that out there not you. So be careful of putting words in others mouths when they never said it, I will try to make a point in it.
IT IS ONLY OPINIONS FOLKS DON’T GET YOUR PANTIES IN WAD!!!!
In my opinion all Steve is doing is making points how most nascar fans see things.Those that disagree are just stating not all nascar fans see things that way. if i may make a point to show this.
Nascar fans drive trucks. TRUE
Nascar fans listen to country music.TRUE
Nascar fans are white.TRUE
Nascar fans are from the south.TRUE
nascar fans are male.TRUE
Now these are true facts that fit most Nascar fans,altho they dont cover all nascar fans.I do agree with steve on his points however that doesnt make me more of a fan than others who disagree with with steve.We all think different however i think everyone agrees that those that cause trouble, pick fights, or throw things on the track, should be banned from races.They may be Nascar fans but, Like it or not nascar is a family friendly sport since its conception.No matter what we disagree on we have to agree as adults we must set an example for the kids who attend.Toss out the trouble makers ban them for life from tracks, and pray nascar loosens the reigns on the drivers different personalities.I am one who feels nascar has gone to corporate.Let the drivers go out behind the garage throw a few punches it would do them some good.Gone are the days of Yarborough and the Allisons,Lee Petty’s wife pulling a pistol but, the new era of Nascar will still have its excitement.
Regardless of what anyone thinks of my list I was right about one thing. This has been an interesting discussion.
You are absolutely right. You know when other people arent NASCAR fans when they say,”the only thing I like is the wrecks”
Well guess I forgot a few things from my first post. I was all racing anytime I can. NHRA is my second fav. I even got to meet Ashley and John Force last year. Steve this sure has been interesting. True fans do not throw trash or get drunk to cause problems. I would not want to miss 1 minute of the race. Thanks Steve for this.
Sam, I’m happy no one had said that on here today.
Race fans did you hear the good news today? Jeff and Ingrid have a new baby. She is Ella Sofia, weighed 7 pounds,1 oz, 20 in. long. I hope to see pics soon.
SAM, which person said “the only thing I like is the wrecks”? I am curious I must of missed that in my reading, which is entirely possible since I am always reading so fast.
I must agree with Joe Stinker. They’re just opinions. Everybody’s entitled to one, or two, or three… lol. It’s not what everyone else thinks about your love of Nascar, it’s what you think about it.
If everyone had the same opinion of everything, wouldn’t this be a boring place?
1st of all Im a different person than “#9 fan” Not that her comment was bad or good, it is just not my comment.
ANYWAY!! I think all of these comments prove 1 thing. WE ARE TRUE RACE FANS and HUMANS meaning we all think a bit differently and all have the right to do so. Ive noticed we all agree on MOST of Steves points. Nobody likes to see a driver/crewmember injured. Nobody likes to see stuff thrown on the tracks. Everyone does appreciate the winner whether they like the winner or not.
STEVE, I dont necesarily LIKE to see wrecks, HOWEVER I have raced local tracks alot, I know that when you are racing to win, sometimes you get in too deep and an unforunate accident happens. Wrecks can be a learning experience, and they are not ALWAYS a bad thing. (AS LONG AS NOBODY GETS HURT) GO KASEY
A lot of input on being a “Real Fan” Is this like a list of things, “If you answer yes to three or more of these you could be an alcoholic? OK so if you identify with most of what is on Steve’s list, you could be a Real Fan! Either way, I don’t think a real Fan is one that puts down other teams/drivers/fans because they disagree with that Team/driver/fan. I myself have see people ready to fight fists/knives/guns because someone said a disparaging remark about “Their” driver. THAT IS NOT A FAN
Hey 9 fan — from #9Fan.
I didn’t mean to confuse the masses. LOL Thought up a different screen name.
Whatever opinions you have, it’s okay by me — you’re a #9 fan, so you rock!
Cheers!
This year the start of 2007 I decided to pick a sport to follow, and after watching the movie Talladega nights I knew that I wanted to check out NASCAR. I love it! I picked Tony Stewart for my driver because he’s from Indiana, I also pick the Colt’s to follow too. I am a new fan and can’t wait to watch the next race and I am female, early 40’s, from Indiana. Go Tony!
Funny You decided to follow Nascar from watching Talladega Nights? WOW A person could take that couple different ways.
The drivers don’t drive for our entertainment, they drive for the $$MONEY$$
A Nascar fan is Someone that Loves the Sport..Has Opinions…But tries NOT to Be A Smart Aleck about everything and everyone. Is true to their Favorite Driver….Go Ricky Rudd….;-)
True Fan for 43 years
NASCAR is all about differences of opinions. Take yout favorite driver for instances. In our house for 5 people we have 4 favorite drivers,
I like Jeff Gordon
Wife- Kasey Kahne
Oldest Son- Jeff Gordon
Daughter- Jimmie Johnson
Youngest Son- Dale Jr.
So Race Days are always interesting at our house. I agree wrecks are part of racing, but in my OPINION I think if you are watching just for the wrecks you should find a destruction derby to watch.
Congratulations to Jeff and Ingridon the birth of their daughter, Ella.
nascarfans24,Thank God Im not in your house on raceday!!!! my entire family are stewart fans son likes Robby Gordon simply cause durring the CORE series race here in Lancaster Robby Basically adopted him for about 2 hrs.All the drivers are class acts when it comes to kids thats why i hate to see folks bash other drivers.Altho some good natured ribbing about our drivers is alot of fun also.
I agree with you about the fans especially the throwing of stuff at a track. I’ve been to Talledega when Jeff has won. It is even harder on me because I am a Gordon fan and sometimes my husband has to hide me as we leave the track so nothing will happen to me. Those are not true race fans. We are the ones who stick by when the going gets tough. I have not missed watching a Nextel race in I don’t know how many years. I want to personally welcome to our home at Hendricks our new teammate Jr. I think this will work out just great. Everyone can learn alot from each other.
I ran into a bunch of real NASCAR fans last year during fan appreciation day just before the Brickyard 400.
I’m physically handicapped and need to use a scooter to get around. Not only did the track president give my husband and I a hot lap (WAY cool doing 129 mph!), but people ran to get me a drink when it became apparent I was running into heat distress. If coming to the aid of a total stranger in many many ways isn’t class I don’t know what counts.
NASCAR you deserve each and every one of the many loyal fans you, the teams, and the drivers have.
Laura, As an a So Called race fan YOU need a since of humor. If thats your IDEA of a race fan, then I don’t want to be!
Fan of racing for 50 years!!
Debbie hide you from what? You are afraid they they steal you? lol
NASCAR fan — humm, one who knows when NA$CAR is changing the rules or making adjustments so that the “few” faves are positioned well. Yes, the NASCAR fan knows when the fix is in. Too bad NASCAR has changed to NA$CAR where the buck means more than an honest race. Let’s go back to bring what ever you have to the beach and let ‘er rip.
Funny how the highlights on the news are the wrecks and the end of the race, but not the race itself… Aren’t the highlights for the fans that unfortunately missed the race (or I guess anyone else that is more then slightly interested)? Maybe we should tell the press that we, as fans, don’t want to see any wrecks in the highlights that they show anymore, since you can’t be a fan and like the wrecks??? (Or maybe just show Jr’s wrecks so he gets more (hopefully a lot more) air time!)
?????? see you do have a sense of humor.What a lineup on hotpass this weekend 4 road course greats Tony Stewart,Boris Said, Robby Gordon,And Juan Pablo.99.9% of nascar fans are class acts Valgerd, we are the largest dysfunctional family in the world as you can see.I think everyone of us are glad you had a wonderful experiance at your race.
I think the “real” fans are starting to dwindle in number. They realize Nascar has a few “favorite” drivers who get most of the breaks. “Real” fans will not continue to tolerate this.
Dave, we all see you don’t have the concept what is a real fan is. Maybe you need to read all of the comments on here, Then tell us what is a real fan. To play your game of a real fan then you would notice through out of nascar history they had their so-called favorites.
True Nascar fans are not going down, it is getting bigger. I watch the races cause I love them, even if my driver does not win. I have a lot of Jeff Gordon and Nascar fans on myspace. We love to talk about the race every weekend and share the pics we all get.
99% of your list is correct. I enjoy the wrecks. With all the safety features in place now they are great to watch. I however do not enjoy the wrecks that are caused br drivers who want to get even with another driver. I grew up around racing and have been a fan since Richard Petty started driving. I remember all the old divers. My grandpa was an old shiner who was there for the beginning and heard all the storis from him as I grew up. Keep up the good work.
Leanna, In my humble opinion you people need to get over this thing about a TRUE RACE FAN. This artacle if it didn’t do anything, it did proved everybody has their own idea of what a true fan is. I really don’t think any one person is any better or worse of a fan. Some like all of the race tracks Nascar has to offer and some don’t like Road races or Pocono, etc. Some like what some call Eventless race Non wrecks/mishaps while others enjoy some mishaps. If you noticed everyone had said as long no-one gets hurt. Like it or not that is part of racing. I never have seen old highlights of old nascar races where they didn’t show the wrecks a time or two.
It only makes sence if you watch something then you are a fan, and you don’t watch it your not. Myself I don’t like football, and I don’t watch it.
Leanna maybe you need to look at the figures nascar viewer ship is going down.
I know this is becoming a dead subject and pretty much died to me when I posted my last comment a day or so ago. I just wanted to reply to Amazing about booing drivers…since my driver is Dale Jarrett in the almost ten years I’ve been a NASCAR fan (yes I know I’m a newbie compared to some) I’ve never heard him booed…not even close. So it’s not that I am not proud of my driver and hang my head in shame if someone boos him it is that when a driver I may not like much gets booed I feel that good sportsmanship/fanship simply goes straight out the window. I’ll admit for many years I would cringe every time they even mentioned Jeff Gordon let alone when he won…but just this year he has really grown on me. I see changes in his attitude that just make him seem a bit more human and a lot less like a stuck up kinda guy. Same thing for Kurt Busch. I have seen a new Kurt ever since he started driving for Penske and I can’t help but like the guy. Everyone makes mistakes on and off the track and I think I find it a little sad that some fans use those mistakes as an excuse to hate someone and to voice their hatred very loudly. Plus typically those booing fans are so unforgiving that they keep right on hating that driver for ever… Everyone deserves another chance…it’s kinda like he who has not sinned cast the first stone sort of thing.
Not saying everyone has to like every driver but I personally don’t feel very proud of being a NASCAR fan when so many other fans out there take advantage of the opportunity to voice their dislike of a driver in a loud obnoxious manner. Just don’t support them…we don’t have to boo them.
I feel like NASCAR (the fans and everyone involved in the sport) is pretty much like a family and in any family there are going to be people who choose a positive perspective about things and people who choose to see things as pretty much mostly if not all bad. I guess all I’d like to see is my family being a bit more united and a lot less divided.
As for the popularity of the sport having waned…I don’t believe anyone can or should blame that on the changes that have been made. Personally, except for a very few, I think the changes that Brian France has made in the sport since 2001 and bringing in Nextel have been great for the sport but most of all for the fans. I like where the sport is now but of course there are a few things I’d like to see changed for the benefit of those teams that aren’t as well financially funded as the big teams. But all in all I love where our sport is headed and I just guess I’d like to see others feeling good about where it’s headed too. It’s not a matter of opinions but just a matter of ‘I’m feeling great about this and how much better would it be if others felt great about it too?’ Nobody likes to feel that they are the only one…
GOOD LIST! THERE IS ALOT MORE HYPE ABOUT RACING THEN THERE WAS “BACK IN THE DAY” BUT IN SOME WAYS THAT IS GOOD.
THE NASCAR TRADITION IS USUALLY PASSED DOWN, BUT NOWADAYS IT ALSO NEEDS NEW BLOOD TO KEEP IT GOING. THE NEWER FANS
DO THINGS DIFFERENT, LIKE THROWING CANS ONTO THE TRACK AND BEING MORE OUTSPOKEN.
BUT WE ARE ALL NASCAR FANS AND THAT IS WHAT MATTERS. NASCAR FANS ARE FANS FOREVER.
Hey there Murphy…if you really think that the drivers only drive to make money then you haven’t been paying attention at all. I don’t think you’ll find one single driver in NASCAR that wouldn’t drive for free. They are all racers (look at all the cup drivers who race almost every night of the week at small tracks all around the country).
Cheryl, Good post I understand, we all may not see eye and eye with one and another, but I think we can agree we like nascar. I think nascar has made some poor choices, then again thats me. I’m all infavor of drivers saftey, but I also think they can do the very same safety with the cars and make the cars look like what they suppose to look like like the ones you and me buys. Oh well they didn’t ask for my opinion lol.
However I don’t agree with you on two things one, when you say they would drive for free, other wise they wouldn’t demand the wages they get. Yes cheryl if they would offer me those wages I would take it. lol Second kurt/kyle busch.
I agree but allways remember. With out the old ones like Davey Allison or Ernie Ervin would not be Tony Stewart or Jeff Gordon
I’ll have to agree with two things said on here. First, without the old drivers, there wouldn’t be any new ones. Secondly, I agree that Jeff Gordon has grown up alot in the past couple of years. I am not a Gordon fan by any means. Three or four years ago, if someone bumped him, he would whine and cry. Now, he just takes it in stride and moves on. I applaude him.
Hi Cheryl, you can’t compare small time dirt track racers to nascar drivers. They drive for the fun of it and it shows when you watch them race, their haveing a good time and a lot of fun. I can’t think of one nascar driver who would give up their 5 to 15 or more million bucks their making both racing and in commercials. Peace
AGREE BUT ADMIT I HAVE CHEERED A CRASH OR TWO! ONLY HUMAN!!! STILL FEEL I AM A TRUE FAN OF SPORT REGARDLESS.
Jerry were you being sarcastick?
Sam nope I think it was a childish comment you made. So you don’t like tony, big deal some do and some don’t. What was the point?
sam wait what comment are you talking about?