Monday, August 10, 2009

The Car of Tomorrow: Good or Bad?

By Ryan Chandler

The Car of Tomorrow is just a simple design where teams slap either a Ford, Dodge, Chevy, or Toyota sticker on the front of it. To me, this seems like a waste of stickers if you're going to run cars that all look the same and don't put brands on them.

Since most parts come from a handful of companies, not all parts are from their respective companies. This just makes the racing more even for everyone, which in a way is good. The only annoying thing is that they'll still use the saying "What wins on Sunday sells on Monday". In my mind you wouldn't need the stickers if the Chevy looked anything like an Impala.

These cars should definitely be more affiliated with their sponsoring auto makers. Sales of cars are often hugely driven by a brand's success on the NASCAR season, and I fear that a continued push in the direction of the Car of Tomorrow will force a disconnect between NASCAR fans and the importance of an auto brand.

In tying the brand directly to the car being used, I'm not exactly sure who it hurts. The brands obviously win out, and I really don't see any fans being offended by it, let alone losing interest in the races each week.

Along with changing the designs of the car they should be forced to use the power train of the car they are actually using to a certain displacement such as 6 L or so. By doing this, it brings a somewhat true meaning back to STOCK CAR.

They don't have to run the drive train or any thing else just an engine available in that car or made from their maker. By doing this again it shows a difference between the makers and gives more people working for the struggling companies jobs, which in this time is needed more than anything.

The final thing I want to discuss is the gas situation. Last year, gas prices went through the roof, but NASCAR did nothing to show its sympathy about the situation. Cars still burned through thousands of dollars in gas bills each race, and many Americans were put off by this. By switching to corn-based ethanol, NASCAR could avert a potentially damaging situation.

Fans would all embrace the move, and our own economy would benefit too. Gas prices are bound to rise again so the best time to do this is now.

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