What's up with nascar fans?

[Bethis26fan]

First let me say I am a Dale Jr and Jamie Mcmurray fan, today when Gordon passed mcmurray I was upset. But I don't get why the fans keep throwing cans at him. I don't like Gordon in any way, but he didn't do anything he passed Jamie clean and won the race fair. I would have loved for JR or Jamie to have won, but them not winning wouldn't make me want to throw stuff on the track that could hurt a driver. I guess I'm just ranting, but I would love to know your thoughts.

[WDWfanatic742]

I'm a Gordon fan and don't get it either. I'd bet that the fans who are throwing things onto the track are inexperienced and hardly follow the sport at all. He's in no way disrespecting Dale Sr. or anyone. In fact, Junior was supporting Gordon last week when he tied his dad's record about the throwing debris on the track. Just can't figure out those people who don't understand the sport.

[Pastcastmemberdaughter]

Yeah, Gordon Fan here!!! Anyway I was talking about this with my DH today and was trying to figure out why. It's not like any one in the Nascar community is encouraging this behavior, and I can guarentee that Dale Sr. isn't looking down on "his" fans and being proud of their reactions. I just don't get it!!!! It shows a lack of respect and support to Nascar, it's drivers and most importantly all it's fans. No one ever said we had to like the same driver, but why can't people be respectful to one another and their drivers.

However I did think of one simple resolution to the problem. Don't allow people to bring their own drinks into the track, and only allow drinks to be served from the track itself. Out in the parking lot where people hang out and in the infield is another story. Water would be free and all other drinks sold as normal. But all drinks would be served in a plastic or styrofoam cups (lets see them throw that!). I know this would cause a lot of angry fans and it wouldn't be fair to the people that aren't causing the problem, but the mojority of the people that go there time after time have proven themselves unwilling to contol themselves. One day a driver, fan or official is going to get seriously hurt from this and that's just ridiculous, it needs to stop now! It's sad that the spotter of the #24 team has to be escorted to victory lane by police officers so he won't be hurt. Geesh I wish some people would grow up a little and act like true fans of the sport! Isn't the Nascar community supposed to be a "family". I don't remember being a family of any kind allowing this type of behavior.

Well I feel a little better now.......

[indytraveler]

Gordon Fan coming on...
I've only been a fan since Jeff started Cup racing in '93 or '94. The way people have perceived Nascar as a regional southern hillbilly thing keeps getting reinforced everytime Gordon wins. I know you don't have to like him but your race is now on NATIONAL TV not regional in the past. I like it for the bumping and close racing that you don't or can't get from open wheel (indy car) racing. Go ahead and Boo all you want but keep from throwing things on the track. Nascar did say they were going to work with local authorities to arrest anyone who threw something on the track. We'll see if this works. Because right now the #24 car is looking tough to beat each week.

[handmaidenofprincesses]

okay, i don't really like gordon at all... but fans still shouldn't be throwing things, if for no other reason than that it puts other drivers (including their favorites) in danger!

[SandmanGStefani24]

HUGE Gordon fan here.

I am really tired of those idiots too! I was just about to post about it and saw this. They are gonna have to face the fact that Jeff is one of the best, end of story. Dale is gone, and throwing things isn't going to make him come back, or make Jeff go away. I think fans should applaud Jeff reguardless of wether or not they like him or not. After Dale died, Jeff sort of lost his way and some of his competitiveness which he is just now getting back. He is saluting Dale in every way with total class. He carried the #3 flag, he didn't run over it. Give it a rest, please.

Also, if I was one of the other drivers I'd be upset too. If you look at the replays Kevin Harvick's car gets nailed more times than Jeff does. That really speaks for Dale fans, and shows a total lack of class and respect.

[Marker]

Lack of Common Sense, lack of respect, and probably the biggest reason is lack of something else.

I've watched "stock car" racing for a long time. Since they actually raced "STOCK" cars. I've watched drivers such as Coo Coo Marlin, Lake Speed, Dick Trickle, Fireball Roberts, Junior Johnson, Lee Petty, LeeRoy Yarborough. I've watched since I was like 5 or 6 years old, and from the KC area, not exactly the south.

This behavior is not just disrespectful, it's ignorant. Reality, the drivers aren't really in much fear of getting hurt, they're strapped in, helmet on, ready for a 200 mph crash. A few beer cans aren't really going to do much damage. The effect on a driver, such as Jeff Gordon, is that he's getting attention, not always a bad thing. A dent to the car would just blend in with the rest of the dents at the end of a race.

The danger is to the other fans. The fans sitting in front of those geniuses throwing the cans. Nothing like getting hit in the back of the head on the first 4 attempts to get a can over the fence.

The suggestion of no longer allowing fans to bring in their own refreshments would be but one more example of all us being penalized by the "stupid" people of the world, and WE'RE NOT THE ONES CAUSING THE PROBLEMS.

I say set an example. They started it in Talladega, they arrested several of the can throwers. I say be ready for them, and arrest all you can. Once you get them, don't just charge them with disorderly conduct, I say charge them with attempted assualt, or assault if they actually hit someone. Make the offenders suffer the consequences, not the well behaved. 14 people were arrested, changed, and BANNED from buying tickets at the speedway... it's a start.

I went to the NASCAR truck race on Saturday, and the IRL race on Sunday. We took in some beer, some water, and some munchies. We had a great time... and we didn't throw a single can. In fact, we threw away our own trash as we exited. Why should the average fan, such as myself, lose the privilege of bringing my own refreshments. $8 for a 24 oz, beer would definitely keep me from buying theirs.

The consequences belong to the offenders.

[Advnt05]

So, I'm an occasional watcher so don't have much invested in the sport. From my outside perspective, I think you have several things going on with this.
1) The sport is pretty much a mixture of corporate types and country types. The people who sit in the stands are often beer drinking blue collar folks who live their lives expressing themselves in this manner. To them, its part expression and part funny to throw beer cans.
2) NASCAR doesn't do itself any favors when a driver bumps another or wrecks another and then they chase each other around the cars and fight. Feeds in to the mentality of item 1.
3) Jeff Gordan even said that maybe he should have not have done the burn out in front of the fans.

I think this is probably an isolated incident. Heat, beer, Earnhardt, Gordon, Alabama...do you really have trouble understanding what happened? That's what makes NASCAR fun for me. Good ol boys being Good ol boys.