When Dodge got back into Nascar years ago the stands were packed full, you had to get tickets to some tracks a year in advance. Then, Nascar started restricting the Dodge teams AGAIN, just like in the 60's & 70's, Dodge got fed up with it AGAIN and stopped sponsoring teams. When you alienate millions of fans those millions of fans are not going to go to Nascar races. Now Nascar is wondering where the fans went? I, and a lot of my friends haven't attended a Nascar race since Dodge left, there's your answer Nascar.
I followed NASCAR from 2001 thru 2012. I got into it when Dodge came back, wanted to support their effort and see some Mopars win races. Didn't enjoy it at first, but was determined to watch until Dodge won a Cup race. Then, Sterling Marlin won the the first Cup race for Dodge, and then I kept watching. Teams expanded, we added Penske, Rocketman Ryan Newman cleaned up with Matt Borland and the #12 Alltel Dodge team. Kasey Kahne came in and looked to have tons of potential. After winning Daytona with Newman, teams seemed to start to pull away. I remember losing Petty (merged with Evernham), lost smaller teams that ran Dodge (Robbie Gordon, Stacy Compton, etc), lost Ganassi when they merged with DEI, and eventually lost Evernham/Petty to Ford. Penske hang on as the lone Dodge team til Brad K won the Cup in 2012, and they switched to Ford immediately after that (admittedly, they had annoucned it months before that). And, that was it.
Last NASCAR race I watched was the 2012 Cup Finale with Brad K crowed Champion, and not as much hooplah as there should have been for Dodge winning the Cup after all those years (downplayed as Dodge would not return for 2013).
JS
