Another Great Read by Brian Danko

[NWMT PR]

I also beg to differ on Shawn’s point that the racing at the Sizzler in positions 2-12 was “heated and dramatic”.. huh? I just don’t see that at Stafford. At Thompson, you had the same small field but the racing there is a different story – at Stafford, the small field, is it a good thing and actually justified by calling the racing better? I don't think so. You need cars added to the field, yes just like the days of old when other cars would show up – Hossfeld, even though he was out early – a great add to the field, Lajoie last year, a welcome add.. this needs to be more of the trend we see, cars joining the field, not cars dropping off and then saying.. ehhh, it’s okay, cause well - half of the field is contending and there are less cautions – I’m not buying that..

Further, and I was going to post this after the Sizzler but I really didn’t want to just post a negative comment.. the TOUR racing at Stafford basically blows, I doubt I’ll go back this year. Santos had them covered, which is usually the case there – 1 or 2 cars up front and then single file freight train “action” throughout the field.. thing is – it didn’t USED to be this way there – I don’t know what it is, the pavement, the tires but we’re not seeing the passing there like we used to – certainly nothing like - and pardon me for saying, yes, the days of old – Ronnie Bouchard with his sticky M&H Racematers making passes on the outside.. or even 10 years ago so we don’t have to go back to my golden era..

Let's take a brief statistical look at just how much better the "good ole days" were than the present day.

I compared five races from 2000-01 to the last five races run at Stafford as well as Thompson. Since lead changes, passing and cautions seem to be the most frequent subjects, I pulled those three categories.


Stafford 2000-01
4.2 - average number of lead changes
3.6 - average number of Top-10 finishers that improved 10+ positions from their start position
36.2 - average laps run under caution

Stafford 2012-13
2.4 - average number of lead changes
2.8 - average number of Top-10 finishers that improved 10+ positions from their start position
30.8 - average laps run under caution

Good Ole Days at Stafford ... 1.6 more lead changes, 0.8 more drivers on the move, 5.4 more laps run under cation


Thompson 2000-01
4.2 - average number of lead changes
3.8 - average number of Top-10 finishers that improved 10+ positions from their start position
41.6 - average laps run under caution

Thompson 2012-13
3.6 - average number of lead changes
2.4 - average number of Top-10 finishers that improved 10+ positions from their start position
32.8 - average laps run under caution

Good Ole Days at Thompson ... 0.6 more lead changes, 1.4 more drivers on the move, 8.8 more laps run under cation


There are a number of other areas to look at as well. For example, in 26 races in 1989 there were eight different drivers that won a race. There were also eight different drivers to win in just 14 races in 2012. There has also been a different driver win the championship each of the last five years. The 23 years before that produced 12 different champions, approximately one every other year.

The reduction in car count is undeniable, so I won't waste time trying to argue that. The actual competition remains essentially the same statistically, however, if not improved in some areas.

[cornellsgt12]

The stats are very interesting. What they don't tell you, is that the fan base for the NWMT has dwindled significantly over the past 10-15 years. The fan base has shifted to New England due to the lack of races in the rest of the Northeast. No upstate New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania races for the past several years. The tour has gone the way of NASCAR in general - they have forgotten what made them successful in the first place. They have traded tradition for the almighty dollar. This has taken a toll on fan participation significantly and thus the original premise of the thread.