OT: Is Nascar the most violent sport now?

[SunDancer]

It looks like Nascar has really gotten personal between drivers this year. It's also has it flairs, but it seems to steppen up alot this year.

Good race under the lights at Bristol tonight. My favorite race.

[Taur]

No, NASCAR would first have to be a Sport!!!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Nah SunDancer, it's been this way (or worse) for years.

The difference is the amount of media attention the incidents get now vs 20 or 30 years ago.

Most of the older generation of drivers have plenty of stories about what was settled "out back behind the trailers".

[SunDancer]

Good point Jon. Nascar's move from geographical southern ties to a national stage might be why?

Also, seems to be a changing face in drivers? Less southern-typical drivers from the old generation, seems to have a more rocker-macho generation?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Certainly the stage is larger than in decades past, for better or for worse. And that means more glare of the spotlight.

I don't know if the changing makeup of the driver's geography has been much of a factor compared to the age & experience difference. After all, I've heard Terry LaBonte (TX), Robby Gordon (CA) and Tony Stewart (IN) all say that they wished more things were settled "out back behind the trailers like they used to be" instead of on the track with 3200 pound weapons.

[clintl]

Maybe NASCAR should consider taking the fenders off the cars. You don't have these kinds of problems in open-wheel racing.

[JonInMiddleGA]

That's true clintl ... there aren't enough fans here in the U.S. to bother with the glare of the media spotlight ;)