Pockets, That is probably one of the biggest reasons NASCAR is sucking wind right now, oh that and placing the emphasis on Wheaties cover Driver personalities rather than manufacturer's developments and pitting one car or brand against another.
For me the Heyday was during the late 80's and early 90's. Not only were the Fords not continually penalized for superior engines during that period (as opposed to long before and ever since) but even GM pitted Pontiac, Buick and Olds against Chevrolet. And you could tell the cars apart at a glance without relying on paint and stickers.
Now all that has been solved by the COTA and everyone running a variant of the 351Clevor, even Toyota and Mopar. :thumbsdow