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Will falling ratings prompt changes?

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NASCAR CEO Brian France said there won't be many changes for 2008, but maybe he should take a second looking at the TV ratings. Viewers for last week's Pep Boys 500 were down almost 20 percent from 2006, and that 4.0 national rating wasn't very impressive, even less so considering last year's fall race drew a 4.8. ABC has this year's Chase telecasts, and NBC had the Chase from 2004 through 2006. When pressed last fall about slumping TV ratings, France blamed NBC, in the last year of its contract, for not adequately promoting the sport. This year, however, ABC-ESPN has done an amazing job of promotion. If the sport's ratings are down, and it's not because of lack of promotion, then it must be something else.

Winston-Salem Journal

Brian France , John Harrelson/Getty Images Brian France , John Harrelson/Getty Images
November 9, 2007  08:39 AM ET

I wish I could be a fly on the wall when the real reason finally dawns on him.

November 9, 2007  08:54 AM ET

mmmm, The COT, Jimmie Johnson, Jr's blown engines/most popular driver dosnt even finish races, excessive advertisements, Pocono, football - the most popular sport at the same time table, alienation of long time fans by reaching out to a short term fan, perhaps getting to know more driver stories instead of just the normal 5 - can do through Speed (isnt there enough custom bike and car shows?), distrust of the ruling money grubbers, tickets prices are a general turnoff, foreign influences Toy/drivers, and saturation.

November 9, 2007  08:57 AM ET

jackmanrob - you left out 1 thing===A_HOLE Rusty Wallace as a
commentator.........

November 9, 2007  09:11 AM ET

f-k-n a

November 9, 2007  09:16 AM ET

ABC is the horrible, the COT is crap, B. France keeps fu**ing with things, NASCAR has alienated the traditional fan, the chase is stupid, sponsors are trying to market NASCAR, the racing has gotten bland, etc, etc, etc,

November 9, 2007  09:20 AM ET

Turfman = I don't know who you are, but boy ,,do I agree with that
SLY

November 9, 2007  09:21 AM ET

The truck series is a better race to watch

November 9, 2007  09:46 AM ET

I agree with you all, except I just can't get into the truck races. In my mind, in Nascar, cars are the race vehicle.........LOL ....(exception would be watching a UPS truck race, Jarrett vs Jarrett).
Nascar should just have points racing right until the end at Homestead. I hate the Chase concept, even if my favs were in it. This way it would be better racing and more chances right to the end.

November 9, 2007  09:49 AM ET

It has been the perfect storm for racing boredom: Rusty Wallace and for that matter ABC/ESPN coverage of the races, COT not being polished as of yet, and to some extent Jr not being in chase, the chase format, and domination by a select few drivers.

I love watching races and will coninue to TRY and get excited at even the dullest finishes, but even I have my limits.

November 9, 2007  09:55 AM ET

TheMarbles...exactly!!

November 9, 2007  10:12 AM ET

I know they need to pay for the broadcast, but how many lead changes, wrecks, re-starts, and just general good stuff is missed by the new networks. I miss sitting there and watching almost all the race. Very seldom did we miss action. They cut from commercials for crashes and stuff. Oh well, times change,a nd so does my attitude toward my favorite sport.

November 9, 2007  10:42 AM ET

Bring back the rednecks francie....do you really think a yuppie from Manhattan will watch a race when opera offers a screaming lady (although Rusty is close)

November 9, 2007  10:54 AM ET

It's no fun to watch when the same 3 people win every week.

All of this foreign garbage is a turnoff too.

November 9, 2007  10:54 AM ET

TheMarbles = I hate to say it- but the only way your going to get
excited watching the rest of this years races is to have a 6 ft
Blond with chandeleir legs and a hankering for the old $&^^^%
ing sitting next to ya.
SLY

November 9, 2007  10:55 AM ET

Put King Richard in a Super B with a hemi, and let's see what happens.

November 9, 2007  10:58 AM ET

stokcarfan ===OH YEA

November 9, 2007  11:03 AM ET

Has ABC been able to catch a single wreck live on camera as it happens? It really seems like every one that has happened since they took over the broadcasts has either happened during a commercial break or while Rusty and Dr. Punch are busy cockslobbing Johnson and Gordon.

November 9, 2007  11:07 AM ET

nin: I agree in all aspects. I hate coming off a femine hygiene commercial, and they are under caution, and the drivers are all climbing from the cars. OR a restart where Clint sprints past one of the monkey bothers, adn by the time you get back to the race, it is all over and clint is in the lead, and no big deal...

I guess Rusty should have retired, and just pushed his kid along in cars, and make him a good racer. Rusty was, but I hate him in the booth, adn that cackblock that does the cutaway car needs to get a personality, and tell us something we didin't learn in 1977.

November 9, 2007  11:13 AM ET

I've said this before, get rid of all of em, show me the damn race, run the ticker across the top, & crank up some racecar noise. I don't need some damn bufoon to tell me the leaders are pitting when I see them coming in. well, no shi*t

 
November 9, 2007  11:27 AM ET

I swear we watch more commercials than we do the actual race.I end up switching to a football and half the time I forget to switch back and when I do---you guessed it another commercial! I liked the race lots better on NBC cause half the races are on ESPN and we don't have cable at the lake .Why can't we go the split screen like--is it Indi cars???

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