NASCAR: Passion or Points

Passion or Points? That's really the question here.

On the April 5, 2009 Fox pre-race telecast for NASCAR's Samsung 500 race at Texas Motor Speedway, retired driver and current analyst Darrell 'DW' Waltrip stated that he wanted to see more passion in the drivers. He wants to see them show their emotions and not be so politically correct. He wants to see them get into it with each other when they have a disagreement. His rant lasted several minutes, and he used the prior week's race as an example. In that short track race at Martinsville, Jimmie Johnson had pushed Denny Hamlin out of the way with just laps to go and went on to win the race. It was a controversial move. Actually, in my opinion, it was a dirty move and it's one of the reasons I don't like Johnson. After the race, Hamlin was calm and poised, referring to the incident as "just racing." He didn't express the least bit of disdain for Johnson's actions.

DW concluded his rant by saying he was just angry about the lack of passion from the drivers. He's desperate to see it again.

While fights, rumbles, and 'get in your face' moments may make for great television, the days DW wants to see again are long gone, but it's not because the drivers have become apathetic or just don't care. Rather, it's because of the points system and NASCAR's inconsistent monitoring of the teams. A driver may lose his cool once, but after NASCAR saddles them with a 100-point penalty for the fight, the driver won't do it again, not if he wants to win the Sprint Cup.

Now, in 2008, NASCAR said it was going to lighten up a bit. Apparently, the officials are very aware that many fans are terming races as boring. TV viewership is down overall, too. Vocal fans are wanting that passion that DW is talking about. They crave it. However, the drivers want to win that Cup, and all it takes is one emotional miscue to keep that precious prize from them.

For their claims of lightening up, NASCAR is an unpredictable body. They'll deem one incident as inappropriate, but then let something else go. You can't rely on them being understanding. Personally, I was outraged when Kevin Harvick and Juan Pablo Montoya got into it after an on-track incident, even pulling on each other's helmets and such, and weren't penalized one bit. That was the most unfair inaction that NASCAR ever did in this current era, not when others have been zapped for less forceful confrontations.

To win the Cup, you have to have points. Drivers know that, and they get reminded of that constantly by their crew chiefs and the media. A passionate response to Johnson's action in Martinsville would have landed Hamlin a points penalty that would have taken him out of the Cup race or at least have him desperately trying to play catch up, and Hamlin knew that. He held his tongue and fists in check. I don't believe for one moment that he viewed what happened as a "just racing." He'll get his revenge, but it'll be on the track at a point when he thinks he can get away with it.

If fans want the passion, the points system needs to go. We need to follow what Formula 1 is doing and make the winner of the Cup the driver who has won the most races. That removes the consistency factor which many have longed for, but if wins were the determining factor and points weren't an issue, DW's passion would be visible every race day.

For NASCAR, the reality is that they will never have passion and points, not the way DW and old time fans want. Drivers have learned from both their own past mistakes and the penalties leveed to their peers when they've lost their tempers. It's the reality of the day. Points win out. If you want passion, oust the points system and, as DW enthusiastically charges just before the green flag waves, let's go racing, boys - for the wins!