NASCAn't

Well, another year has passed and I've tried and failed.

I tried to sit thought the Daytona 500 in an attempt to get into NASCAR and failed quite miserably.

How miserably did I fail? I walked out of the room with 8 laps to go when my wife called me for some advice on the taxes and I didn't give the TV a second glance. Mind you, having said that, when I returned some 15 minutes later, as is the case with most any American sport on TV, the race was still going...

I find NASCAR boring. Phenomenally boring. It's more exciting watching the countdown to a closing auction on ebay (an auction I lost by the way).

Here are my observations on NASCAR racing ...

The cars race around in circles for a while.

Cars crash (sometimes lots of cars) and everyone comes in to refuel and take new tyres.

The cars race around in circles again until one crashes, when they come in for tyres and fuel again (repeat this cycle ad nauseum).

The cars are nothing more than mobile advertising hoardings, where every square inch of car surface that can be seen by the TV cameras carries a sponsors name. Parading around displaying these names and messages for the assembled masses to see. Then when they take a commercial break the same drivers appear in the ads shilling their sponsors products.

Lets just say the "acting" in these spots leaves something to be desired, even when the driver keeps his mouth shut.

Then it's back to the "racing". Crank it up, Digger cam, "Boogitty boogitty boogitty" are just a few of the annoying items in the broadcast. Trying to build some excitement into an event that doesn't have any.

Some of you will now say that being a Brit I like that "Formula 1 Grand Prix racing". Not necessarily true. Though I will admit that having the cars make something other than a left hand turn whilst racing is an improvement. I'd rather watch Le Mans or Saloon car racing like the German Touring cars, British touring cars or the Aussies V8 supercars.

So perhaps you think I'm dead set against oval racing.

You'd be wrong.

Here in town we have a 1/4 mile dirt track oval. "Fastest in the Midwest" they used to say. I love to go there on a Friday night and watch them.

Guys that race for the love of the sport. Not big fat sponsorship deals or TV coverage. They do it because they love it.

I once spoke with a racer who ran a Wissota Super stock. That was when he could afford to. He could only race when he had the money to run the car. Think on that Dale Jnr. and Jimmy Johnson. Have you had those days lately? Did you ever have those days? Of course, this years winner Trevor Bayne drove for a team so short of money they were almost part timers thus showing that racers still have money problems even at the highest level. Though I'll wager that after this victory Wood Brothers Racing won't have any problems the rest of the year.

When it comes down to it, for me 500 miles is just too long to watch cars go around and around in circles.

Now if Nascar were to put a race on the calendar just like Friday night racing at my local oval. Ten lap heats followed by C,B and A finals then I might just watch that...