NASCAR as a Society

NASCAR is described as a governing body for motorsports. In other words, it is a government. But what kind of a government is it? One has to only look at its actions to see the sad truth about the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

NASCAR as a government is a lot of things all balled up into one. For starters, it is Socialist. Every car is generally the same. All cars must meet the template, and the engines are so close there is no advantage to any party. The facade, both figuratively and literally, gives the illusion that there is some discrepancy between the different manufacturers. They say there is a ton of competition in NASCAR because the cars are so close, but that is really a lie. When everyone is the same, it is not competition. Competition is when manufacturers develop new cars to try to be the best, forcing other car companies to make theirs better. That is true competition.

The second thing NASCAR is is Fascist. Fascism is defined as the merging of state and corporate powers. There was a time when teams raced cars off the lot. Now, corporations are so embedded with NASCAR that you cannot tell where one begins and the other ends. This is blatant at the beginning of the race with the call to start engines. On very rare occasions, such as the All Star Race (which really is not an all star race since it just features the top 25 or so drivers, not making them work together with teams they normally wouldn't like actual All Star games in other sports), fans are given the opportunity to say "the most famous words in motorsports." However, most of the time, it is some marketing director, or CEO of some company who paid NASCAR a boat-load of money to have their name on the race. Only a couple races keep corporations from plastering their name all over it. When the fans give the command, they're passionate, loud, and get everyone else at the track and at home geared up for some racing. When corporate suits come in, who are obviously not fans, to give the command, it is pathetic. Who can be excited about a race when the Vice President of Accounts says in a very monotone voice, "Drivers, start your engines"?

The third, and perhaps worst thing NASCAR is is Totalitarian. Dissent is not allowed in NASCAR unless it is behind closed doors where what is said is not disclosed, and nothing is generally done about the major issues with NASCAR. NASCAR governing "law" fines those who speak out against NASCAR for making poor decisions. Drivers hold a lot of sway amongst public opinion because it is their job to gain fans who want to see them race. This extends to listening to their opinions. So when the Gen 6 car is rolled out and drives worse than the Gen 5 car, and is more boring to watch as a fan, and drivers like Denny Hamlin speak this truth, NASCAR fines him. Nevermind that these fines are one big loophole for NASCAR to pay less taxes, but I digress.

The lack of dissent goes so far as the commentators in the booth. In 2013 when Pirelli had tire problems with their new tire construction, everyone from the media, to the race teams, to the broadcast commentators spoke out against Pirelli tires, saying that something had to be done. In NASCAR, those in the booth will make every kind of excuse for why a Goodyear tire fails. In fact, they will go so far as to not even say the tire failed, because "failing" means Goodyear was in the wrong. There's a joke that says: "Do you know why they call them 'Goodyear Tires'? Because they're only good for a year; too bad they keep them in the warehouse for three years before using them." The kinds of excuses are ludicrous to any free-thinking human being. The most common tire failure is the right front, yet commentators will say "He probably ran over some debris." Debris in NASCAR is like Al-CIA-Duh in America. They claim it's there, but they never show any proof when it causes a disruption. When it is not debris causing the tire failures, they blame the team for how much camber they put into the tire.

In a way, NASCAR is a lot like America. It was built on a good foundation, but over the years has degraded to the point where it no longer resembles what made it great. Instead it has been replaced by a Totalitarian, Fascist Socialism that has stifled innovation and competition, and only purpose is to cater to the Corporations. We have seen the Too-Big-To-Fail banks. Today we see the "Too-Big-To-Fail motorsports governing bodies."