Do NASCAR Fans Complain Too Much?

The 2007 Nextel All-Star Challenge has failed to receive rave reviews, and that is putting is mildly. As with just about everything else in NASCAR these days, the lack of excitement is being moaned and groaned about.

If I was given a quarter for every complaint thrown at NASCAR, I would probably buyout Robert Yates Racing, and add a third team.

So the 2007 rendition of the Nextel All-Star Challenge did not feature a 'pass in the grass', or two drivers wrecking as they crossed the finish line. So there was no post-race brawl between crewmembers, or a shoving match in the infield grass after a wreck. Was the race really as excruciating as fans have made it out to be?

It seems as if fans have had something to complain about on a weekly basis this season, whether it is the television coverage, or the Car of Tomorrow, or some kind of ridiculous conspiracy theory.

While I agree, the race was far from exhilarating; it was not all that bad. The last segment did have a little bit of drama as Jimmie Johnson was quickly closing in on Kevin Harvick, and while Harvick was fending off Johnson, Mark Martin was fast approaching. The final lap featured a last minute attempt by Johnson to pass Harvick on the outside, which obviously did not pan out.

Additionally, there was Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman slicing through traffic with fresh tires as they rallied to finish in the top ten after pit road miscues.

NASCAR and Sprint Nextel build up the All-Star race as if it were 'the can't-miss' event of the year, which is why anything less than a photo finish is disappointing. Unfortunately, when fans think of the 2007 All-Star race, the Kurt Busch versus Kyle Busch clash will be the highlight, not Kevin Harvick's hard-fought victory.

And before you ask, no, I do not work for NASCAR, and yes, I love all NASCAR fans.

Also...Nothing against Kenny Wallace, I'm sure he is a great guy, but why in the world was he voted into the All-Star event? Maybe if you guys would have voted for someone such as Clint Bowyer or Carl Edwards, you might have had another driver up their mixing it up and making things more exciting, instead of a driver just riding around in last place.

I use to think that NASCAR should allow the fans vote in the top 20 All-Stars, but after seeing the way that the fan vote has turned out ever since 2004, that would be a colossal mistake. You would have guys like Michael Waltrip, Kenny Wallace, Ken Schrader, and Kyle Petty getting voted in while guys like Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin would be left out.