The racing at Bristol Motor Speedway this past Sunday was some of the best of the season. Battles for position were happening all through the pack and some of the sport’s biggest names were having to fight their way forward after various bouts of adversity. Not only that but there was perfect weather and the debut of a huge screen hanging over the track allowing fans to see more than ever before. Even an NFL legend was milling about and very visible to all.
Sadly if you were watching on TV you only saw a small portion of what was going on. Even sadder there seemed to be even fewer fans seeing all that action in person. The grandstands at Bristol shined in all their metal glory. That’s because there seemed to be more empty seats than ever before. And that’s just a shame.
The truth is TV can only cover so much. Their focus is on the leaders or the racing close to them. They do an admirable job, but they can only do so much. They may briefly mention, and show, a big name who is fighting up through the pack, but the little nuances that add to all the on-track action are hard to display on a TV screen.
In order to understand, and enjoy, a NASCAR race you need to be there. Hear the noise, feel the power of 40 cars rocketing by, experience all the pageantry that happens that TV never shows. Sunday, it appeared that fewer fans than ever got to witness all that.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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