All the rumors were indeed true.

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing announced on Monday that they had reached a deal with Turner Sports Interactive to regain full control of NASCAR’s online content.

The first foray into the online world by NASCAR was way back in 1996. ESPN was in charge back then of the nascar.com website. It was a very basic website back then. But then again, a lot has happened to the Internet and the way we all interact in these past 16 years.

Turner took over in 2001, just in time for the Daytona 500. It was still just a very basic web site design that first year. A new design arrived a year later, offering more on the home page than the year before. Things stayed pretty much the same for years, with a slight site design refresh in 2007, until a modest revamp in 2009. Then last year, another revamp of the web site.

Throughout all of this, two things have happened. NASCAR didn’t have much to say about what was on it’s own website, and Internet and web technology advanced about as fast as stock cars run in the draft.

NASCAR was stuck in long-term deals it made years ago, and could only sit back and watch the technological world pass them by.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman had a wayback machine, that they would use to go back and check out what happened back in time. Usually, they had to fix things. Say what you will about those in charge at NASCAR today, but obviously someone high up in the food chain realized that something had to change, and convinced those who controlled the purse strings to open up the checkbook. NASCAR now has the opportunity to fix things from the past and take this sport into the future.

Financial details were not released, but you and I both know that it had to cost some big bucks to do this.

Turner will still be in charge of NASCAR’s online content this year. The new contract starts in 2013, with Turner still overseeing the online advertising and sponsorships of all things digital through 2016.

But NASCAR itself will be in control of its own digital and social media footprint. If they do this right, NASCAR should be able to catch up with online technology in no time, offering fans what they want, wherever they happen to be and with whatever technological gizmo they have.

During 2012, NASCAR plans to try to figure out what it wants to do with this “Brave New World” it is about to venture into. It plans to look inside the industry to figure it all out.

Which is where things could go horribly wrong.

NASCAR still needs to realize that while it obviously needs to listen to those who have a huge financial stake in what is the largest racing sport on the planet, it must listen to and pro-actively take care of the fan base. That is you and I, who watch the races on TV (or listen on the radio), and if possible make a trip or two each year to watch the action live at a nearby track, no matter if it’s the Sprint Cup series stars or those in the feeder series trying to make a name for themselves.

What NASCAR needs to do is send out a small team of true race fans, to interact weekly with the folks at the track. Not folks who study and crunch data for breakfast. Real, long-term, NASCAR fans. The ones that both Big Bill France and Bill France, Jr. knew.

The same folks that Brian France apparently knows nothing about.

Start actually listening to the folks who, despite the current economy and despite the best efforts of the TV partners to make it almost impossible to see a race on TV, still love to watch the race.

Send out the average race fan, to ask questions of other average race fans, what can and should be done to not only make the true fans happy, but to also find ways to bring in more new fans.

But, even more importantly, to listen.

Now, if the powers that be at NASCAR happen to read this and like this plan, please get a hold of me ASAP. I’m ready to go on this cross-country adventure, to meet other true fans and gather the ideas necessary to make this a truly fan-friendly sport again, not only for us “old school” fans, but for all the new fans coming on board, too.

And there is not much time left to put this together. The Bud Shootout is in less than 3 weeks.

Meanwhile, share your thoughts and ideas here. I, for one, would love to hear them.

The View From Arthur’s World
© 2012 Ricky Craven Fan Club Archive

Yeah, I know. I kind of vented last week. Big time. But I asked the question “Haven’t We Been Here Before?” because going “Back To The Future” didn’t seem to make much sense to me.

It still doesn’t. And never will.

But for what seems like the longest time, the powers that be at NASCAR didn’t seem to be listening to their core consumer group: Stock Car Racing Fans.

Any company, group, government, etc. that doesn’t listen to the folks that they are serving ends up in big trouble. People lose interest, get mad, throw temper tantrums and otherwise show their displeasure at being ignored, or worse, having something forced upon them that they totally dislike.

Then, they vote with their feet.

NASCAR used to be good at knowing what their fans wanted. It was easy, really. Old School NASCAR was run by race fans, who spent time with other like-minded fans. If something wasn’t working, they knew it, and they went about the task of finding a solution to it.

Today, we get focus groups, put together by folks who don’t get their own product and don’t know their core constituency, which are put together in such a way that they will come to a predetermined conclusion.

It’s the same problem we see with all the NASCAR TV media. It’s all set up to show a predetermined view of a predetermined story that has been predetermined to be what the focus groups have been predetermined to want.

And if you didn’t get what that previous sentence said, you might have a future career in the media. Or politics.

When the people keep telling those in charge that they don’t like something, yet those in charge continue to ignore the people, bad things happen.

Yet there is hope.

Today, for instance, Ford introduced the 2013 version of their Fusion Race Car. What does it look like? The 2013 Ford Fusion that you and I will be able to buy off the showroom floor of our local Ford dealership.

Yes, there will probably have to be a few tweaks here and there to the current Race Car version before the 2013 Daytona 500, but all the styling cues will be there. The race car will look like the showroom car.

So do not fret, NASCAR fans. Somebody is listening to you.

Now that one manufacturer has heard us, perhaps the others will follow, and maybe then NASCAR, and the TV media partners, will get the hint.

The View From Arthur’s World
© 2012 Ricky Craven Fan Club Archive

Daytona testing has come and gone for the Cup boys. And Danica.

Everybody was trying to learn something. Like how will the new rules package effect the cars? And what about the injectors? And who’s driving which car? And who’s his (or her) Crew Chief?

I’m still trying to figure it all out.

What I do know is one of the things NASCAR specifically tried to do was to stamp out the two-car tango.

They failed.

What’s worse is they tried to make everybody go “Back To The Future”. They decided they wanted everyone to race in a pack.

Now, I could be wrong, but didn’t NASCAR start tweaking the rules and areo package about three years ago to try and get rid of the boring pack racing at Daytona and Talladega? The fans wanted these races to get back to what they once were: Actual races. Not white-knuckle chess matches played out at 195 Miles Per Hour, with any wrong move having the ability to wipe out half of the racing field.

The result of those tweaks a few years ago was just as bad, if not worse. Suddenly, two cars, racing nose to tail like they were welded together, went faster than the pack. Way faster. Soon, everybody was doing it.

And the fans were not happy.

So this year, testing began with multiple rules changes, all designed to “eliminate” tandem racing.

Surprise! It didn’t.

So a few more tweaks were tried, and they also failed. Finally, NASCAR went back in time, so to speak, and told the drivers to race in one huge pack.

And this is supposed to help the racing?

Meanwhile, with all the tweaks, several drivers went over 200 Miles Per Hour. Way over. A couple managed to hit 206.

This is not progress.

The meaning of insanity is trying the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.

NASCAR instituted restrictor plates when the cars stared to go 200 Miles Per Hour at Daytona, because the human body just is not built to go hurtling into solid objects at that speed. This gave us the dreaded pack racing. Small tweaks to the plates and other rules changes brought the same results. Finally, a couple of changes brought us tandem racing, followed by more tweaking to bring us back to… pack racing. Only now, at speeds well over 200.

And NASCAR is “fine” with this.

I am a race fan. I want to see drivers drive their metal chariots as fast as they can. Safely. Because at the end of the day, I want every driver, every crew member, every safety worker and every fan to be able to return home to their loved ones.

It is time to stop this insanity.

This is the National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing, not the Daytona High Speed Automobile Chess Club.

Put the safety features built into todays rolling marshmallows into a car that looks Stock. One that looks just like what you and I could buy off the showroom floor, with no rear spoiler and no stupid splitter. Yeah, you read that right. A stock Race Car should look exactly like the stock Show Room car. Without the racing decals, of course.

Obviously the stock Race Car does have to be built from the ground up, with every safety feature available. But if the stock Race Car doesn’t fit the stock Show Room car template, it does not race.

As for those damn restrictor plates, which removes the drivers control of the car, they must go. How does NASCAR then slow down all the cars when they start to approach an unsafe speed? NASCAR makes the cars less aerodynamic. They dirty-up the air flow. Voilà, the cars can’t go as fast.

Now some tweaks will have to be made that will supersede the truly “stock” look in the name of safety. For instance, nobody wants a car to become a flying wing. Thankfully, NASCAR did fix that problem already. They just have to keep improving on that success.

Now, is all this a perfect solution? Probably not. But I dare say it’s better than NASCAR insanely banging it’s collective head against the wall. NASCAR needs to keep everybody safe, make everybody play fair, and let the drivers do what they do best.

Put on the best damn show in auto racing, not play chicken at 200+ MPH.

And they need to do it quickly, before somebody gets hurt. Or worse.

That is a past that needs not be repeated.

The View From Arthur’s World
© 2012 Ricky Craven Fan Club Archive

Homestead was just over seven weeks ago.

I know, for many of us NASCAR fans, it seems like it was an eternity ago. But NASCAR’s Preseason Thunder starts on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway.

This off season has had a lot of news and changes. Almost none of it has hit the TV.

I’m not even going to try to catch everyone up with all the personnel changes. This week, anyway.

No, this week, it’s just a time for celebration. And rules changes.

Most of the new rules for Daytona this year came about to try and prevent, or at least minimize, the dreaded “two-car tango”. Some of the biggest swings at addressing this is that there will be a slightly larger restrictor plate and a much smaller radiator, overflow tank and rear spoiler.

I hope it works.

The two-by-two racing at Daytona and Talladega last year was nuts. The rules in place caused drivers to become nothing more than tandem pilots, hoping that everything went according to plan when they swapped ends with their “partner”.

This year, a smaller radiator system should mean less tandem pushing. I mean tandem racing. As a driver, if your car starts pumping water out of the smaller cooling system, you are in big trouble, since there isn’t much there in the first place.

That is the theory, anyway.

A smaller rear spoiler, combined with a larger restrictor plate opening for more horsepower, should force the driver to have to lift off the accelerator a little bit going into the corners. Oh sure, many drivers won’t, at least not early in a run. They will still try and run pedal to the metal, wide-open, every lap. But at some point, the tires will start to give up grip, and then they either will have to lift, or risk smacking the wall.

I am not a fan of restrictor-plate racing. I understand why it’s there, but I am one of those who believe there are better, and safer, ways to keep the cars from going too fast, while at the same time giving control back to the drivers to actually drive the car, instead of just running around the track in a big pack, waiting and worrying about when someone will mess up and take you out, along with half the field.

And yes, 43 cars all doing 235 Miles Per Hour for 500 miles is way too fast.

But that rant can wait for another day. There is some adrenaline that needs to be let loose, and testing of new rules needs to start.

The 2012 Daytona 500 is now less than seven weeks away.

Can you feel it?

The View From Arthur’s World
© 2012 Ricky Craven Fan Club Archive

In todays world, the Internet keeps changing. So, to keep up, we were due to make a few around here.

Sometimes, we end up ahead of the curve. Our new look here on the Archive site actually started two years ago, but for some reason the back end (or backbone, if you prefer) of our web site wouldn’t let us do what we wanted to on the front end (the part you see… think of it like skin). So, we ended up shelving it.

So, during this NASCAR off-season, we again started to look at making some changes, but we just could not find what we were looking for. So, we took a look back at what we’d tried before.

Well, it seems that all the changes lately, both on the “skin” and in the “backbone” side of the Internet, has brought us back to the future.

And so, here we are with a new look to the Archive site.

Everything came together just in the past 48 hours. We still have some general housekeeping issues to fix, as you will plainly see as you peruse our site, but most everything seems to work correctly, even if some things just don’t seem to look right.

Working on a web site today is much like working on a NASCAR race vehicle. First, you work on the general aerodynamics of the car body, then truck it down to the wind tunnel to tweak on it some more.

With this redesign, we’ve also got a few things working that never did work right before. They were really subtle things that we wanted to have work one way, but despite our best efforts they just did not want to play nice. They are now.

We expect to add a new section or two to the Archive site soon. One new section in particular was always one of those things that we wanted to do from day one, but never did find a way to make it happen. This new design holds the promise of finally being able to make it a reality.

As part of that new project, we also expect to make other changes around here. Isn’t that always the way? One project changes many things. It’s all good though, and we look forward to continuing to make improvements around here.

We also like hearing from you, so keep those cards and letters comments and emails coming!

The View From Arthur’s World
© 2012 Ricky Craven Fan Club Archive

The nice thing about living in Downeast Maine like I do is the weather. If you don’t like it, wait a minute. It will change.

Last Tuesday, the weather forecast was calling for no snow before Christmas. So what happened? It snowed on Thursday, then got so cold that there was no way it was going to melt before Christmas Day. Then, for good measure, it snowed again on Christmas Day!

So, now we come to the last few days of 2011. Lots of things, both good and bad, have occurred this year.

The racing world saw a NASCAR Championship come down to who would win the final race of the season.

We also saw great tragedy happen in the IndyCar world.

In between these two extremes there were meltdowns and tirades, adversities overcome, several first time race winners, new teams starting while others shut down, heads stuck in the sand, fines for tweeting, speed records set in school zones… and Danica will come to save us all.

For the record, I feel a little sorry for Danica. Great expectations plus a steep learning curve usually spell disaster. But she has always been in the media spotlight, doing what was needed to remain and thrive in that high profile world. I hope that those around her to help guide her through the 2012 season succeed in navigating her to the success she is capable of. If they do and Danica has a season where she is a decent contender most weeks, expect to see more NASCAR races on ABC than last year.

Actually, with all the media hype, that will probably happen no matter how well she does.

Meanwhile, if your New Years weekend is like mine will be, it will be spent with family from away. Enjoy, and please stay safe. I’d like you all back to share in the View from my world in 2012.

The View From Arthur’s World
© 2011 Ricky Craven Fan Club Archive

Well, here we are, two-thirds of the way through the final month of 2011, and just a few more days until Christmas.

That reminds me, I guess I’d better get started on my Christmas shopping list.

It looks like The View From Arthur’s World will be brown this Christmas. We’ve had above-normal temperatures up here for much of November and also a good part of December, but all good things do have to come to an end.

On the good news side, NASCAR kicks back into high gear in less than 10 weeks. The 2012 Daytona 500 is the last Sunday in February, whether or not I have snow in my yard.

Normally in December I help out our local Boy Scout Troop during the three weekends they have their Christmas Tree sale. I’ve been doing it ever since this fundraiser started, when my son was a Boy Scout. I usually have Saturday and Sunday available, and I truly enjoy helping both the Scouts and those purchasing their tree. It has been fun seeing some of the folks come through year after year, and getting a chance to catch up with each other in the time it takes to look over all the trees, pick “THE” tree, and then tie it down to the roof rack on the car. It has also been fun to watch some of the boys mature and start to develop the leadership skills that will take them far in life.

This year, I only made it to the tree sale twice, on the Sunday of the first and third weekend. It’s not because I didn’t want to be there, but as the old saying goes, “The Spirit was willing, but the Flesh was weak.” The cold and wind also combined to force me into an early retreat this past Sunday. Hopefully, next year I won’t be recuperating from a car accident and I’ll be back at full strength.

The Scouts who work clock in and out, just like at any job, and after all the bills are paid part of the profits go toward needed Troop gear. But the bulk gets split up into each boys Scout account. The amount they earn depends on how many Scouts participate and how many hours they work. Those who work enough hours usually end up having enough in their account to pay for a week at Summer Camp, and one or two will usually earn even more.

This entire project came together when a local store wanted to donate the space in front of their store to our local troop for a Tree Sale. Why? They figured that the trees and the Scouts out in front of their store, on the busiest street in town, could possibly get them a little more attention, and maybe even an extra sale or two. During the week, they even take care of the sales, holding what they take in until the weekend when the Scouts return.

During the second weekend of the Tree Sale, the Scouts even camp out overnight Saturday at the sale. And yes, it was also the stores idea to have the Scouts camp out.

It truly has become a “win-win” for the Scouts and the store. One that should continue well into the future.

There are even a couple of trees still available, in case Christmas Day has crept up on you this year.

Meanwhile, the first day of Winter is now less than two days away. Here in the northern hemisphere, this is the darkest time of the year. In fact, here in my part of the world we’re down to about 9 hours of daylight right now.

What better time of the year to celebrate the birth of The Light of the World.

Merry Christmas to All, and enjoy this festive Holiday Season!

The View From Arthur’s World
© 2011 Ricky Craven Fan Club Archive

I started Physical Therapy today. If you remember, back at the end of September I found out what it was like to be used as a pinball out on the streets of my hometown, when I was minding my own business and then suddenly got rear-ended. Yeah, it took a while to get to this point, what with the insurance rules you have to follow in today’s world.

After all the preliminaries were done (yes, where would we all be without a little excess paperwork and a few more dozen forms to fill out?), my Therapist got down to work. The first thing she said as she started was, “Wow, you really are tight!”

Trust me, that was not a compliment.

There has been a lot going on in my world over these past three months. Most of it has compounded the aches and pains from my accident. None of it do I seem to have any control over what so ever. But, at least for a few minutes today, I felt better than I have in quite a long time.

Some in the NASCAR world have reportedly started some sort of therapy of their own, while others probably should start some if they haven’t already. But enough about the Busch brothers.

NASCAR just recently announced that title sponsor Sprint has signed on for an extra three years, meaning it will be the NASCAR Sprint Cup series through 2016. NASCAR seems fine with continuing to be in a fat, dumb and happy mode. A tight 2011 Chase that came down to the final race of the season helped to boost up slightly the sagging TV ratings.

Obviously, Sprint is happy with their sponsorship. Why else would they want to continue it, especially in todays reality? I’m happy they want to be here with us.

Long time fans, however, have become increasingly upset with the TV coverage. Right now, during this off-season, there is nothing on the TV for us. It’s not like there is nothing to talk about. We’ve got plenty of news going on. But there is nothing on Fox, or TNT, or ESPN. We, the fans, have been dismissed.

What they don’t get is that the NASCAR fan are just like any other sports fan. We want to get the latest information on our favorite driver and team. We want to see what is going on.

We would just like to get some respect.

But more and more, NASCAR fans see themselves becoming more and more marginalized by decisions being made by people who have no idea what racing is all about. The producers, directors and TV executives seem to continue to not care about the sport, it’s fans and most of it’s participants, except for the one or two who can fit into their own narrow TV box.

Meanwhile, NASCAR itself seems unwilling or unable to do anything about it. Or worse, they seem to not understand their own product.

So we, the fans, are left looking at a blank TV and wondering how it got to this point.

If this keeps up, we’re all going to need a little therapy. Right after the Busch brothers are done.

The View From Arthur’s World
© 2011 Ricky Craven Fan Club Archive

The 5th Annual Moosehead Lake Togue Fishing Derby with Ricky Craven will be held during the weekend of January 27th – 29th, 2011. For those who don’t know, Togue is another name for Lake Trout.

This event is sponsored by the Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce in Greenville, Maine and held in conjunction with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The fishing derby will start at 6 AM on Friday and runs through 4 PM Sunday.

For those who decide to participate in the fishing on Moosehead Lake, there will be cash prizes awarded for the three largest Togue caught ($1,500, $500 and $250) as well as a Fish Pool Prize ($250) and a Grand Door Prize (no fish needed!). Of course, all participants must have a current Maine Fishing License to fish in the derby. Last years winning Togue weighed in at 14.01 pounds and was 35.5 inches long!

Tickets are $25 per individual or $40 per family (couples and children 16 or younger).

As we get more information we will update this post, so keep checking in. Meanwhile, start making your plans now.

If you would like more information you can check in with the Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce, or call them at 207-695-2702.

You can click on the image above to see it in a larger size.

I warned you last week that this NASCAR off-season was “No Time To Slow Down“, but even I was slightly surprised at how much has gone on in the past seven days.

The saying “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” apparently doesn’t have the same meaning that it used to. During one of the “NASCAR After The Lap” events, Jimmie Johnson told a story about his boss, Jeff Gordon. Seems the now 40 year old Gordon used to break-dance.

After the crowd got involved, Jeff finally got up and showed his stuff.

Even weirder, he did it to a Led Zeppelin song.

I guess “Only in Vegas” does still mean something.

Then news broke Sunday that Kurt Busch was out of a job. The 2004 NASCAR Champion has had a rocky career, although he will always have a connection to us here in Craven Nation thanks to his part in probably the greatest finish ever in NASCAR history, in which Ricky Craven just beat Kurt by 0.002 seconds at Darlington in 2003.

Kurt, just like his younger brother Kyle, had a 2011 season that had some high points, but has been overshadowed by a few huge low spots. Over the top tirades on the team radio during races cost him his second crew chief in three years when Steve Addington left Penske Racing just after the end of the season, and the final straw was a YouTube video posted by a fan that sealed his fate with Roger Penske.

Today, what happens in the garage area during a race no longer stays in the garage area.

Now, speculation is all over about who may take over driving the Shell Penzoil number 22 in 2012, as well as who might offer a ride to Kurt. The problem for Kurt is there really is not any “quality rides” available in December. Would Kurt take one of the so-called “lesser rides”?

My guess is he doesn’t really have a choice. There will be nothing offered to him that currently approaches the rides he has had in the past. Kurt will either take what he can get to stay in the Sprint Cup Series, or he’ll drop down to the Nationwide Series or even the Camping World Truck Series to keep racing. If he does take what he can get, he a least will have a chance to try and rebuild a damaged career. If he does not, his racing career is over.

As far as a new driver for the 22, there are several drivers right now available due to cutbacks. The top of that list right now is David Ragan. UPS was not coming back to sponsor his Roush Fenway Racing number 6 in 2012, but until Monday he was still under contract with RFR. He has now been released to be able to pursue other opportunities. But there is also David Reutimann, who was released from Michael Waltrip Racing near the end of the year, and Brian Vickers, who was the bright spot at Red Bull Racing this year. Red Bull is slated to close it’s NASCAR operations unless someone buys it, and as of when I posted this there has been no announcement either way. Fortunately, some of the Red Bull crew have already found new employment with other teams.

Meanwhile, multiple Crew Chief changes have happened already this off-season, with probably more to come, and a huge road improvement project has just been awarded to improve traffic flow at Kentucky Motor Speedway.

With about three weeks to go until Christmas, my view is to hang on tight. It looks like we’re just getting started with changes around here.

The View From Arthur’s World
© 2011 Ricky Craven Fan Club Archive