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Why Isn’t NASCAR More Popular In Massachusetts?
I never understand why NASCAR isn’t more popular in Massachusetts than it is. If you listen to all of the sports, talk shows in the Boston area, you would not hear a single thing about the Daytona 500. I have never heard a single talk show host even mention the sport of stock car racing. People will tell you that Boston sports is made up of the Big Four, and probably in this order, the Patriots, Bruins, Celtics, and now the Red Sox. Which in itself is hard to believe how far the Red Sox have fallen in favor over the past few years. There was a time when everybody in town knew at least one pitcher and perhaps, even as many as half the entire squad of 25. Now very few Bostonians can name more than two or three players. The rising sports team in Boston these days is the professional soccer team the New England Revolution it might not be long before they overtake the Red Sox and the fan interest. With the influx of people from other parts of the country and even the world, soccer is quickly becoming a fan favorite. Why not NASCAR? I have always been a fan of stock car racing going back to my youth in Maine where we had numerous short tracks such as Beech Ridge Speedway and Oxford Plains. Racing in Maine and New Hampshire has always been popular, that is why we have a NASCAR race track of our own in Loudon, New Hampshire. For some reason, it has always remained a sport that has a hidden popularity in the Massachusetts area. I know, for a fact, a lot of friends and family, who make the trek to the annual NASCAR race held every July. When I ask some of my friends, who work at 98.5 The Sports Hub down the hall if they are going to mention the Daytona 500, they merely scoff at me and say they would rather talk about the third line for the Bruins. I asked why and they will tell me that if they talked about NASCAR, the phones would light up, but not because people wanted to discuss the race, but rather to ask why they are even mentioning it. I remember one of the original sports talk hosts in Boston, Eddie Andleman would always make fun of NASCAR and Indy racing by saying that it was nothing but a bunch of rednecks taking left turns, and he always thought he could get from Lynn to Boston faster than any race-car driver. He would always joke about the start of the race, and how the announcer should say, “ gentlemen start your coffins!” I for one thoroughly enjoyed this year’s Daytona 500, it had everything from the President of the United States showing up, to a car flipping upside down on its hood for half the speedway, and then watching the driver step out of the car, like nothing happened. if you haven’t watched a NASCAR race in person, you don’t know what you’re missing. The sights and sounds are amazing and that’s not to mention the speed the cars race at. Maybe this is the year you grab some friends and get some tickets to the NASCAR race in Loudon this July. If you do, you will see me in the stands loving every minute of it.