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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
WALLACE: Things Are Good, But Why?
Several factors have contributed to the renewed interest in NASCAR this year...
Kenny Wallace  |  Posted March 10, 2011   Charlotte, NC
Veteran NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace is an analyst for NASCAR RaceDay Built by the Home Depot and NASCAR Victory Lane on SPEED. (Photo: Getty Images)
We noticed it long before Brian France discussed it in his teleconference with the media Wednesday afternoon.

It’s been there since testing got under way at Daytona in January and fortunately has hung around and gained speed over the first three races. It is momentum and NASCAR seems to have found it in the 2011 season.

Things are going well for the sport right now. We’re seeing great races with even better storylines and popular winners, grandstands starting to look more packed again, fans re-embracing NASCAR and substantial increases in TV ratings over last season.

Everything is coming up roses for NASCAR right now … but why?

I’ve got my theories on what has led to the increased interest in the sport this season:

The end of the negativity
For three years, there was an overwhelming sense of negativity and depression in the world, but I think people are starting to look on the bright side again. They’ve had enough of it. If gas is $3.50 per gallon, so be it. There’s nothing any of us can do about it. After hearing report upon report about how bad things are in the country, I think Americans are starting to move on with their lives and pull their moods out of the dumps. We’ve been a little more positive the past few months and I think this mindset is allowing folks to again enjoy life’s simple pleasures — like NASCAR racing.

NASCAR becoming more accessible
With the evolution of Twitter and social networking, NASCAR has become more accessible to the fans and opened itself up to them so much more. NASCAR engages fans on a regular basis with the NASCAR Fan Council and direct polling of race fans has resulted in changes such as the double-file restart and universal starting times for the races. Heck, even Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations, is on Twitter answering fans’ questions on a daily basis. Fans, in turn, seem to appreciate this access, and are becoming more involved and have a sense that it’s “their NASCAR” now. In years past, there was an underlying feeling that the sanctioning body didn’t listen or care what fans wanted, but that has changed, and the fan base is showing its appreciation with renewed interest in the sport.

Luck
The stars have aligned and we’re just plain lucky. NASCAR rolled into Daytona with an unknown kid who may have had 500 followers on Twitter at the time. This kid takes the Wood Brothers, one of the oldest teams in NASCAR, and Richard Petty, who gave the team his points from 2010, to Victory Lane on the sport’s biggest stage. What an awesome sight to see Trevor Bayne, Petty and the Wood Brothers together in Victory Lane. In terms of significance to the sport as a whole, I’ll put this win up against the 1979 Daytona 500. What Bayne’s win did for the sport is comparable to what Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough’s wreck and ensuing fight in the infield did decades ago. It captivated existing fans and drew in new ones. People who hadn’t paid much attention to NASCAR before were talking about this kid from Tennessee with a great personality and Southern charm. Bayne made his mark on NASCAR at the perfect time, a time when the sport and fans needed someone to rally around and embrace. We couldn’t ask for a better role model for our kids than a polite young man who isn’t ashamed to share his faith and credit God for his success. Trevor Bayne is the all-American kid and he is NASCAR’s golden boy.

Gordon back in Victory Lane
The guy everyone learned to boo years ago, Jeff Gordon, finally got some sympathy from the fan base last year as his winless streak lengthened. We started to feel bad for him because he had gone 66 races without a win. People thought he was done. But Gordon’s win at Phoenix was a hit in a sport that not too long ago had grown to hate seeing him in Victory Lane. Gordon’s emotion and display of true appreciation for his win proved him anything but a stiff, corporate spokesperson. We saw a competitor with fire in his belly and someone we could relate to.
Jeff Gordon celebrates in victory lane after winning the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Edwards coming on strong
Carl Edwards broke a 70-race winless streak at the conclusion of the 2010 season when he won at Phoenix and Homestead, and he didn’t let any grass grow under his feet during the offseason. He was strong at Daytona and had the fastest car at Phoenix but got wrecked. But he keeps smiling – he’s like a grown-up Boy Scout. In the first three races of the 2011 season, there have been three winners who have gone through hardship, whether on or off the track, and that is something middle-class America can relate to. I think that’s part of the reason Bayne, Gordon and Edwards’ wins have been so popular.

Dale Jr.:
Oh, and if Dale Earnhardt, Jr. can make it back to Victory Lane this year, it’s going to blow the top off of the sport. He is running well, high-fiving his crew chief after two top-10 finishes, and really seems to be enjoying himself again. Given how badly NASCAR fans want to see Jr. win again, if he can seal the deal, I think the sport will be on the road to recovery.

Kenny Wallace drives the No. 09 Toyota for RAB Racing in the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series, in which he has amassed nine career wins and 10 pole positions, 63 top-five and 159 top-10 finishes in 344 starts. Wallace has competed in more than 800 events in NASCAR’s top three divisions since his 1988 NASCAR debut. He also keeps the mood light and humorous each week as an analyst on NASCAR RaceDay Built by the Home Depot and NASCAR Victory Lane on SPEED. Currently entering his 22nd year in the Nationwide Series, Wallace finished runner-up in the points in 1991 and is one of only four drivers to have won the Most Popular Driver award multiple times. He also drives the No. 36 Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar entry. To learn more about Wallace or his sponsors, the University of Northwestern Ohio, Federated Auto Parts and Family Farmers, or to sign up to follow him on Facebook or Twitter, please visit www.kennywallace.com.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
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