I once lived in an old town nestled by the Youghiogheny River in southwestern Pennsylvania. I had the great blessing of becoming an elder at their Presbyterian church.

The church was searching for a new pastor when I made my first visits, but I was so impressed with the core of members that were working so hard to keep things running and welcoming newcomers that I ended up joining, and my family followed suit.

Following the hiring of an energetic and deeply spiritual man, ‘Pastor Bill’, it began a journey that many lucky churches have to: one of growing, responding to the needs of their community, and appealing to the multi-generations of people that not only join them on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week in the various activities of a thriving church. This can only be accomplished with active leadership, ones who recognize the best route to a busy, active, and spiritual place of worship, and how to avoid the obstacles and pitfalls that befall the churches that wither and become stagnant.

Pastor Bill had the elders attend a workshop on how to keep a church flourishing in these times of busy families and declining memberships. There were a few basic fundamentals I still remember, ones that could easily be applied to NASCAR, as it tries to find the best road to success.

Probably the one I find the most relevant to the NASCAR of today, was the guide to how to deal with your new members, as well as the members of the congregation that have been there through generations of families. Understanding that a rivalry can develop, it was advised that you made sure your ‘old-timers’ were respected and alluded to consistently, as it was their faith and devoted groundwork that started everything. Your new members should be welcomed warmly from the moment they enter the door, and included in activities and committees as soon as possible. A careful balance needed to be in place to be respectful to the heritage and tradition of the church, yet being willing to try new things and new ways of doing them.

No one can deny that this rivalry exists between some NASCAR fans who are relatively new to the sport, and some ‘old-timers’ who have been fans since cars were run on sand and dirt tracks. This push-me-pull-you type of interaction can be negative, in the form of senseless arguing, or positive, in that one generation of fans can enjoy learning from each other. It isn’t necessarily easy, but it can be fruitful if everyone maintains their mutual respect. Summed up, the old-timers need to accept that change is necessary for growth, and the newcomers need to be mindful of the colorful past, and the importance of paying homage to it.

Another important suggestion that was given was to advertise. I realize this suggestion may seem laughable at first, as this sport is based on sponsors, and advertising for them. On a deeper level, though, I believe that NASCAR could be reaching out to the masses in other ways besides advertising the big businesses that support them. In my mind I see a series of commercials highlighting our wonderful drivers and teams, how generous they are with their time, and the many ways they bring awareness to charities and organizations that help people all across the nation. The theme of the commercials could be, ‘Are you looking for heroes for your children?’

In many ways I believe NASCAR is doing a good job of cultivating new fans and honoring the long-time ones. There is always room for improvement, and as long as they care enough to remember the past and anticipate the future all will be well.