Over time, every sport experiences a change in its environment. Some of those things are often beyond one’s immediate control, but there are some things that can be worked upon. Not so long ago the world of NASCAR saw real relationships off the track between the drivers. But things seem to have changed and everyone has their guard up nowadays, according to veteran Kenny Wallace.
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Recently, Wallace and Hailie Deegan were in a conversation discussing this very thing; the change in NASCAR drivers’ attitudes. Wallace brought up Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Rusty Wallace’s examples to drive his point about how things have changed negatively over the years.
Kenny Wallace talks about the change in NASCAR drivers’ outlooks over time
While speaking with Hailie Deegan on the Kenny Wallace Show, Kenny expressed, “One of my friends, he said yeah I felt bad for Hailie too. She kinda sitting there by herself. But times have changed because it was never that way.”
“I mean Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt Sr, they were friends you know. They went up on yachts together. Mark Martin and Ernie Irvan you know staying in each other houses. Somehow they could separate that…”
“What I have noticed is everything is so hardcore now. You know back in our day, you got one sponsor and that’s all you needed for the whole year. I always got all my own sponsors. That is why I was popular for running my mouth… And doing good on the race track.”
Wallace believes he knows why the attitudes have changed among drivers
Speaking further into the podcast, Wallace said, “But now I agree with you (Hailie Deegan) you kinda got me thinking that it takes six to eight sponsors a year. Everything is so damn expensive and everybody has got a pin-up their butt.”
He concluded, “And everybody’s afraid that you are going to get them. That bums me out a little bit, nobody talks to each other. I noticed that and that’s a b*tch, I don’t like that.”
It is true that motorsports has been getting more and more expensive over the years. Most of it is due to how the sponsorships and equipment costs expand with time. Furthermore, with the number of people fighting hard to get into the top flight of stock car racing, almost everyone is selfish toward their own gains. But in the middle of it all, people often forget to separate on-track competition from off-track relationships.
