Jeff Foxworthy once said "You can't give a redneck money because he'll just do something stupid with it like buy a pair of blue stingray boots...and wear them out of the store".  NASCAR's redneck organization owns one of the most successful sports businesses in history.  When it was small and struggling they partnered with the sponsors, teams and drivers, made wise business decisions and built the sport into the financial juggernaut it is today.  But, as soon as it started making big money and reached the height of its popularity, they starting immediately to engage in activities trying to fix what wasn't broken.

1. The Chase - What lame-brain came up with the idea that after a certain point in the season, a driver cannot stage a dramatic comeback and win the championship?  Those are the things of legend in any sport...a down and out team who rises from the ashes to attain glory...no more in NASCAR!  They say it makes it more competitive.  Have you watched the chase with excitement because of all the nail-biting closeness of the competition the last few years?   ...yeah - me neither.

2. The Neutering of the Drivers - People go to the race to see excitement, maybe a crash or two and maybe even see the drivers have it out in the pits after one took the other out.  We liked the trash talk and bravado - it made it fun and interesting.  Now post-win interviews are scripted events.  They probably even employ speech-writers to make sure that they say everything politically correct so NASCAR doesn't fine them or worse - dock them points.  The personalities which made the sport popular have been taken away.

3. The Car of the Future - It isn't gonna change the playing field.  Large teams are still gonna have more money to hire more people to give more input and produce more wins.  Small teams still are gonna be fighting from the back of the pack.  NASCAR is gaining nothing from it except negative exposure.

I could go on and talk about the horrible ABC/ESPN coverage, Brian France's delusion that NASCAR is gonna be a big International sport and other things - but I think these three things are enough to make my point.  Unless they take their hands off and lets these teams work and these drivers be themselves, NASCAR is on the road to being a fringe sport again that is only shown on television sporadically when a big race is happening (aka the 70's).  The sponsors will dry up and the money will stop rolling.

Then the joke will be; "If you can remember a time that watching rednecks go round and round on an oval track was one of the most watched and televised sports in the history of American sports...you might be a NASCAR fan".

FYI...Foxworthy explains that you aren't allowed to call folks one or make fun of a redneck unless you are one.  Of course, being a comedian from Atlanta, he is the recognized authority.  I am originally from Texas and now live in SE Tennessee in the heart of SEC and NASCAR country...I own black ostrich-skin boots...you figure it out.