Tony Stewart has never been afraid to speak his mind, particularly when it comes to criticizing NASCAR.
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The NASCAR Hall of Famer has been quite vocal about NASCAR’s need to change since he stopped racing stock cars after the 2016 season.
Stewart, who turns 54 on May 20 this year, wants NASCAR to be more creative to attract new fans or bring back former fans who’ve stopped following the sport.
But on this week’s edition of the Rubbin’ Is Racing podcast, Stewart let loose on why NASCAR is struggling in attracting fans, attendance-wise or watching on TV.
“There’s so many things and they’ve gone down a path for so long that they have created a monster that’s put them in the box they’re in,” Stewart said. “There’s still a ton of things every week to be excited about, going to a NASCAR race.”
“I didn’t like NASCAR when I quit driving, and I started being in the broadcast booth. I’m still a fan of NASCAR, I still like to watch NASCAR races, but I also know the inner workings of it and I know the hurdles and roadblocks that internally NASCAR has created for itself and that’s the part that pisses you off and frustrates you knowing how much better it could be,” he added.
“And then I go to a NHRA drag race and you watch the fans and they can be in the pit area, they’re watching and getting autographs from the drivers and having a blast, and it’s like they’re doing it right. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how to do the equation,” opined Stewart.
NASCAR Needs To Listen More To Drivers and Fans
Even when drivers approached NASCAR officials in numbers, offering suggestions they felt would make things better, they were met with a brick wall.
“We said years ago, I think it was 2014 or 2013, we all went to NASCAR and said, ‘Give us softer tires that wear out, that fall off, then it’s a chess match, then the drivers have to manage the tire wear. If you want to run balls to the walls at the beginning of the run, go for it, we’ll just move over and let you go.”
“But also, that car is going to run out of tire, and it’s going to slow down, and we’re going to pass them back. That’s two passes with two cars in one stint, where now it’s the race off of pit road, and nobody can pass each other because they’ve made them so even, the tires are so hard that nobody can pass anybody,” added the former Stewart-Haas Racing driver and co-owner.
In ignoring team and driver feedback for so long, NASCAR has seemingly manufactured its own downfall, opines Stewart, which is why there is a constant dwindle in the number of fans in the stands.
He also added how there have been instances of NASCAR fans at NHRA races who have stopped watching because they are discontent with the governing body. “Well, NASCAR is apparently not smart enough to want to listen to them anymore.”
“They care more about how much money they’re going to put in their pockets than they are making sure that the teams are healthy and can bring competitive race cars to the track and what’s best for the fans is the only thing that’s going to stop and change NASCAR’s mind, if people stop watching and stop going to races.”
“Other than that, they’re raking in money. They don’t give two shits about the teams, the competitors. They don’t care as long as the fans are happy, and the fans aren’t happy, but they’re still going to watch every week, and until they stop watching, nothing’s going to change.”
Despite what it may seem like, Tony Stewart also accepted his affinity for the sport he once competed in, and laid out how changes can be made going forward.
“We’re not telling people to not watch NASCAR. I can promise you that that would be the worst thing out of this that I would want to see. … I’m still a NASCAR fan. I just know that they could be so much stronger and so much healthier than where they are, and they are the root of their own problem at this point.”
“This is why fans are not sellout crowds anymore at NASCAR races. It’s NASCAR’s fault, it’s not the drivers, it’s not the teams, it’s not Goodyear, it’s not anybody else, it’s NASCAR as a sanctioning body. They are their own worst enemy right now and they absolutely get butt hurt if somebody tries to tell them that.”
