A few years ago, circa 2001.  I started to watch NASCAR, and got hooked on it.  It was my favorite sport, and I loved every minute of it.  Then around 2004 the sport changed. 

The Chase for the Cup was made.  A horrific idea to make a "Playoffs" in NASCAR.  I thought it was pointless and was erasing what drivers had done all year prior to that. 

North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham had a photo finish a few years earlier but what did NASCAR do?  They got rid of the track to make room for tracks that are all the same.  Rockingham was unique, but they replaced for Texas, Atlanta, Lowes, Kansas, Chicagoland, California.  All speedways that are all the same boring old tracks.  They tried to get rid of the most historic track in all of NASCAR, Darlington.  They got rid of one and if it wasn't for high ratings, they would have erased it completely.

It wasn't just the Chase that angered me.  It was all of these other pointless rules.  Such as "Freezing the Field" when a caution comes out.  That takes away from part of the competion.  And most of the times for a caution, the Debris or crashed car is on the infield where no one will hit him racing back to the line. 

I think its sad that this is working for them.  The ratings are going up.  It sickens me, because this sport used to be about the fans.  Now its about money.  Nothing but money.  Which is why they are letting Toyota in, because more money for NASCAR.   This all happened when Brian France took over. 

NASCAR was my favorite sport,  but now I can't even stand to watch it.  On my list of "Top 5 Favorite Sports it got replaced by Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, and even Golf and Bowling.    Altough they are gaining fans, they've lost one of their most loyal.