Criticism of NASCAR
Similar to other professional motor racing leagues and sanctioning bodies, NASCAR has been a target of criticism on a variety of issues.
Recently, the increased number of Cup drivers competing consistently in the Xfinity Series races has been frequently debated.
[9] Reasons cited for its decline include the aforementioned track changes, the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow which both drivers and fans alike criticized,[10][11][12] the constant tinkering of the rules of its championship and the racing itself,[13] the change in its race day experience,[14] the perceived decline in the quality of its racing,[15] NASCAR changing its image to appeal to a more mainstream audience while alienating its southern fanbase[16] and the retirement of its past stars, such as Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, and others.
[17][18] Another general area of criticism, not only of NASCAR, but other motorsports as well, includes questions about fuel consumption,[19] emissions, engine noise levels, and pollution, and the former use of lead additives in the gasoline.
The Car of Tomorrow (CoT) was first tested in December 2005, and was first revealed to the public in 2006, with numerous safety improvements being touted.
"[20] Despite the criticism, NASCAR implemented the model full-time in 2008, and overall brought dramatic safety improvements and reduced costs of car maintenance.
[21] Despite the overall safety improvements, one point of contention was that the rear wing increased the severity of on-track accidents by causing cars to be more prone to flipping over or going airborne at higher speeds.
[21] In a retrospective interview in 2015, Brian France believed that the introduction of the model as his biggest failure, due to the lack of manufacturer identity, as well as its perceived effects on its racing.
Denny Hamlin was most critical, saying, "I don't want to be the pessimist, but it did not race as good as our generation 5 or regular CoT cars did."
[24] NASCAR later faced criticism over the Generation 6 cars over the change to high downforce and reduced horsepower in later years that increased passing difficulty.
[25] In 2007, a New York Times article cited two studies conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), conducted during races at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2005, which found that engine noise levels can reach as high as 140 decibels, which can do severe damage to a person's sense of hearing.
According to the article, a NIOSH engineer suggested putting mufflers on the cars in order to reduce the noise, but a NASCAR spokesperson stated that they already tried that in the 1960s, and it did not work as intended.
In addition, due to its influence and lack of drivers' say, NASCAR has been described as a "benevolent dictatorship", with a top-heavy command structure that tends to keep dissenters in line.
[30][31] Examples of such influence included the cancellation of the Speed Channel television show Pit Bull (which frequently criticized many of NASCAR's decisions and policies and enjoyed modest ratings), frequent use of the vague "detrimental to NASCAR" rule, and the creation of rules on whim, especially during a race.
However, in late 2010, media reports began to indicate that NASCAR may institute a slightly modified version of this rule for 2011, with Cup drivers allowed to run in Xfinity races but not to compete for the series championship.
One environmental critic estimated NASCAR's total fuel consumption across all series at 2 million U.S. gallons (7,570 000 litres) of gas for one season.
NASCAR vehicles are generally unregulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and in particular, they have no mufflers, catalytic converters or other emissions control devices.
Many short tracks run mufflers in compliance with noise ordinances at some tracks; in the early years of the Camping World Truck Series, some races were held at venues which required mufflers, a requirement still used in NASCAR's K&N Pro Series (East and West) and Whelen (North and South) Modified Tours.
The sale of leaded fuel has been mostly banned in the US since 1996, but exemptions exist for auto racing, aircraft, farm and marine equipment.
In October 2006, NASCAR stated its intention to transition to unleaded fuel in all three top series (Craftsman, Busch and Cup) in 2007, starting with the Auto Club 500.
2011 marked one of the largest "green initiatives" in the fifty plus year history of NASCAR when all fuel sources were to include Ethanol in a blend called E15.
Today, the entire motorsports industry invests significant development costs in increasing fuel conception and moving towards net zero emissions in response to climate change.
NASCAR's early history included several foreign manufacturers, such as Aston Martin, Austin-Healey, Citroën, Jaguar, MG, Morgan, Porsche, Renault, and Volkswagen.
As of the 2019 season and the introduction of the Generation 6 car, all of the cars in top three series (the Chevrolet Camaro and Silverado, Toyota Camry and Tundra, and Ford Mustang and F-150) are assembled in the United States, with major exception of the Toyota GR Supra (used in the Xfinity Series), which is built and assembled in Austria.
Some fans have complained about the entry of a foreign manufacturer into what is perceived as an American sport, while drivers and owners have expressed concern that Toyota's deep pockets, and stated willingness to spend, may increase costs for other teams as well.
Four Camrys qualified for and ran in the 2007 Daytona 500, becoming the first foreign make to compete in a Cup Series race since the British-made MG in 1962.
The Northeast Region started out with a high percentage of races in the early NASCAR years, but from the 1960s until the mid 1980s contained 10% or less of the schedule.
From the late 1990s, and into the early 2000s, a number of new tracks were built and became part of the NASCAR schedule, in places such as South Florida, Chicagoland, the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, the Northeast, and the Los Angeles area.
Such a plan was questioned as a key detriment to NASCAR, generating the stereotype of drivers and the sport as "a bunch of hillbillies driving in circles for three hours.
[68] Simultaneously, Joey Logano was accused of receiving illicit help from Front Row Motorsports in order to secure a playoff spot, and both Penske Racing and Front Row Motorsports were placed on probation for the rest of the year as a result, but Logano was allowed to participate in the playoffs that year.
