Back in June 2014, I wrote my very first article “The Madness Of Motorsport” which was about the folly of driver hating in racing. The events of Daytona International Speedway have forced me to re-visit a problem that still rankles with me.
Austin Dillon is an incredibly lucky young man to still be alive after the fearful wreck at the end of the NASCAR Daytona Coke Zero 400. Approaching turn four on the final lap, he suddenly found himself launched into the air above Tony Stewart’s car before smashing into the catch fence. As the destroyed car bounced back onto the race track it was hit again by Brad Keselowski, who couldn’t avoid him. NASCAR held its breath.
Pit crews rushed onto the track, along with the safety crews, to tend to Dillon as everybody feared the worst. Amazingly, Dillon climbed out of the car, waved to the crowd and somehow walked away seemingly unharmed.
However, the sheer brute force of the accident seemed to shake winner Dale Earnhardt Jr more than most.
A visibly shaken Earnhardt stepped out of his car in Victory Lane but was in no mood to celebrate. Austin Dillon drives the number 3 car that Earnhardt’s legendary father used until his death at Daytona in 2001 just yards from the Dillon wreck. It must have brought back awful memories to Earnhardt Jr and one can only imagine his emotions at the time.
However, the problem at hand is the much bigger picture of how fans react in motorsport. Social Media is full of pure hate towards drivers such as Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch to name but a few.
This baiting and pure hate has to stop. NASCAR fans are the worst culprits. Why be so spiteful? Few remember when watching any kind of racing, be it on four wheels or two, that the very people on whom they are pouring scorn are doing their job and risking their lives to entertain. Granted, they get paid well but each driver is somebody’s child, and possibly spouse or parent. This seems to be forgotten as soon as the green flag drops. Quite why it isn’t remembered is another matter entirely.
So what if Jimmie Johnson wins a seventh championship? So what if Kyle Busch wins yet another Xfinity race?
Why can’t fans say “congratulations” instead of “cheat” or “Kyle doesn’t deserve it?” The bigger person congratulates the winner whoever it is and is thankful if every driver is unhurt.
NASCAR is not alone. In Formula 1, Michael Schumacher was hated by some fans. Given his current state, how must they be feeling now? Sebastian Vettel had the same treatment when winning four consecutive championships yet, ironically, he is now quite liked at Ferrari as he isn’t winning all the time.
It seems that some motorsport fans don’t like winners and act like spoiled brats in a sulk if their driver doesn’t win. They fail to realise that drivers are human, the same as all of us. It would all be a lot better if people simply enjoyed the sport. There’s nothing wrong with taking the mickey out of drivers at all, but once the jokes turn into hate it is a very bad thing.
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