As the 2008 season is about to be put in the archives, along with all the other previous seasons before. This had to be one the most explosive, as well as a prelude to what we can expect in the upcoming years as far as NASCAR is concerned.  How many of us fans will take the time to look back and ask ourselves, "Did I get what I expected out of NASCAR this season"??? That is a question that only you as an individual can answer. There will be no two answers alike, just like there will always be the debate that NASCAR does need some kind of overhauling.

Nothing in life is ever perfect, because for one...the world we live in is far from perfection. Take a good look around at what is going on in this country that we call,"America"! The American dream as it was once known, is no longer a dream, but a distant vision that is probably far out of reach!! So far out of reach, that we should count ourselves lucky to still have sports in this wonderful land that we all call home. The price tag that each athlete has put on themselves is astronomical, and that goes for our sport too. The trickling effect in one way or another will have an impact on each, and every one of us who chooses to follow a sport that was labeled as, "The last of the great family orientated sports"!! NASCAR is no longer about the fans that have chosen to pour their heart, and their soul while expecting to get a good return on their investment.

But instead, it has become one of the biggest money pits next to legalized gambling.  What used to be a relatively fun and economical way to spend a weekend...has now become one the most expensive ventures, which any family could ever imagine. Prices have risen to a point, that it is no longer feasible for the average blue-collar family to attend more then one or two races a year. That is unless both the husband and wife work, or if they don't mind paying the high price of interest that each one of those plastic cards charges.  You as the fan have to sit back and think...when it will ever become affordable to sit back in the stands, and root for your favorite driver without the distraction of knowing that your wallet will be a few pounds lighter when you leave..... Scary thought isn't it???  

NASCAR just like anything else in life comes with a price tag, and with its slow but steady rise in popularity, those are usually the consequences. NASCAR operates on a budget, just like any amusement park or movie theatre. Their expenses, just like our everyday expenses have to be met, it's just there are a little higher....hmmmm or maybe a lot higher! And it is starting to slowly take affect by all the rumors of teams having to cut back, and lay off employees. So it's not just happening in the towns that we live in, but also in the wonderful world of NASCAR racing. Doesn't it kind of seem odd, that this is the only sport that is feeling the affects of a shaky economy? I haven't heard that the NFL is going to make any roster cuts, or that the NBA is going to shorten their schedule because of the high price that their athletes are making. As a matter of fact, the Los Angeles Clippers just opened up a 50 million dollar, state-of-the-art practice facility down by the beach in Playa Vista, where the average home sells for in the millions, and this is not one the top 10 teams in the NBA!!

The Dallas Cowboys just spent 1.3 BILLION dollars to build themselves one the most modern, up-to-date stadiums to just play 8 games a season in!!!!!! WOW that's a lot of green paper just to play in for only 8 weeks???? The New York Yankees will also be moving into a new stadium for the next MLB season. If NASCAR is the second most watched sports show in America...why are they in dire need of having to make such drastic cuts to its budget???? Not even the NHL is losing money, and they get no National T.V. air time, at least not here in Los Angeles. NASCAR also races 36 weeks a year, compared to the NFL's 16 week schedule, or MLB's 162 game schedule, and they are still only 3rd on the totem pole behind NASCAR.

There is some resentment towards NASCAR, because of the way the sanctioning body spends their part of the millions of dollars that flow into their organization. Unlike most other sports, NASCAR doesn't have franchises, and all the teams are viewed upon as independent contractors. So because of that, teams are free to go and come as they please. So you would think that Brian would at least have some kind of loan program to help out the struggling teams, kind of like a welfare system. But instead what it boils down to is again the old clich