Why NASCAR Drivers Are Becoming Boring

[@simoneghilardini5211]

Dale Jr. in one of his DJD episodes put an interesting point by saying something like "We have many young drivers that they are great characters and have great personalities, but they know how important the image is nowadays and they are afraid to show that side of them"

[@dalejr183]

Multiple sponsorship killed it. In my day it was one car one driver one sponsor. Now instead of one boss it’s 20 bosses like office space.

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

another problem is that even if drivers show personality, the same fans who are begging and crying for drivers to show personality are the same people who also bitch and cry if drivers even show personality. So just like everything else, it's NASCAR and the NASCAR fanbase's fault for the reasons why NASCAR is still and maybe never will be as good as it used to be. NASCAR Fans bitch and cry when they get what they want, and NASCAR would usually gimmick and force some BS.

[@AImpatientMan]

Everyone malds at Busch when he mocks the fans. Everyone boos Hamlin when he tells the booing fans I beat your favorite driver. Then they complain that the drivers have no personality

[@michaelkeha]

​@@AImpatientManI mean those drivers are being heels and getting the exact reaction out of the fans they want the issue is there is no likeable personalities

[@AImpatientMan]

@@michaelkeha when I went to the Bristol night race, Ryan blaney, chase Elliot, Kyle Larson, and Ross Chastain were really only the four that got universally cheered. Kyle Busch had more cheers than boos but his was loud too. Obviously Denny Hamlin/bubba/logano got boo'd but for half the drivers there wasn't much cheering.

[@johnberger51]

One personality you forget to mention was Tim Richmond. He had that Hollywood persona that the fans loved in the 80's. He had one of the best personalities in NASCAR history.

[@Bushmaster3327]

I was lucky enough to see him win at the old Riverside road track back in the 80s. He was a good driver that was gone too early. A lot of the drivers today seem to be a bunch of spoiled brats that come from the rich owners. That blocking crap that these brats have brought to the sport needs to be banned. I’ve listened to Logano talk about them getting taken out for the stupid things they do when trying to block someone and the result is a massive wreck. Most of these rich boys can’t drive worth a damn either and if it was any other driver, he would have been gone. Both the Dillon brothers suck, Daneca Patrick cost her race team millions and she was a worthless NASCAR driver. That’s just a couple that should never have been in a nascar race car. Unfortunately it’s drivers like them and the pathetic race coverage on tv has only made things worse. We get it, you have the ability to put cameras everywhere. It sucks because the tv coverage now misses all the good racing because they’re busy showing off these stupid camera angles all during the race. They end up showing crap that has already happened and again missing more of the race. They need to just show the race and stop with all the reality tv crap that nascar has become

[@juicethegoat223]

All star picture 😅

[@gatling216]

Chastain could be that guy, but I'd argue that he's not the only one. He's just the one who's in the best position to do it now, thanks to a string of viral incidents that caught the attention of a broader audience. I think the Fox broadcast team has a potential hit on their hands, if only they learn to capitalize on it. Having the Cup drivers announce for the lower series is a good start, but the real winning idea was giving Austin Cindric a microphone and letting him wander around the pits during the rain delay at Charlotte. No script, no gimmicks, just a longshanks with a need for snacks. Well, there was the whole TPing Harvick's trailer, but that's neither here nor there. Point is, Cindric probably earned himself more fans over those few hours than he did the entire rest of his career. That's the sort of energy NASCAR needs. Just find a chaos gremlin with time on their hands, give them a microphone, and have them go poke their noses around the pit lane to see what happens.

[@DEIFAN]

Noah is also a good Personality

[@TheMrAwesome]

@@DEIFAN I agree.

[@patrickharper9297]

If it’s not natural it doesn’t look good

[@registerracing]

Yep and the Hocevar one was golden too. Less gimmicky stuff and more on the spot stuff. Post race interviews of 2nd-5th gone so we loose that raw emotion

[@jwrailve3615]

When sponsorships political stance and nascar censorship obsession wasn’t an issue we’d have actual drivers saying what they want to say. When nascar was all about smokin Winston’s drinking beer it was lax, you had drivers who’s weren’t from rich families paying millions for there kids to race on top teams. We don’t truly have the best drivers in the world, it’s best money can buy.

[@vercingetorix444]

You hit the nail on the head. Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and about a half a dozen other have the personality of a slab of concrete. Classic corporate interviews. Love or hate them, guys like Logano, Chastain, Wallace, and Gragson do mix things up, and we need about 5 more of them.

[@Weezy10580]

Don’t forget about Austin Cindric, more boring than Jimmie with less talent

[@vercingetorix444]

@@Weezy10580 Exactly. He and a lot of these guys show hints of humor and personality, I just wish their handlers let them off the leash a little

[@MCC-fo1oe]

I hate to be that guy but some Nascar fans will complain about anything. I see too many people that complain about lack of personality but at the same time will complain about people like Denny Hamlin for their personality

[@AImpatientMan]

Blaney is a blast on radioactives but the second he leaves the car he has to enter corporate mode. That's the thing killing personalities. We get a minute interview where they spent 40 seconds glazing the sponsors/teams despite getting rammed into the wall 6 laps ago

[@mango2538]

Because they are downright required to regurgitate every sponsor in every interview, and cannot be edgy or they get in trouble. It’s awful. F1 is so much more charismatic in its characters.

[@optimalpowersimracing6625]

Part of the problem is NASCAR took everything that worked and thought how could the change, ultimately for the worse everytime... The playoffs for example take away from the storyline. 96 and other legendary campaigns were great because the featured a few protagonist who really battled it out each week for the title, when every race and point mattered... now we spend 30 races talking about some win and your in participation trophy, rewarding and focusing on mediocrity. i'm sorry someone 16th in the title race wouldn't even be a talking point in the golden years... Jeff vs Dale with Martin lurking in the wind

[@alexmaccain2362]

Dude if u even say a bad word like Larson did, u don't get a sponsor.

[@terrybarber6923]

They're trying to recreate the intensity of 1992 with these silly playoffs, which you can't do. The reason why you can't recreate that intensity year after year is because it would become routine at that point. What made 1992 so great is the fact that it was so rare. 6 drivers fighting it out for the championship was so rare that it virtually never happened. But it sure did in 1992. You had Alan Kulwicki--the underdog, the one you never expected and he was right there in the fight looking to win. And did I mention that he was an owner/driver. Very meticulous. Very smart. Hardly ever made mistakes. A true chess player. You had Bill Elliott--Awesome Bill from Dawsonville. Came from 2 laps down on the green at Talladega to win the race in May 1985. Stood up to Dale Earnhardt and put him in his place at Charlotte in 1987 after he got drilled one too many times. Most popular driver for a VERY long time!!!! You had Davey Allison, the up and comer. The son of Bobby Allison and more than that, a talented driver in his own right. Winning his first race in 1987. A huge foil to Bill Elliott and Dale Earnhardt. Potentially the next big thing and had he lived, would most certainly have won at least one championship. He was that good. And he had a feisty personality. An all around fun driver to race against and be around!!! Oh and did I mention that he won the 500 earlier in the year! There was Harry Gant. Mr. September. Won 4 races in a row in 1991. One of those 4 wins was with a damaged racecar, one he tore up early in the race. He was 52 years of age and had he won, would have been the oldest champion in the history of Cup. He was coming to the end of his career, which I believe came 2 years later in 1994. Next was Kyle Petty--third generation racer as the grandson of Lee Petty and the son of King Richard Petty. Consistent top 10 finishes in 1992 and tied with Mark Martin who was a very beloved racer and a fixture in NASCAR and someone who was just plain fun to be around and race against. There is no nonsense with Mark Martin. He races you clean and he gives you a good run for your money. He is the definition of a hard luck story if there ever was one. Contender to win the Cup championship in 1990 and he had it stolen because of an asinine penalty regarding intake manifolds (welded 3 inch manifold legal. Bolted 3 inch manifold illegal. Must be somebody's idea of a very sick joke.). Flipped at Sears Point after losing a wheel and later getting back in the car and finishing the race I believe. It was these wild and crazy stories that gave 1992 a bit of spice in the NASCAR championship that year. Not to mention the fact that 6 drivers contending for the championship was unheard of at the time. What added to the mystique of 1992 was the fact that Richard Petty was retiring and this was his last race, which he finished, despite having a damaged racecar that looked like a dirt modified after it got tore up during the race. You also had a new racer making his debut in Cup to begin a new era in Cup--Jeff Gordon. The end of an era and the beginning of a new one. You had the championship come down to Elliott versus Kulwicki, which Kulwicki won with Elliott winning the race. The Underdogs had won it with a car that they were allowed to officially dub the "Underbird." First owner/driver to win the championship! But what makes 1992 so memorable is two very sad and sorrowful tragedies. Within a few months following that championship, we would lose Alan Kulwicki, the defending champion at Bristol in April and Davey Allison at Talladega in July. Two very important and memorable personalities; people who could carry the flame of NASCAR into the future were lost in 2 separate aircraft accidents. The racing world mourned their loss. And we still do. So that's why you really can't recreate the intensity and memorableness of 1992. It just doesn't work. There were too many factors involved to make it happen every year.

[@optimalpowersimracing6625]

@@terrybarber6923 dude i didn't wanna be long winded, which i see you didn't mind lol but i could not have said it better myself. great campaigns in motorsport are rare, but when they happen, it becomes memorable, something eternal... Like F1 fans being treated to it in 2021 with Lewis vs Max down to the wire, its something that will live for eternity

[@driver8703]

It all started with Hendrick and Gordon, through marketing classes they made him into the perfect marketing template, then Johnson was next. Soon all the teams copied, with penske you can see the change in how Brad talked, with Roush they even showed it on the “Driver X” show they made back in the 2000s. With all the guys now it is a result of them being raised in this marketing culture from a early age, it zapped any personality out of them from the get go. The difference between Nascar/Indycar (American) and F1/GT (Europe) is just culture, European drivers are not taught to be walking commercials, if you listen to any interview of a European driver in Europe you will not hear the spill of thanking the sponsors like nascar does “I want to thank the lowes, Pepsi, Quaker state, kobalt, hersheys, Chevrolet Monte Carlo” all they will say is “the car was great today, the team did a really great job” you won’t hear a single sponsors name in any interview. Just a culture difference and how America is always trying to sell things.

[@dkmma3312]

Thats why ive been a kyle busch fan for the last 15 years. Only real one left. Ross and larson arent bad . Ross is cooler for sure

[@RR-xu5cj]

Your killing it with the NASCAR vids. Keep it up

[@automan224]

Oh man, we’ve reached the point where people are longing for the 00’s personality’s Growing up in the 00s people were calling these guys boring and wanted the 90s car back

[@nascarnational]

nascar DID have a dts-like series last year in race for the championship, however it was forced and flopped like a fish on land. nascar's marketing makes nascar feel like f1 in the 2010s-- an old man's sport. "hey, you're a longtime 50-year nascar fan, here's our next race!!", and they do nothing else. all the rest of their marketing is cheap & feels like is being thrown unpolishedly like a dart without feathers, and hoping it'd stick. not to mention, the broadcasts are outdated and cater to that audience. no wonder why the sport isn't making in-roads to the mainstream in 2023. aside from that last sentence, nascar has another problem with driver personalities-- unequivocally censoring them. denny made a podcast and got fined because of things he said, making young drivers avoid stuff like that and being weirdly untruthful in interviews like chase was last week-- nascar thinks they're doing something right by giving a polished look by penalizing them, when in reality it's hurting the sport in an important sector because it's not allowing drivers to show personality. makes me wonder if nascar lives in their own bubble. **ryan blaney is rebooting his old podcast this month, glass case of emotion, and nascar needs it because it's a chance for that matt kenseth-style dry humor to shine in a modern way looking back at my comments it makes me believe it's a culture issue, and as we know things like cultures take forever to change, no matter the environment. that's bad news for nascar, as they need a total revamp of it in time for the new tv deal in two year's time. they have more than a lot of work to do. i want to say they can do it but it's modern nascar, it's cursed & not to mention this decade has shown to be wildly inconsistent in nature. standards are high but hopes aren't. i really wish nascar can prove us wrong in the near future.

[@redracer1985]

NASCAR has been dying a slow death since Brian France took over in 2004, and things like the chase, then eventually the playoffs, and all those other stupid changes done to the sport have made it to where back in 2013 I wasn't even enjoying this sport as I used to. This is actually making me dream of wanting to start up 2 different stock car series, one series that runs late 80s to early 90s cars (my equiuvalent to the Xfinity Series) that runs 150-200 mile races, and another series that runs Gen 4 cars (my equivalent to the Cup Series) that runs 250-300 mile races, and can run all types of tracks, and anyone can drive that series.

[@GreatTheRa]

Why does everyone forget how Logono continued to antagonize kenseth during the talledega race. Miss that fued

[@Geologynut37]

I think Rusty Wallace needs to be mentioned too. He was even more important than Geoff Bodine. The calm and collected epitomized Jimmie Johnson.

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

The good personalities we have nowadays are Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, and Noah Gragson. That’s all I can think of nowadays in terms of personalities today.

[@manueltjuhh3807]

Ross chastian and joey logano too

[@Weezy10580]

Blaney? Not so much

[@rcguy902]

Kyle busch is a terrible personality Childish arrogant a sore loser and a dirty racer

[@patrickharper9297]

Bubbles is a personality… which kind? It’s like watching racist cardboard

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

@@patrickharper9297 how mature of you. Typical stupid NASCAR fan🙄 Leave the guy alone, damn. Grow up. It’s sad that you babies are still obsessed with him. Y’all are more obsessed with him than his fanbase. How sad. Focus on your life and don’t get your panties twisted over someone. Good day

[@Ryzard]

Imo before seeing the video ( which I am now watching ) you need more money now. You need sponsors, and stuff doesn't fly in the era of the internet that did before. Sponsors are worried about their image, and anything, even tossing a glove, could be disastrous for a driver's sponsorship now. Also, the rules and fanbase are much stricter.

[@TheDirtysouth276]

the reason why we see less personality is because we don't have the outlets anymore for them to express it. I remember Friday nights during race season I would tune to speed channel and watch trackside live. they would have massive crowds and interview drivers. we need stuff like that now

[@terrybarber6923]

This is a great video and it really hits the nail on the head. There is a huge problem with NASCAR racers becoming vanilla, boring, dull. I think that definitely the overcommercialization of the sport and the overhyped glitz and glamour have both played a big role in this problem. There's all kinds of nonsense in the shows; we're pretty sure there is a race in there but we just can't tell you exactly where. That is one of the big problems for sure. I think a big problem--possibly the BIGGEST problem in the sport of NASCAR is that there are way too many rules that govern how you can conduct yourself at racetracks, on interviews, even on social media. You aren't allowed to speak your mind and say what you think. You can't say when someone in NASCAR made a mistake. You can't speak bad about other people. You can't say anything but positive things (massive toxic positivity). You can't say when an official unfairly penalizes you. You can't criticize the penalties you get. You can't put people on blast on television or on social media. You can't trash talk. You can't even criticize the car. You can only toxically positive things. If you do, you are penalized. You get fined. You get suspended. Look at Kevin Harvick. He criticized the car and the pathetic parts after that fire in Darlington and what happens soon after? One of his Stewart-Haas teammates gets penalized severely. Tony Stewart himself recently admitted that he cannot openly say anything critical for fear of NASCAR coming down severely on his drivers, saying they found something illegal on one of their cars. In fact, he said something recently iirc and this week Chase Briscoe's car was found to have "counterfeit parts" and they got slapped with a huge penalty. And didn't Joe Gibbs Racing get slapped with a fine or some other kind of penalty soon after Denny Hamlin started criticizing the safety of the Next Gen car in 2022. And if you look at his admission of going after Ross Chastain on his Actions Detrimental podcast a few months ago, he gets dinged with a fine and points penalty for that. And if you will remember back in 2013, he went after the problems with the car early in the season and he got dinged with a fine for that. And don't forget the secret penalties and fines that NASCAR has levied against drivers for negative criticisms usually of the car. So as you can see, the stupid rules in NASCAR has led to this nonsense. Does it show any signs of changing? I don't think so. And I think you can blame the media for that. In my opinion, they are the biggest reason why you have these stupid rules squashing free thought and expression and driver personalities. So called "Actions Detrimental to Stock Car Racing," a catch all phrase for "you said something that we don't like and so we are going to punish you for it because you embarassed us and we don't like being embarassed, neither us nor the media who would crucify us if we did not do anything to you, however right you may be." And if you have ever seen the documentary on Kurt Busch about his suspension in 2012 for what he said to Bob Pockrass, he said that NASCAR told him that they did not want to suspend him but if they didn't, the media would crucify them. So I think the media is every bit as much to blame for all this as NASCAR. It's a shame really because you got alot of potential for some very spicy personalities in this sport if you take the proverbial handcuffs off the drivers' tongues. As you said, you have Ross Chastain who has the potential to be a "cool heel" in the sport. Very polarizing. You either love him or you hate him. You have Noah Gragson who in my mind has the look and demeanor of someone who would make an awesome villain in the sport. An absolute heel. Imagine the whole no honor among thieves sort of thing when he got in Chastain's face. LOL. You have Kyle Larson who would be the next big thing--potentially the franchise of the sport, just like Jeff Gordon. The heir apparent just like Gordon. Definitely a face. Chase Elliott--I am in two minds about him. I think he should turn heel because I think he could be an excellent heel. But then I think he would also be a good tweener as well. Maybe a good rivalry between him and Larson. You got Kyle Busch who has really done a good job of being a heel. Kind of like a Chris Jericho type. Of course he is a classic example of what I was saying above--he can't say anything that he wants to say without getting penalized because of nonsensical Actions Detrimental to the sport garbage (so ridiculous to force people to give interviews for fear of penalties as well, which I think is a big farce in the sport--hmm, more media control possibly?). I definitely agree with Joey Logano being two faced in the sport--definitely a heel for sure. Tyler Reddick I think would be a good face in the sport for sure. Kind of a Darby Allin type person I believe. Denny Hamlin is definitely a tweener in my opinion and a polarizing one at that. Ryan Blaney--I think he should be a face. As should Austin Cindric. What we need is a feisty personality like John Force. That would really bring the sport back to life big time. We also need a crazy jokester like Gary Scelzi or Kevin Olson. Darrell Waltrip seemed to fit the feisty jokester really good when he raced (after he dropped the whole Jaws personality). But a feisty jokester would bring some fun back into the sport as well. You definitely need a Harry Gant type personality as well as a Ricky Rudd type personality in the sport. You need an Undertaker type personality in there (which I think of Dale Sr. as nowadays). You absolutelty need a Rusty Wallace type person in there who will say it like it is--remember the impassioned speech he made in the drivers meeting at Daytona 1994 after Neil Bonnett got killed. TBH, I think Tony Stewart is about the only person who can be that Rusty Wallace impassioned speech type. Sure he's retired, but he has the fire and the fury to get the job done. He can be very scary--like Castillo in Miami Vice scary (remember the Castillo staredown?). Dale Jr. could also be that fiery Rusty Wallace impassioned speech type as well. And Dale Jr. certainly would have the pull for it because of who his father was. Even getting the both of them speaking up (they are very good friends after all) would help. These are a few ideas. Talking about all this makes me realize just how much I miss Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt, Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, Jeff Gordon, Loy Allen Jr. and all the guys from that time.

[@joshowenby6408]

I'm really getting tired of people saying that Chase has no personality. Not every driver can be a John Force, or a DW, or a Clint Bowyer. Bill said it best a long time ago: "The Elliott's are doers. Not talkers."

[@keeganbrown9967]

NASCAR needs to let drivers say whatever they want whenever they want and not get involved. Denny hamilin getting penalized for speaking his mind on his podcast isnt the way to go.

[@alexmaccain2362]

And let there sponsor leave noway.

[@pjcrow8973]

Great insight. I agree about your option about Ross C. Love that guy, just needs a little more Dale sr in his interviews.

[@johnclark8637]

If he tells the truth he'll get suspended or penalzied

[@aSittingDuck-uh1gu]

As a female working to become a nascar driver someday makes me sad to see how nascar become so dull I one day want to make the sport poppin, how it used to be :)

[@antothemanto77]

Good luck!

[@aSittingDuck-uh1gu]

Thank you I will be needing it but I do appreciate it 😌

[@Indizzinator]

Thankfully we still have veterans like Denny and Kyle but we’re gonna eventually lose them and what do we have then? Chase Elliott? He’s so boring I fall asleep listening to his interviews

[@bighand1530]

What about Ross Chastain, Kyle Larson and Ty Gibbs?

[@nascarplanet9858]

Bowman Byron larsen logano don't even have as much class or personality as even keslowski.even almendinger is cool as hell

[@TheJingles007]

I would say modern culture is the reason why drivers are so bland these days. Sponsors hate controversy, and seeing as how badly we are divided today, to keep sponsorship you either need to have no opinion or only the “politically acceptable” opinion. Matty D is an example of this. He only lost his ride because he’s a Christian Conservative. Harrison Burton in the car isn’t doing any better. It’s because Matty D pissed off the politically correct crowd

[@longhairedguitarman]

Perhaps the reason is lack of interviews during prime time coverage. How often do they get a couple of words from the winner after the race and then move right off to golf? They aren't letting personalities rise from a MSM perspective.

[@jacekatalakis8316]

IMO, it's down to teams needing not just to keep one sponsor on board for the whole season, but, many, many sponsors all with conflicting ideas on what is or isn't appropriate for a driver to do or say on or off track however. Easiest way to do that is to neuter drivers to not do or say anything that may even in the slightest way, offend a sponsor and risk them pulling out and losing that funding. If Tim Richmond was around today and a driver I feel like the sponsors would want him to tone it down to fit in better for example for various reasons, be they he's too in your face, too edgy or company A or B or C

[@seannolan9857]

Even with one sponsor, what the company wanted wasn't personality. Perfect example would be Havoline replacing Ernie Irvan with Kenny Irwin, based on perceived marketability.

[@skippingrhyme4386]

Blame the NASCAR fans Ty Gibbs has the perfect setup to be the bad guy but the Fans Berated him into submission

[@cousindom]

Another issue is that there is very little threat of a fight if you screwed someone over in the 90s 2000s they would meet you at the parking lot to "talk" now it's mostly Twitter fights where it can be deleted this that and the 3rd and even if they try to fight the fight is broken up within 5 seconds of the first swing thrown

[@MrGrombie]

Your mic has some static in it. But nice video. Kinda surprised no one said anything about it. I know it’s not my speaker when you use sound clips of races.

[@MrGrombie]

Chastains move on the wall to get into the playoffs was legendary too!

[@badad0166]

I think they went total corporate robot 20 years ago and it's finally swinging back a bit. I would say the bottom was when drivers started to refer to themselves in the third person.

[@kben24]

I feel bad for modern-day NASCAR drivers… It’s not their fault the sport has turned into WWE on wheels. They’ve created rules that prevent one driver from standing out from the bunch… Just look at the championship system: Eliminate points after 35 races... Four drivers, in a winner take all shootout!! It’s just a constant destruction of season-long storylines & career archetypes, replaced by NASCAR’s cheap entertainment narratives, where you either win or your a nobody…

[@andyrathman6463]

nascar has just lost its identity from my prospective honestly.

[@malaven11]

chase briscoe absolutely had to win to keep his career alive. this is a major slight to mr. b.

[@chuckdraper7776]

Let me save everyone 10 minutes. The drivers are boring because the owners and sponsers only want vanilla pretty boy pitchmen. Vanilla equals uncontroversial. Drivers used to be real blue collar men who worked their way up thru the ranks by racing at local dirt tracks on Saturday night. These "drivers" today were bred for this at an early age.

[@warriorgamingyt14]

You know back in the day the days of thunder eara like in the early Darrell waltrip eara aka the days 😢 thunder eara one of the biggest reasons nascar is dying is because back in the day cars could take a beating and even spun out and still keep going but now days literally if someone gets spun out they are usually always out of the race and its annoying because back of the day the saying "rubing is racing" it was a saying that was always and will forever be a big saying but now days the cars in nascar are terrible they can't handle a spin out the can't handle getting tapped bearly and its embarrassing to the spot me and many others and long time nascar fans that know what true racing is all agree that they should scrap these trash new cars and bring back the good cars like the icon mello yello car from days of thunder and nascar would shine again and rubin would be racing again

[@nascarplanet9858]

William Byron is like drywall and chase and larson are bland as hell.ty for putting new drivers in their place.there is nothing we can do

[@ATK10155]

I felt like it had a lot to do with money. As time goes on, racing becomes so expensive, only a certain demographic of racers. Rich kids. And kids who had their personalities smothered by years of protecting their equipment and not risking it, woke culture to maintain sponsorship which is required to race these days, and not having exposure to the same hardships and building that the older folks have. Nascar also made it a rule that drivers can’t work on their own cars. Taking more of the raw grit out of what made the original 60’s 70’s and 80’s drivers so interesting. Not to mention NASCAR has a giant rulebook they used extremely biased.

[@GeneralLee131]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Motorsports and car culture in general has shifted toward being only a game for rich kids. You simply can’t be cool if you don’t have any skin in the game. Its also illegal to modify street cars most places in America, so no kid could hop up his crappy daily driver with bolt-ons and risk it all to take it onto the local track Saturday night. A person who would do that has that dog in them that we all respect and see as cool. Today there’s simply no pathway for poor/normal income people to even get into the hobby.

[@jamesbraun9842]

I would say Gragson is the closest thing to driver personality on what people are looking for. (Hes not afraid to go against the grain of a walking billboard and speak his mind or walk around with his shirt off.

[@DiehardtNG10]

Facts

[@Poplar70bodiam]

I agree with you soo much my guy.

[@tct2294]

Don’t forget the funny Michael Waltrip

[@aetfggdgdfgret]

Good video. This is not only the problem with nascar, its the problem of whole society.

[@TheNewChevyRoll48]

Kevin James in a NASCAR movie. Unless he's playing a Ricky Bobby-esque character I don't see that working. He like Will Farrell is the kind of guy who is perfect a very specific kind of character. Granted, I don't think throwing a dozen fat jokes into a NASCAR movie would work these days.

[@TheMrAwesome]

The personality problem is partially NASCAR's fault. They can't expect people to admit to their actions and be these massive personalities when they have to rely on big money from sponsors who don't want controversy on their name. Also, they penalize drivers for intentionally wrecking one another, which is think is fair in a case of right-hooking or wrecking in a way that could seriously and possibly fatally harm a driver, but things like the Hamlin incident from Phoenix should not be repeated.

[@NottherealKyleLarson]

I don’t think it’s necessary to force or try to fit the narrative that NASCAR drivers need to have big personalities and aggressive driving styles. Entertaining drivers have to come to the sport with the attitude like Earnhardt like Bill Elliott like Tim Richmond like Jeff Gordon that’s why those guys became very popular with the fans you can’t force an agenda on drivers needing to be aggressive and entertaining some of them might not like it they won’t have it, you got to wait for drivers to have that style of racing depending on the driver the sponsors and the team itself and all fans should respect that.

[@DiehardtNG10]

Noah will be the best super star

[@markboyce1001]

Earnhardt Sr started driving with nothing,and built up his driving career,he understand the car and the sport of driving,these new drivers are mainly nothing but rich kids,that there daddy's bought and paid there way to drive these car,they have no respect and do not have the talent to be behind the wheel of these cars,NASCAR now basically have kit cars,tell them what type of motor and now turn down the horse power because these chrildren can not handle these cars.

[@notsohotboiz8107]

This is why someone like Ross Chastain is good for the sport, even though people question his drinking a lot he helps the sport

[@notsohotboiz8107]

Driving lol

[@Bumafa]

Whiny drivers with a whiny fanbase. Seems like everything fits just fine.

[@michaelkeha]

Part of the issue is nowadays we are really getting just salesman in jumpsuits rather than actual racing car drivers

[@TenorCantusFirmus]

You've mentioned Formula 1, and that's I think is the main problem with NASCAR: they're making it, in a way, too similar to F1. It's meant to be rough, unpolished, a motorsport for the rednecks: F1 yet has its public, NASCAR cannot try going after it. There's a reason why what once was the World's biggest stock-car championship cannot attract new fans, and it's losing its long-time ones (and me, as an F1 fan never being interested in NASCAR by any mean, I probably am just one of a numerous plethora of such individuals): it cathered to a market segment no one else tapped into. Abandoning it is the worst thing could be done, and yet they're doing it.

[@droberts1664]

Todays drivers are worried about lookin bad on tv. The drivers back in the day were alot tougher. But the officials dont let the drivers take care of their own buisiness. Tv wont let em either. Times change, too bad the world had to grow up

[@rick6083]

Well Ross is trying to bring back old school racing but the drivers and fans have went soft and hate him for it

[@Weezy10580]

Because he causes a wreck every single week

[@nascarplanet9858]

You know it's bad when we have to have a show to go behind the scenes to show the personalities of NASCAR drivers so they can be personalities of NASCAR drivers which is still just flat I race against guys with more attitude and hate than the entire Grid in NASCAR at my local Speedway in San Diego California

[@stormer1092]

You mean money got involved? Look at ross chastain. Everyone rips on the guy. Honestly he's an old breed.

[@Supremeballer1776]

Thanks to corporate companies wanting to go pg & the Obama administration making the drivers have no personality thanks! Smh

[@Brosati68]

The drivers now are so talented and the competition is great but they are dry but I feel like they have to be.. it’s hard to survive being the bad guy because the fans hate anyone who’s different even tho they complain there’s no personality. Bubba is firery and doesn’t take shit but no one wants him in the sport. Everyone hates Ross too. With Dale they loved that chaotic aggressive racing and now they whine either way 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@jefftaylor1186]

a boring teammate is a good teammate It’s about money. Not winning. The better the team, the more money they can make. Personality is for actors.

[@ChaseElliott501st]

Ryan blaney,Noah gragson,Denny Hamlin,Austin cindric,Ross chastain,sometimes chase Elliott,Daniel Suarez. Have some of the funniest & coolest personalities in all 3 series

[@DiehardtNG10]

I agree with Noah

[@skippingrhyme4386]

9:18 you've got that way Wrong Most of the time through all the decades of NASCAR Drivers rarely admit to Intentionally taken someone out. You just praised dale for saying the same thing Ross said! Even in their angrier moments I can barely think of a scenario where a driver admitted he was guilty lol idk what your on about

[@penskepc2374]

The internet has just as much to do with it as the sponsors, no ome wants to be that guy every loser online whines about. Wallace has a great personality, so do others, but look what being diffrent does for you?

[@callmejrdn]

I am no Hamlin fan whatsoever, but I respect the personality he brings to the current state of the sport. I get he can be a nice guy off the track, but on track he will move ANYBODY that gets in his way & would probably go on to complain on his podcast if he gets a taste of his own medicine.

[@antoniestrada1972]

You forgot about Bubba I think he has more personality in one person than the entire field

[@Weezy10580]

More divisive politics too

[@antoniestrada1972]

@@Weezy10580 We get it bro you cheered for the Donald Trump car but booed at The unsponsored black lives matter # Car

[@deathtrooper2048]

@@antoniestrada1972 But he faked a hate crime to save his career.

[@antoniestrada1972]

@@deathtrooper2048 @deathtrooper2048 He didn't fake a hate crime somebody somebody else reported it and nascar reported it to the FBI. To quote Dale Jr Bubba puts up with more shit than anybody else deserves

[@labordayweekend]

@@antoniestrada1972that didn’t stop him from going on ESPN and acting like a victim though.

[@HOOSIERDADDY24]

NASCARS biggest tv ratings and attendance was from 2002-2007. Earnhardt, Petty and DW had very little to do with it. The playoffs is what doomed NASCAR.

[@dylanbollinger6872]

I think Ryan had a great personality he isn’t boring.😊

[@VaranTheCasual]

Nascar is losing one of the two last vestiges of drivers with a personality in Kevin Harvick then Kyle Busch will be all that is left.

[@MCC-fo1oe]

Denny Hamlin ?

[@nascarplanet9858]

Wow nascar was amazing.i love it still but my eyes see the fumble of nascar

[@marklittle8805]

We still have Denny Hamlin being a jerk. And Chastain is out there raising hell...and Chastain is from a farming family but he doesn't talk much.

[@sametozkan9175]

Nascar could be discontinued in end of 2020s or 2030s, i still never seen the black #3 car in 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.

[@vegasmarc7252]

Back in the day NASCAR had characters. Now they just have drivers.

[@jabber1990]

Everu driver that showed personality fans hated

[@joshmoment42]

Thats whats gonna suck when KB leaves, hes always so funny in his interviews

[@whosjozikolnik]

there is def potential in this channel but pls pls pls get a proper mic asap it will help a lot

[@johncodysealey830]

I would also argue Jimmie Johnson contributed to this and he isn’t mentioned at all in this video. The Johnson era defines nearly 2 decades of dominance… instead of emulating Earnhardt, these drivers grew up watching Jimmie be the biggest star…. Jimmie is so talented behind the wheel but he is vanilla ice cream nice guy out of it… why be controversial when you can be quiet like Jimmie?

[@7B7E7N7]

Most NASCAR drivers are boring AF and this makes me sad. America is about personality. They don’t have any. NASCAR is becoming less and less American.

[@patrickharper9297]

What made NASCAR great isn’t their anymore… drag racing is still fun 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@benjaminlewis671]

Shrug shoulders in Noah gragson style.

[@easyenetwork2023]

Biddine was not as good as Bill or Dale though.

[@dylanhobbs6249]

Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace could help turn the sport around.

[@electricgaming9914]

Actually austin is a very interesting driver to watch.

[@jonathanfunnell4167]

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BORING NASCAR DRIVER 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

[@garylee8171]

Becoming boring?? They've been boring for the last 15 years

[@crowley29]

Because of sponsors

[@johnfontenot8569]

Awesome video. Just to be a Chastain hater lol...if you started cup in 2017 you didn't make it there on your own hard work. It's just to much money for one person.

[@danielswanson2965]

It’s not NASCAR…. It’s EVERYONE. Total Borefest of marketing geared towards one gender. Stop Corporate Boredom

[@conradsmith1188]

Ty Gibbs and xfinity series are pretty fun to watch , from winning races to punching people in the face after it is amazing 😭

[@HTV315]

Dale In the 80s was Chastain in the 2020s

[@NewGroupFreedomTrust]

BOOOO

[@kaylabartnik1887]

Boooo

[@Jeffbambam]

Nascar ( wokecar) presently has their intrest in wokeism,no one is allowed to have an opinion. I'm done with this liberal ran b.s. .watched it all my life .no more !

[@Jeffbambam]

Jeff Gordon was not self made ! He had a silver spoon life .

[@johnglynn9354]

Dale Sr was not cool.

[@T.N.D.88]

Why? Because he reeks of toxic masculinity?

[@rcguy902]

Yes he was he was a badass and very cool