by Ryan Chandler

The Car of Tomorrow seems to be picking up a lot of steam on the NASCAR circuit. This involves a car that resembles nothing about its sponsoring auto company, save for a sticker on the hood of it.

Since most parts come from a handful of companies, not all parts are from their respective companies. This just makes the racing more even for everyone, which in a way is good. The only annoying thing is that they'll still use the saying "What wins on Sunday sells on Monday". In my mind you wouldn't need the stickers if the Chevy looked anything like an Impala.

These cars should definitely be more affiliated with their sponsoring auto makers. Sales of cars are often hugely driven by a brand's success on the NASCAR season, and I fear that a continued push in the direction of the Car of Tomorrow will force a disconnect between NASCAR fans and the importance of an auto brand.

In tying the brand directly to the car being used, I'm not exactly sure who it hurts. The brands obviously win out, and I really don't see any fans being offended by it, let alone losing interest in the races each week.

And how about the power trains? These should represent the actual auto companies too. Not doing this just makes things more unrealistic in my mind.

All they should really need to do is to drive with an engine made by the car sponsoring them. Again, it adds a personal connection to the brand that many will lack should the Car of Tomorrow prevail.

The final thing I want to discuss is the gas situation. Last year, gas prices went through the roof, but NASCAR did nothing to show its sympathy about the situation. Cars still burned through thousands of dollars in gas bills each race, and many Americans were put off by this. By switching to corn-based ethanol, NASCAR could avert a potentially damaging situation.

This could help NASCAR get some good publicity by using no gas in their cars. I have heard about many people who dislike NASCAR saying that they hate how they use so much gas. By changing to ethanol they could maybe pick up some of these fans. If gas prices were to hit 4 dollars again i think they could lose some regular fans when they realize the MPG of the cars.

About the Author:
Ryan Chandler is a NASCAR writer with strong convictions about the sport he loves. He regularly contributes at his favorite NASCAR forum and plays NASCAR pick em on a weekly basis.