Besides being one of the most expensive sports in the US, NASCAR is also a full-fledged entertainment business. And NASCAR relies a lot on its viewers at home. There have been instances where NASCAR has ignored on-track incidents in order to give the fans the maximum number of green flag laps. Indeed, NASCAR keeps the interest of the fans in mind before making any major decisions. But what happens when the fans themselves do not know what they want?
A $100 million sports community cannot just keep changing now and then in order to keep up with the changing desires of the enthusiasts. NASCAR stands on the cusp of one such dilemma was taking away dirt racing from Bristol Motor Speedway a good thing or a bad one? An ex-driver acquitted NASCAR of the responsibility and exposed how confused fans can be.
NASCAR veteran hints at the inaccuracy of the fans’ likes and dislikes
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Perhaps one of the biggest highlights from the half-mile concrete racetrack now is NASCAR’s recent decision to organize both the Food City 300 [for Xfinity] and the Bass Pro Shops Night race back-to-back at the “Last Great Colosseum.” In addition to that, the dirt race will not come back to Bristol for the 2024 season.
NASCAR converted Bristol into a dirt racing track in 2021, where Joey Logano of Team Penske won the inaugural event. But fans felt taking away the concrete setting from the high-banked oval has just ousted the dare-devilish element of the stock car racing from it. As a result, NASCAR has ditched dirt and brought concrete back to Bristol.
Kenny Wallace, however, was not one to be influenced. At Trackside Live at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kenny Wallace was interviewing HMS star Chase Elliott, and it was then that he raised a verbal poll in front of the audience.
In a recent episode of The Kenny Wallace Show, the 60-year-old host said, “I get up out of my seat, we do it. Who like to dirt at Bristol?”
Very few people responded with a yes.
“Who likes coming back to concrete?” asked Wallace again. But the response was very different this time.
“Fans went nuts,” he said.
Kenny Wallace continued, “Like I’ve always said, people don’t know what they want.” He then went on to sing Joni Mitchell’s ‘Big Yellow Taxi’, describing how “you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.” His point? When Bristol was concrete, people wanted dirt and when Bristol was dirt, people wanted concrete back.
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Wallace then went on to hint at something really weird about how the fans voted for a poll that. The Athletic reporter Jeff Gluck put up on his Twitter a few days back.
Dirt vs. Concrete which face of Bristol is preferred by fans
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Kenny pulled up the tweet on his iPhone and panned it into the camera. He said, “Check this out right here. I want you all to see this.”
Unlike the few hundred people who were present at Bristol earlier this week, Jeff Gluck’s poll invited the opinion of thousands of NASCAR fans. Interestingly, it would surprise you to know what they actually want.
“This ain’t like a couple hundred people…these are thousands of people,” said Kenny. “Here’s what I want you to look at: Less of you said that the concrete race was good. Only 61 percent of you liked the concrete race. More of you liked the dirt race.”
Gluck’s Tweet said, “FWIW, the dirt race got 66% this year”
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Was Bristol a good race? 61.6% of you said Yes.
— That ranks No. 12 of 14 concrete Bristol races in the poll (not counting dirt races).
— Only last year's night race (60.7%) and the All-Star Race (51.9%) are lower for paved Bristol.
— FWIW, the dirt race got 66% this year.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) September 18, 2023
Kenny Wallace then smiled and shook his head, saying, “It’s not about you, it’s about everybody. Once again, you don’t know what you like.”
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“You’re just sitting on your couch drinking beer going… I don’t like or I like,” he added.
Read More: Track Analysis: What Makes the Bristol Motor Speedway a Great Hunting Ground for Kyle Larson?