COT: Why it's come to this and where it all is headed

Man, we've had it good. We've had it so good for so long that we're, frankly, spoiled. Not spoiled rotten, but spoiled nevertheless. We have all borne witness to the rise and triumph of one of the greatest spectator sports the world has ever known. And I, for one, am thankful.

What started out as a means for a few boys freshly home from World War II to channel their new-found mechanical prowess and high tolerance for risk into a legal, peacetime thrill ended up becoming the uniquely American blend of speed, community and brand building that was, remains and will always be NASCAR.

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First and foremost, NASCAR is about the racing. Cars, on a circuit, first to complete 300 laps wins. Ready? Go.

In the beginning, NASCAR was a run-what-you-'brung affair. But racers being racers, that soon changed. The races got bigger. The tracks got bigger. The audience got bigger. The appeal of winning got bigger. The rule book got bigger. Throughout its entire history, with only a few obvious exceptions, the cars always got faster.

In racing's earliest days, the notion of "daredevils tempting death at every turn, all for a shot at glory" was the hook that got butts in the bleachers. It was gladiatorial, and we ate it up in heaping helpings. Race fans being race fans, we've always associated faster with better. The faster the cars, the greater the spectacle. But more speed comes at a price. Once a race's purse could no longer justify the additional investment in go-fast technology and know-how, sponsorship money became part of the DNA of racing. NASCAR was no exception. And speeds continued to rise.

Then at various points in the late '90s or so, we crossed a theoretical line and cars grew to become a touch too fast for the tracks. Speeds at the entrances and exits of turns were climbing. Being the clever sorts they are, crew chiefs figured out ways to make the car behave very predictably at these new limits. Drivers became comfortable dancing closer to the edge than they've ever danced before.

The racing was great. The sport was ascending. Legends were born.

Then came the deaths of Adam Petty ad Kenny Irwin in 2000; Dale Earnhardt in 2001; followed by the gut-wrenching injuries to Steve Park later in 2001 and Jerry Nadeau in 2003. There have been other incidents, but those were the biggest shots across NASCAR's bow. Lawyers on both sides of the issue began wringing their hands. Sponsors became nervous. Things needed to change out on the track. The speeds needed to be reigned in.

Of all the premier forms of auto racing around the world, NASCAR was probably the last to experience the acute need to slow down its fleet. Formula One, CART and IRL, World Rally, and the NHRA all faced the difficult task of slowing down their cars -- without emasculating their appeal. Each had its own unique challenges and issues. Some were more successful at it than others. All of them had their critics. (Continued)