Throughout his time in media, Mike Pleasure has seen a long time and generations price of NASCAR drivers come and go. There’s something concerning the newest iteration of drivers that makes them totally different, maybe in a nasty approach, from the celebs of the previous.
Mike Pleasure believes that there’s loads of expertise and character in NASCAR. Nevertheless, there may be one thing holding at this time’s drivers from protruding just like the drivers used to.
Speaking to Kevin Harvick on his Completely satisfied Hour podcast, Pleasure identified what he sees as the most important cause drivers aren’t connecting by the media like they used to. Telephones.
“I feel that maturing course of is hindered by what’s completely hooked up to our pocket, and that’s the cellphone,” Pleasure defined. “Quite a lot of these youthful drivers, and I’ll even put Larson and Bell into that class, their social expertise have just about been decided by their cellphones. That’s their interplay with their friends, and other people expertise and media expertise take some time to develop. And Christopher Bell’s an important instance. He wasn’t even on our radar the primary couple of years in Cup as a result of he wasn’t out with the media, you recognize?
“His character, his exterior character, took some time to develop. And like I say, now, he’s a spokesman, he’s a frontrunner in our sport. So is Kyle Larson. However these youthful drivers, it’s actually taking some time, perhaps longer than it ought to, to deliver it out of them and attempt to make them into stars. We have now stars, we’ve got nice drivers on this collection, and I assume it’s as much as you and me and the individuals that may observe us this season, to make heroes out of them.”
Mike Pleasure and Kevin Harvick on driver personalities
Kevin Harvick considerably agreed with Mike Pleasure. Harvick additionally identified that NASCAR weekends have gotten shorter. Drivers aren’t staying from Thursday to Sunday in no matter metropolis they’re racing in that week. As an alternative, they present up on Friday or Saturday, extra occasions than not, and that’s it.
NASCAR has restricted publicity to the drivers. Much less follow, much less testing, fewer alternatives for followers to attach. The relationships within the media aren’t the identical both. A few of which you could’t assist because the occasions change and tradition adjustments. Nevertheless, there are many issues that may very well be modified.
There actually is not any cause a serious American sport like NASCAR must be limiting practices, testing, and growth. But that’s what NASCAR has chosen to do since 2020. In the meantime, Components One is attempting to make it loud and clear that tons of cash is being pumped into each race weekend.
The NASCAR season is lengthy. It’s tough. There’s loads of time for race followers to get to know the drivers. However, as Mike Pleasure and Kevin Harvick identified, the trouble needs to be there.
