NASCAR enacted a rule this year limitng the number of cars a team could field, but the smaller teams are still at a serious disadvantage. Still the races are much more competitive than they were during the Golden Age when Petty ruled the roost. Then you had factory teams from the three car makers that were totally dominant. Backmarkers were just out there driving around, with no chance of winning. Now, I'd say half to three quarters of the field are potential winners if they get some breaks.
One of the problems in NASCAR is the decline in brand rivalries. The focus is on drivers now, and while there is nothing wrong with that, older fans miss the intense rivalry between the factories. In the good old days, brand rivalry was a key factor for most fans. Today, it is almost irrelevant, probably because most fans drive imports, the race cars are not really stockers but instead generic race cars and the manufacturers really do not emphasize race results in their advertising. In the 60's, if Richard Petty won, Plymouth sales would be up that week, Junior Johnson won, look for Chevy SS's to be flying out off the showroom floor.
One of the problems in NASCAR is the decline in brand rivalries. The focus is on drivers now, and while there is nothing wrong with that, older fans miss the intense rivalry between the factories. In the good old days, brand rivalry was a key factor for most fans. Today, it is almost irrelevant, probably because most fans drive imports, the race cars are not really stockers but instead generic race cars and the manufacturers really do not emphasize race results in their advertising. In the 60's, if Richard Petty won, Plymouth sales would be up that week, Junior Johnson won, look for Chevy SS's to be flying out off the showroom floor.