An Open Letter To Mike Helton

This email was sent to the only address I had for contacting NASCAR on November 2, 2009. Mike Helton is the President of NASCAR.

Dear Mr. Helton,

I write to you today as a lifelong fan of NASCAR. I have watched and listened, cheered and heckled, supported and bemoaned, throughout the years. I have watched decisions such as restrictor plates, radial tires, COT, deletions of Rockingham and other longtime tracks, decisions I don’t necessarily agree with, but see the necessity for continued growth of the sport. As a fan, I am aware I cannot know or understand every decision, recommendation or debate within the NASCAR Corporation. However, I agree change is inevitable and preferable to stagnation. I have to believe the changes in NASCAR, regardless of my personal opinion (which is wide and legion), are made with the interest of the owners, drivers and teams, and, hopefully, the fans.

That said, I was appalled and thoroughly disgusted with the race at Talladega on Sunday. It is my understanding that just before the race, in the drivers’ meeting, the gentlemen were warned and strongly admonished to cease or severely curtail the use of the bump draft and other ‘reckless’ driving practices, with the added threat of severe penalties and disciplinary measures. Since I did not personally witness the drivers’ meeting, I can not speak to the issues addressed. I did, however, clearly witness the results. At least three-fourths of the race saw in-line driving, which was more like watching a caravan than a stock car race. It was not that drivers were incapable of more competitive efforts, but rather the results of extreme caution on their parts. Drivers were shown on the televised production to admitting to boredom and voicing concerns of engine damage while driving at half throttle. I can assure you, this is a first for me as a NASCAR fan. I do not believe I have ever witnessed a race where drivers drove with extreme caution for 170 laps and race for 20. When the drivers did feel free to race, chaos ensued. Without the normal attrition, shuffling and weeding out of various cars associated with a ‘normal’ race, here were an unusually large number of cars involved in a 195 mile an hour rush hour scenario. This resulted in two wrecks within 5 laps, where cars were airborne from air under the tail – another alarming occurrence. I am sure I am not accounting anything you did not witness yourself. However, I cannot express my disgust and frustration strongly enough. I feel, based on my observations of the post-race interviews, many drivers share, in part, my feelings. While no driver I witnessed expressly said as much, it was written clearly in their facial expressions and demeanor.

My disgruntlement is one of a TV viewer, and I cannot fathom the anger I would have experienced if I had put down my hard-earned money for a ticket. I have attended races, and I realized for many fans, the entire weekend experience is a large part of the enjoyment. Personally, no amount of camping, tailgating, camaraderie, or restrooms on every corner would overcome my repugnance. Had I attended, I am sure I would have felt ready to demand a refund at the conclusion of Sunday’s race.

I do want to offer my admiration for the safety features of the COT. It is those very features, which often impacts race car performance, which allowed Ryan Newman and Mark Martin to walk away from their cars. I am willing to see the sacrifice of speed and handling for the drivers’ safety. Racing is most definitely a dangerous sport, regardless of the numerous safety features and regulations. But, at its heart, stock car racing is about putting one car against another to see who can best drive the wheels off the thing. It is about speed, finesse, love, hate, pounding hearts, blood, sweat and tears. Racing should be a pure a sport as possible, giving all allowance to the necessity of safety. The drivers of these cars know the risk and their abilities, but thinly veiled treats in the drivers’ meeting is micromanaging at the least, not to mention an insult to the professionalism of your drivers.

Mr. Helton, I am a fan and an adult. I realize sacrifices must be made for the greater good, whether it’s for reasons of safety or profit. I also realize it is not a perfect world in motorsports, or anywhere else, for that matter. However, I firmly believe an apology is due to the fans, drivers and race teams for the travesty that was this past Sunday’s race. It is an insult to assume your drivers cannot do their job to the best of their ability or that the fans would willingly pay to see the sub-par racing. Being a privately held company, you are reliant on fan support for your continuance. I would like to believe the fans are at the heart of most your decisions. I suppose there will always be someone willing to race and someone willing to watch, regardless of the quality, but please do not insult the intelligence or sophistication of those of us who know the difference.

Regardless, I will most likely find myself in front of my television next weekend. I will be there to watch and cheer on ‘the boys’. I truly hope it will be worth my time and money.

My best to you in your endeavors,