In a move that could "make it easier for fans to talk to each other during races and engage more socially," NASCAR is "considering making its cars quieter," according to sources cited by Adam Stern of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The proposal is "one of 15 to 20 initiatives NASCAR is studying across categories including fan engagement and competition." While many fans are "smitten by the sound, the decibel level of races can make it difficult to talk with people sitting close by and potentially could hurt young fans' eardrums." Quieter cars could be "targeted more toward millennials, who place heavy importance on the social experience of attending sporting events." Which NASCAR series the move would be implemented in to start was "unclear." A source said that the sanctioning body is "considering it for multiple series." Sources added that the move "could be implemented as soon as next season." One source said that the move would "represent only a slight reduction in the sound." A separate source said that the move "could be rolled out over the course of multiple years in a bid to make sure the reduction is done gradually" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/6 issue).
GOING TOO FAR? FOXSPORTS.com's Tom Jensen asked, "Has it really come to this? What’s next, an all-hybrid front-wheel-drive econobox race followed by an all-acoustic Metallica concert? ... Should the sport really be positioned as a quiet place people can come and hang out and 'engage more socially?'" A "huge part of the entire live race experience is the visceral sensations it creates." Racing is "supposed to be loud, it’s supposed to be ground pounding, it’s supposed to fill the air with noise and sound waves and heat and roaring exhausts." There is "nothing quite like the sensation of the entire field rushing by the grandstands when the field goes green on the opening lap." Jensen: "You’ll remember your first time forever" (FOXSPORTS.com, 3/6). JALOPNIK's Stef Schrader wrote, "They’ve done it. They’ve finally done it. This is ... the worst idea in the history of motorsports." This "terrible idea would ruin one of the reasons you go to NASCAR in person to begin with." The sound of a NASCAR race is "what makes it a near-religious experience." Schrader: "You don’t just hear the cars. You feel them in your bones" (JALOPNIK.com, 3/6).
TWITTER REAX: Motorsports writer Jeff Gluck tweeted, "There might be valid reasons for this (driver hearing, for one). But NASCAR fans won't be too enthused at the possibility." But former driver Kenny Wallace posted, "I just realized that some fans think that #nascar is considering making the car have 'NO NOISE' just silent. LOL ... #NotTrue." Fox Sports' Alan Cavanna: "The #NASCAR noise debate isn't about ear protection. It's about being able to have a quick, mid-race conversation w/o using sign language. ... A happy medium likely exists between hybrids and what's on track now."
