I am a bit irrated after reading this article about how NASCAR has lost it’s roots and the author says it all started with Gordon because he did not fit the mold of the the stereotypical driver from the Deep South and because he was from California. While I do agree to some extent that NASCAR has lost its edge and is now a “plain vanilla” sport, I certainly don’t think Gordon started the downfall. I blame the leadership of NASCAR for it’s current state. I miss the drivers of old that voice there opinion, now we have 43 PR robots on the track that are afraid of saying something that is “detrimental to stock car racing” and losing championship points.
Here’s and excert from the article I’m referring to:
And a lot of the blame, or credit, goes to Jeff Gordon.
In many ways, Gordon broke the NASCAR mold. Before he arrived in the early 1990s, most drivers cut their teeth racing on short tracks, slowly working their way up through the sport. Gordon was a child prodigy, groomed by his stepfather in midgets and sprints from the age of 5. Raised in Vallejo, he looked and sounded West Coast, and his bold driving made him very influential.
It still amazes me how the hillbilly NASCAR dolts, yes I’m talking to you Talladega Earnhardt fanatics, continue to shower their hatred on the 24. Go back to your “black #3” painted double wide and pour one out in the front yard for the 3 car and get over it. Someone came along and gave your god a run for his money. Gordon is the closest thing to an old school driver NASCAR has along with Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart. Oh and those guys are from Las Vegas and Indiana, not exactly Deep South either.
source: pressdemocrat.com
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