I have my own list of issues with NASCAR these days, but this is a big issue, actual racing has gotten lost literally by the commercialization of the sport. Commercialization affects the sport in almost every way, drivers, number of races, length of races, cautions, sponsors, rule changes, TV ratings... and most importantly the fans. Seems like the interest of the fans has gotten lost along the way.

Let's take the Top 35 rule for instance. I just heard yesterday two media people and a driver defending the Top 35 rule. Basically, saying, that if a sponsor invests so much money in a race team and that team makes it into the Top 35, then they deserve to be in every race. This is where the fans get lost. I want the fastest cars in the race. Period. I don't care how much money DEI or Hendricks get from their sponsors, I want the fastest 43 cars in the field. The guys with the most money will probably out qualify the lower teams anyhow, but at least the top teams will have to qualify like everyone else. What's the risk? The risk is that one of NASCAR's beloved favorites doesn't make the race. To bad. That's racing.

All the sponsors need to realize that their car might not make every race no matter how much they spend. Right now. It's only the "go or go homers" sponsors that have to live under those rules, making it almost impossible to get into the Top 35.

I don't even know where to start. Kansas exposed alot of the problems with the current state of NASCAR. From weather to down right negligence. And how in the hell can you re-start a race that you know you can't finish.

Then you have a green white checkered finish that gets called off due to darkness. Then Biffle can't finish the race under power. What a joke.

It's obvious to me that NASCAR wasn't happy with the running order so they did every thing they could to get the track ready at any costs. They could have raced Michigan on Sunday afternoon if they would have worked as hard as they did at Kansas.

This is more proof that Jeff Gordon will win the championship. Stewart would have had more than a hundred point lead over Johnson and Gordon in the Chase if they would have called the race. NASCAR couldn't have the bad boy of NASCAR have a hundred point lead.

And is there anybody else thinking that they would have called the race if Jr. or Gordon would have been in the lead. I know that the race would have been over. If you don't agree then you are just not paying attention.

And why does the Alltel car and the AT&T car always have problems during the Chase? And do they actually film every car under a red flag or just those two? NASCAR is a joke at this point. I will not support this spectacle any longer.

The top 35 rule has to go! This weekend's race was a horror show for some good cars, Boris Said and Jeremy Mayfield to name a couple. Only 14 drivers were left to qualify when the rain hit Friday afternoon. Why isn't there a big uproar about this? Because the drivers that missed the race are not the most popular drivers. Plus after calling the race, who starts on the pole, Jeff Gordon driving the Pepsi car in the Pepsi 400. I'm shocked. NASCAR demonstrates a lack of character and quality every week.

NASCAR says they were following the rule book. What a joke. NASCAR follows the rule book when it's convenient for them. They invent new rules and interpret existing rules, however and whenever they want. The only surprising event of the race was that the Pepsi car didn't win, but then again, NASCAR didn't have the opportunity of throwing a rain caution when Gordon was in the lead. I'm taking my ticket money, elsewhere.

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Overall, I'm not surprised by Jr.'s decision to go to Hendrick Motor Sports. He wants to win championships and HMS is the place to go to win championships. Period. We all understand his decision, but there is a piece of me that wants to rationalize how this happens and what this means to NASCAR.

First of all, this disspells alot of fans delusions about Gordon's and Jr's great rivalry. Do Jr. fans "hate" Gordon, yes, most of them. Do Gordon fans "hate" Jr, yes, most of them. Do Jr and Gordon "hate" each other, no. Did they ever have a rivalary on the race track, no. Petty and Pearson had a great rivalry on the race track. Gordon and Jr. never had a rivalry at all and for that matter neither did Sr. and Gordon. The only rivalry is in the hearts and minds of fans and media. I agree, we yearn for a day when a great rivalry will emerge between any two drivers, but those days are gone. Gordon and Jr both driving for HMS doesn't change the rivalry because there never was a rivalry. This changes very little for most Jr fans, they will still "hate" Gordon and still pull for Jr.

Does Jr. going to Hendrick affect the future of NASCAR, surely. How will it affect NASCAR? Will the sport be more boring, now? Or will this give the sport more excitement? Will the sport continue to be, which Hendrick's driver will win this week? I would vote, yes. This doesn't really help the sport, but it definitely helps Jr.

I say, bring back the Winston girl in victory lane. Ok, she would have to be the NEXTEL girl, but that's fine. Do we live in such a polically correct world now that a hot babe or babes can't be in victory circle? This is just another indicator of how bad NASCAR has gotten. Forget about the top 35, lucky dog, speeding penalities, and questionable cautions. Where are the babes that used to be in victory circle? Once in a while we have female drivers for certain races, but that's fine. Girls can celebrate a victory, too.I praise the NHRA for handling the situation correctly. A picture says a thousand words.

http://www.racingone.com/images/sspics/2223f.jpg

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I wish NASCAR would just end the season early and give Gordon the championship.

It's been obvious from day one who would win the title this year. Some teams have cheated this year with the penalty of getting fines, points, and suspensions. Gordon cheats at Daytona and gets a slap on the wrist. This is Gordon's second win of the season where the timing of the caution gave him a victory. Unless you can explain to me, how a caution comes out at the exact moment that he is about to get passed by the "Alltel" car. That would be an abomination in the "NEXTEL" cup. I smell something. Between these wins and the Hendrick's COT program. Gordon is a lock.

Gordon has been re-invented this year. A wife and a kid on the way. I wonder what happened to that other girlfriend he had a couple years back. Anyway, the point is, NASCAR can now feel good again about putting their poster child back up on the wall because he is now, a family man. The divorce and the gay rumors are all behind him. No pun intended. I can't wait to see the Gordon video montage at the end of the year with Gordon holding the Cup and his new daughter. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Also, was it disturbing to anyone to see NASCAR not throw a caution when Johnson blew a tire. NASCAR preaches safety, safety, safety only when its convenient and serves their business objectives.

Don't forget, Cup wins this year give you more points going into the Chase. The final points tally should be interesting. Nahhh. I doubt it.

I'm betting my house trailer on Gordon to win the championship. Then I can get the double wide that I always wanted. I suggest you do the same.

NASCAR has so many bad rules, now, do they really need to add bad tires to the mix. I've never really understood why they mandate certain tires at certain tracks. Granted that all the drivers have to use the same tires, allegedly, but still. I mean these teams spend a ton of money on tire tests then once in a while for the race, Goodyear brings a different tire. That is wrong. A tire change in the sport should be a big issue. Why not use the same tire at every track? Some tracks will have more tire wear and some less.

Again, NASCAR leaves us all wondering what they are trying to accomplish with their actions. Why drive such a hard tire? To make the cars harder to drive thereby slowing the cars down (unless you are Juan Pablo Montoya, ouch) or do they want to take tire wear out of the equation for races? Back in the day, the good drivers had to manage their tires during the race. Not so much, now. Frustrating.

"Childress and Earnhardt - has been expanded with the creation of Earnhardt-Childress Racing Technologies."

"the joint venture partnership will combine the Chevrolet engine departments of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI), with engine development work to begin immediately"

What does this mean for Jr.? Does this mean that Jr. must go to RCR or just the opposite or has no impact on his decision? Hmmmmmm.

Let's all forget who are favorite driver is for a minute and think about this logically.

At Darlington, the 8 team gets fined, points deducted, and a suspension for unapproved rear spoiler brackets that modified the angle of the spoiler.NASCAR said that this resulted in the infraction of three separate NASCAR rules. OK. Fine

At Daytona, the 24 team gets sent to the back of the field for the 500, no fine, no points, and no suspension for the car being to low after post race inspection for one of the 150's. Oh and by the way, car's have been busted for being to low in the past after post race inspection. The penalty at a minimum has been points and a fine just ask Jeremy Mayfield.

NASCAR Statements:

"We feel it was unintentional, and actually fairly unsafe," said NASCAR competition director Robin Pemberton. "We feel that it was a part failure, and we feel that it was unitentionally done. I think it would be marginal at best if there was any advantage."

"I am 100 percent sure this is unintentional."

"Honestly, I think it's something a mechanic made a mistake on as he bolted the shocks on during the installation process," Pemberton said. Pemberton added that NASCAR was convinced the infraction was unintentional, and that no fines or point deductions would be warranted."

First of all, a rule is a rule, what does intention have to do with anything? No officer, I didn't really mean to go 20 miles an hour over the speed limit, the accelerator accidently broke.

Second of all, I ask you, what is a bigger advantage, a rear wing tweek on the COT at Darlington or your car being an inch low at Daytona? And again, a rule is a rule and it doesn't matter if you gained advantage from the cheat or not. You broke the rule.

Also, why would you break the rules if you weren't going to gain an advantage?

If anybody can help me determine NASCAR's wisdom here, I would love to hear it because at this point NASCAR is a joke and a spectacle. I would say rock, scissors, paper would be a better way to determine a NASCAR champion.

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The media advertises NASCAR as the fasting growing sport in America. I beg to differ. TV numbers have been fairly low, race attendance is down, and  you can get a ticket to just about any race except Bristol.

Let's examine a few of the problematic rules and issues in no particular order.

Issues

1. To many TV commercials

2. Expensive tickets

3. Long cautions, late cautions, no cautions, timing of cautions

* This is a huge gray area that NASCAR has to be more consistent with, otherwise, the races do seem fixed and at best seem as a display of favoritism.

4. The COT

* NASCAR, the media, and Hendrick's fans are praising the COT. The fan vote is still out on this one. This could turn out to be a disaster especially if the other race teams take a long time to catch up with Hendrick's and Gibb's.

5. The death of Earnhardt Sr.

* Some Earnhardt Sr. fans simply walked away from the sport after his death

Rules

1. The top 35 in points locked into a race

* Can you imagine an auto racing sport where you don't have to qualify on speed?

2. The lucky dog

* Can you imagine an auto racing sport where you are given track position because you are having a bad day or you just plain stink?

3. Speeding on pit road

* Why can't the speeds of every driver be displayed as public information during the race?

4. Green\White\Caution\Checkered

* NASCAR has to ensure that the race is not awarded to a driver under caution. A race must be won racing to the checkered flag.

The numbers speak for themselves either way you look at the situation.