Why does everyone hate the outspoken drivers? Is everyone supposed to be a corporate talking head?

Question

Aren't personalities the reason most people love this sport? If every driver said excuse me while they passed another car how fun would that be? If every driver yielded to every car, wouldn't we have 43 race leaders every race? Wouldn't this make it IRL??

Answer 1

Just airing some views here.  It's always been about sponsors and money to some extent.  And I was watching NASCAR back in the days of Richard Petty, Cale and LeRoy Yarborough, and AJ Foyt.  Those boys would trade paint all day long.

What I get tired of is the incessant (but necessary, I suppose) sponsor name dropping.  "Yeah, my Shaeffer Beer PeptoBismol Hyundai was running really well on those Toyo tires and Shell E85 fuel today."  Pleeeease!  All of those names are plastered all over the uniform and car!

I race bicycles, and our uniforms rival the paint jobs on NASCAR cars.  But the pro racers don't mention their bikes or tires in post race interviews.  We all know what they're riding.  I'd like to hear the racers just talk racing.

And forget the Chase thing, okay?  Let everyone race for points the whole season.

Answer 2

I like personality, the more the better!

Unfortunately any who demonstrate they have one is all but crucified for being outspoken, arrogant and cocky. Sad, but true..

Answer 3

no i love outspoken drivers at least they are more honest than those who says nothing,i find them more reliable,and more trusted than being 2 faced.

Answer 4

I love the "tell it like it is" guys. But it's got to be the truth they are telling. We're not stupid out here. If JPM had tried to say he didn't spin KyB on purpose we would all have screamed "Not True!". But he manned up and said "Yep" when asked. Then there's "make it up as you go along" Kyle Busch who says "I don't know, maybe I touched him once". Knock, knock Kyle Baby: replays don't show it like that.

I'd rather have Baby Kyle say: "He's always in my way and I had to make a point". But no, he choses to try to deflect any blame that might come his way.

And as for the corporate talking heads, I dislike that the most. As much as I love Bobby Labonte, he's one of the worst at being a corporate talking head. He can mention more sponsors in five seconds than just about any other driver!

Answer 5

i love the outspoken drivers like TOny and i have respect for Juan Pablo... it is the rude drivers that i can't stand like kyle busch...  the only reason why i dislike him is because he has a sucky personality and is rude... i dont want them to say excuse me or yell up to their spotters to tell the people to get out of the way i mean that is one reason why i love nascar the rivalries and fights within nascar... it may suck but it is awesome...

Answer 6

I don't hate the outspoken drivers.  That is what makes it exciting. Everyone time someone wrecks somebody, the best part about the wreck is the interviews from the drivers.  Smoke is usually the one i look forward to hearing being interviewed. He says what's on his mind.

Answer 7

Who said they were???? Aren't YOU hating on the guys who are well-mannered and respectful? If a guy is kinda vanilla (be honest- this question is a swipe at guys like Gordon, Johnson, Junior and Edwards).

There's a place for the bad boys. Tony usually has something meaningful to say. I like Shrub's driving style, but his comments make him look like an idiot. I thought while Harvick brought up an important issue with drug testing- he did it in a way that made him look bad.

I gotta admit, I about rolled on the floor during JPM's interview after the wreck with Shrub.

Answer 8

I love all the jaw jacking , it keeps it interesting.

Answer 9

i don't have a clue as to whom you may be referring...

;-)

Answer 10

I like outspoken drivers. NASCAR represents America and America represents freedom of speech, so let the drivers talk.

Answer 11

I agree with you and I think drivers should speak their mind it's just sometimes they stick their foot in their mouth but hey that's part of the fun and it's why some people love them and why others hate them or maybe I should say love to hate them LOL!! You know the funny thing here is that my driver gets criticized for not speaking his mind alot kind of ironic isn't it?

Answer 12

I think everyone should be allowed to speak their mind.  Problem is, they just have to be careful they don't make their sponsors look bad.  It makes everything more interesting.  I wish more drivers were like Tony and JPM!

Go JR.>>>>

Answer 13

I agree!!! It's all $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Answer 14

The big money has ruined most of the drivers' actions, they are just mindless robots now except for a select few. Smoke and Harvick are two, Wild Thing is another. Junebug used to give pretty good interviews till he went to Team Satan and they made him act too PC. I miss the old days.

Answer 15

Perhaps because fans are equally outspoken and opinionated?

Answer 16

I certainly don't hate them.  I would hate that the drivers were all NASCAR puppets...can't say this, can't say that, saying this will offend so and so saying that will hurt so and so's feelings etc...BULL.

Say it, defend yourself, state your opinion, do whatever it takes so that one doesn't become a politically correct NASCAR parrot.

Answer 17

It's OK to say things if you don't **** the chicken. You can't blame other drivers for your mistakes. Kyle does that too many times. Something ALL the drivers should do is Shut Up and Drive. Racing isn't about the media, so why is it like all the pissy drivers have it written inside their heads somewhere what they're going to say when Krista Voda or Matt Yocum asks them "How was the race?"

Answer 18

Confucius say: Drivers who run off at

mouth--live in cesspool of jerks.

ticker-lock, JPM--ASAP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtjBLN8Mx...

Answer 19

I'm with Gloria!  I don't hate any driver for speaking up, that is one reason I like Tony so much, and I lmao at Juan's answer to the reporter Sunday!  lol  Atleast he was honest, most drivers will say something like he didn't know, you name it, it's been used.  Juan is not a fan of mine, but ya gotta respect him for his honesty.

Answer 20

I like the outspoken drivers.  Sometimes they can be jerks, but I like that you know how they feel about things and you know they'll rarely, if ever, be swayed by the corporate world.  There's too much control by the sponsors these days.

Answer 21

I agree. I hate it when people talk bad about guys like Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, and Kevin Harvick for "what he said in his interview." I would rather them speak what's on their mind, even if they may regret it later, instead of just being so politically correct like some drivers that it makes you sick. Whoever thinks the drivers should all be politically correct probably have only been watching NASCAR for less than 10 years and think that's how everyone should be, and how it's always been.

I wish more drivers told what was really on their minds like in the 80s-90s (just go watch some old races on ESPN Classic or Youtube), but now it seems cool to be a corporate puppet and say what your boss tells you to say, instead of really speaking what's on your mind. That's what I don't get when people talk about Juan Pablo, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, and some others and basically say "well they shouldn't speak what's on their mind, they need to be politically correct." I think guys like that are what makes the sport entertaining still, and it's glad to know that there are a few of them still left that will just tell it like it is without fearing what NASCAR will do to them for it. It is one of the things that made this sport great, and it stinks that some people seem to be against drivers giving their honest opinions about things, and trying to bash them for every little word they say wrong.

So yeah, personalities are a major reason why people love the sport, and I hate it when drivers have watered-down ones just because they are afraid to say what they really feel...and I don't see why some fans hate drivers that show "emotion" or tell what they really think about something. To me, that's what keeps the sport entertaining, when drivers tell it like it is, instead of what they are "supposed to say."

Answer 22

I don't mind any driver speaking his mind. It's the likes of the ACLU and so-called censors to make them be politically correct.

If these ya-hoo interviewers would stop sticking a microphone in the drivers faces as they get out of a race car after three hours to generate a controversy, when are they going to fine and suspend them ?

Answer 23

You are exactly right. That's why Montoya made a few friends over the weekend. He breaks the barrier of miscommunication