Hendrick Motorsports
Is The Dominance of Hendrick Motorsports Bad For NASCAR?
It is obvious that the sport of NASCAR has undergone several setbacks this year starting with the dwindling television ratings. However, this past week has been an unpleasant one for what was once considered to be the fastest growing sport in America. It all started when Tony Stewart lambasted NASCAR, basically accusing them of manipulating races by throwing debris cautions. He even compared NASCAR to wrestling, which is clearly staged.
And at Talladega, Jeff Gordon won his 77th career NASCAR race, and instead of being a landmark moment in NASCAR history, it was an ugly scene. Fans hurled beer cans, toilet paper, and anything else they could get their reckless hands on in the direction of the #24 Chevrolet. It was a total display of idiocy and it was a disgrace. Now, when outsiders think about going to a NASCAR race, they will immediately think of fans throwing beer cans onto the track because the driver that they dislike happened to win.
However, NASCAR has more issues than the previously mentioned. One debatable problem is the sheer dominance of Chevrolet, specifically Hendrick Motorsports. The organization has won six out of the first nine race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. They are among the frontrunners week in and week out, and it seems as if everything plays right into their hands, especially Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
This has become a topic among fans all over the internet. The bottomline is, unless you are a fan of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers, the season is turning out to be gallingly monotonous.
Could the dominance of Hendrick Motorsports actually shrink NASCAR’s fan base? Sure it can.
Fans do not want to see ascendancy to this magnitude. They want an even playing field. That is simply not the case right now. Hendrick Motorsports manufactures the best engines, which could be why Ginn Racing, Haas CNC Racing, and Furniture Row Racing use Hendrick prepared engines, they have top-notch crew chiefs and engineers, and the organization has been structured to near perfection. Those are just a few of the components that have made Hendrick Motorsports so formidable.
But that is the last thing that most NASCAR fans want to hear. They want to see Joe Gibbs Racing, Penske Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc, or Robert Yates Racing win a race. Heck, they may be pushed to the point to where they would rather see a Toyota driver win.
Fans, be patient. The season is still very young, and there is plenty of time for other teams to make gains.
Top ten NASCAR Nextel Cup teams based on performance as well as results
1. Hendrick Motorsports
2. Richard Childress Racing
3. Joe Gibbs Racing
4. Roush Racing
5. Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
6. Chip Ganassi Racing
7. Penske Racing
8. Ginn Racing
9. Evernham Motorsports
10. Haas/CNC Racing
Quote of the week
Tony Stewart discussing his feelings towards NASCAR newcomer David Gilliland
"And then [Gilliland] just plows us for no reason. I guess he's still mad for the Busch race [Saturday] but ... no talent there, I guess."
